Structured Text (STX) is a way of creating a text-only document that when 'rendered' for display will apply formatting and styling effects to the text, inclusion of hyperlinks, images, tables and cross-references.  The end result is a standard HTML page; but you don't need any HTML knowledge to do it.

The resulting page will also use the styling of the surrounding website to ensure a consistent look and feel.

Although you can create reasonably sophisticated pages, with images and tables, it's unlikely that most people would use STX rather than a WYSIWYG page designer for complex requirements or 'fine control'.  However, if you just want to add some basic formatting or a web link to a text document 'on the fly', then STX is a quick way to do it without needing to add HTML tags or use a design tool like FrontPage.

• Creating content using STX

  To use STX to create content, create your page body text using the formatting described below.  Make sure you select 'Structured text' as the document format, then save the document and view the results!

Basic text formatting

• Italicized text

  Enter this :

  *italics*
  

• Underlined text

  Enter this :

  _underline_
  

• Boldfaced text

  Enter this :

  **boldface**
  

Headers and paragraphs

• Text headers

  Enter this:

  My header
  
     If you enter a single line paragraph (e.g. like the one
  above and then indent the first line of the next paragraph, 
  the text in the one-line paragraph will be transformed into
  a header.
  
     Note that the second paragraph in the section also has 
  its first line indented.
  
     Be sure to leave a blank line between paragraphs.  This
  paragraph's first line is indented, too.
  
     Subheading 1
  
        Use additional indentation to generate subheaders.
     Notice that the subheading's level of indenting is the
     same as the level for the previous paragraph, but that
     *this* paragraph is further indented.  It's the extra
     indenting of *this* paragraph that creates the subheading.
  
        Subheading 2
  
           Get smaller subheadings by indenting even more.
  
           Subheading 3
  
              Get even smaller subheadings by indenting even more.
  

  To get this:

  My header

  If you enter a single line paragraph (e.g. like the one above and then indent the first line of the next paragraph, the text in the one-line paragraph will be transformed into a header.

  Note that the second paragraph in the section also has its first line indented.

  Be sure to leave a blank line between paragraphs. This paragraph's first line is indented, too.

  Subheading 1

  Use additional indentation to generate subheaders. Notice that the subheading's level of indenting is the same as the level for the previous paragraph, but that this paragraph is further indented. It's the extra indenting of this paragraph that creates the subheading.

  Subheading 2

  Get smaller subheadings by indenting even more.

  Subheading 3

  Get even smaller subheadings by indenting even more.

Preformatted Text

• Block of preformatted text

  Enter this:

  The next block of text will be formatted exactly the way I have typed it::
  
     This is all preformatted.
  
        Your formatting will be used until...
           ... you stop indenting text.
        None of the *structured text* **commands** _work_ here.
  
     This is still indented.
  
  This is no longer preformatted.
  

  To get this:

  The next block of text will be formatted exactly the way I have typed it:

  This is all preformatted.
  
     Your formatting will be used until...
        ... you stop indenting text.
     None of the *structured text* **commands** _work_ here.
  
  This is still indented.
  

  This is no longer preformatted.

• Inline preformatted text

  Enter this:

  Normal text. Some 'preformatted text here'. More normal text.
  

  to get this:

  Some ordinary text here. Some preformatted text here. More ordinary text.

Lists

• Bulleted lists

  Enter this:

  * First item
  
  * Second item.  Note that there is a blank line between
  each list item.
  
     * Make lists within lists by using extra indentation
  
     * Second indented item.
  
  * Third item in the main list.
  

  to get this:

  • First item
  • Second item. Note that there is a blank line between each list item.
    • Make lists within lists by using extra indentation
    • Second indented item.
  • Third item in the main list.
     
• Numbered lists

  Enter this:

  1 First item
  
  2 Second item.  Again, note that there is a blank line 
  between each list item.
  
  3 Third item in the main list.
  

  to get this:

  1. First item
  2. Second item. Again, note that there is a blank line between each list item.
  3. Third item in the main list.

  Note that numbered lists cannot be embedded in bulleted lists.
   

• Definition lists

  Enter this:

  First item -- More information about the first item.
  
  Second item -- More information about the second item.
  
  Third item -- More information about the third item.
  

  to get this:

  First item

  More information about the first item. The additional information appears indented on the line below the item name.

  Second item

  More information about the second item.

  Third item

  More information about the third item.

Links

• Links

  Enter this:

  "A link to CNN":http://www.cnn.com
  

  to get this:

  A link to CNN

• Email addresses

  Enter this:

  "address@example.com":mailto:address@example.com
  

• References

  Enter this:

  I am going to refer to a footnote here [1].
  
  Later in the text I will have a footnotes
  section.
  
  .. [1] My footnote.  The initial whitespace
  controls indentation, then the two periods
  followed by the space and the bracketed text
  create the anchor.
  

  to get this:

  I am going to refer to a footnote here [1].

  Later in the text I will have a footnotes section.

  [1] My footnote. The initial whitespace controls indentation, then the two periods followed by the space and the bracketed text create the anchor.

Images

• Images

  Enter this:

  "Text shown when the browser does not load the image":img:logo.jpg
  

  You can use an arbitrary URL for the image, e.g.:

  "my logo":img:http://www.mydomain.com/logo.jpg
  

Tables

• Tables

  Enter this:

  |------------------------------------|
  | Fruit     | Nut        | Mammal    |
  |====================================|
  | Apple     | Peanut     | Squirrel  |
  |------------------------------------|
  | Orange    | Macadamia  | Woodchuck |
  |------------------------------------|
  | Banana    | Walnut     | Dolphin   |
  |------------------------------------|
  | This spans 2 columns!  | Cat       |
  |------------------------------------|
  | Pear      | This spans 2 columns!  |
  |------------------------------------|
  | This spans 3 columns!              |
  |------------------------------------|
  

  to get this:

  Fruit	Nut	Mammal
  Apple	Peanut	Squirrel
  Orange	Macadamia	Woodchuck
  Banana	Walnut	Dolphin
  This spans 2 columns!		Cat
  Pear	This spans 2 columns!
  This spans 3 columns!