# Can someone explain post formatting with HTML?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-someone-explain-post-formatting-with-html/128958
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [September 18, 2019, 11:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-someone-explain-post-formatting-with-html/128958 "2019-09-18T23:25:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![smileypants707](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/smileypants707/32/129984_2.png) [@smileypants707](https://meta.discourse.org/u/smileypants707)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2019, 11:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-someone-explain-post-formatting-with-html/128958/1 "2019-09-18T23:25:31Z")

</div>

Some context:

**I’m still in the early learning stage of HTML, so please bear with me here.**

I notice that the composer will translate _some_ HTML code, but it doesn’t want to recognize more detailed elements/ attributes.

* * *

For example, the composer will read a basic table like this:

```
<table>
 <tr>
  <th>Name</th>
  <th>Favorite Color</th>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td>Bob</td>
  <td>Yellow</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td>Michelle</td>
  <td>Purple</td>
 </tr>
</table>

```

| Name | Favorite Color |
| --- | --- |
| Bob | Yellow |
| Michelle | Purple |

This appears to work just fine, just a straight forward table built with super basic elements.

* * *

But the composer doesn’t seem to want to read more specialized elements and attributes. For example, if I add some column styling under the opening `<table>` element:

```
<table>
  <colgroup>
    <col style="background-color: yellow" span="2">
  </colgroup>
 <tr>
  <th>Name</th>
  <th>Favorite Color</th>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td>Bob</td>
  <td>Yellow</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td>Michelle</td>
  <td>Purple</td>
 </tr>
</table>

```

The composer won’t translate it; it also won’t break anything:

| Name | Favorite Color |
| --- | --- |
| Bob | Yellow |
| Michelle | Purple |

* * *

Now, one of the things I have run into during my head-first dive into coding, is that _there is more than one way to skin a cat_. It seems like every website will offer a different means to the same end.

I would appreciate any information that can help me to _think better_ about this.

So, my questions:

- Is this a problem with my approach/ current understanding of HTML?

- Is the composer simply selective on what it will translate? And if so, are there clear parameters for this?

- Is there a setting that can enable the composer to translate more complex HTML? And would enabling this be a bad idea?

Thank you

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-someone-explain-post-formatting-with-html/128958/2 "2019-09-18T23:38:10Z")

</div>

Raw HTML would cause many security exploits (in posts). Only a very tightly whitelisted subset of tags and elements are allowed.

In general you should not be using HTML, use Markdown, per [Markdown Reference](http://commonmark.org/help)

Now for Admin, Customize areas where HTML is allowed as part of site setup and customization, admins can indeed put in whatever HTML they want.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-someone-explain-post-formatting-with-html/128958/3 "2019-10-18T23:38:13Z")

</div>

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