What is wrong with code snippets/blocks on Stack Overflow?

Question

I wasn't following Meta Stack Overflow too closely so maybe something was changed that I'm not aware of. But each time I paste a snippet from a Python console I'm getting wrong formatting. What I'm doing wrong? It seems that >>> is confusing for Stack Overflow. I've tried to escape it with backslashes, and it was working fine in preview but doesn't work after the question is rendered.

I was able to observe that problem on: recent Chrome (Windows, Mac), Safari 4 (Mac).

Here is my recent answer I wasn't able to make right.

Funny, I think the snippets are rendered just fine on Meta Stack Overflow. Here is one:

>>> def throw(): raise Exception() 
... 
>>> a=1
>>> a=throw()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in throw
Exception
>>> a
1

Does this happen in stable/released/supported browsers? The team doesn't even look at bugs that only happen in beta/dev browsers. — Pops
– Pops, Commented Nov 23, 2010 at 19:53

Joel Coehoorn · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-24 02:05:41Z

That is a subtle case where the code-block was considered part of the bullet-list, so needed double indenting - otherwise it assumed the > was the markdown for a quoted section. I just added a new line between the "Check this out:" to break out of the bullet-list.

So with markdown:

- bullet 1
- bullet 2

    this looks like a code block, but isn't; it is just more text in bullet 2

- bullet 3
- bullet 4

        this *is* a code block in the bulletted list (in bullet 4)

finish bullet 4

this text is no longer part of the bullet-list

    and hence this is a code-block

and to prove it:

bullet 1
bullet 2

this looks like a code block, but isn't; it is just more text in bullet 2
bullet 3

bullet 4

this *is* a code block in the bulletted list (in bullet 4)

finish bullet 4

this text is no longer part of the bullet-list

and hence this is a code-block

or you can add <-- separator --> if you need to disambiguate at the bottom of a list — Jeff Atwood
– Jeff Atwood StaffMod, Commented Nov 24, 2010 at 1:12

Stack Exchange Network

What is wrong with code snippets/blocks on Stack Overflow?

1 Answer 1

You must log in to answer this question.

Hot Network Questions

What is wrong with code snippets/blocks on Stack Overflow?

1 Answer 1

You must log in to answer this question.

Related

Hot Network Questions