How to use abbreviation tags

Abbreviation tags are useful when expanding an acronym is not practical. They are placed directly in to the html source code.

Abbreviation tags can be used for:

  • acronyms that are more common than their expanded version (LCD, USB, PDF, ect.)
  • the names of countries, nations (USA, UK, ect.)
  • common organizations or companies (UNESCO, YMCA, ect.)
  • course codes (FR 260)
  • when an acronym appears in a publication that cannot be altered

The abbreviation tag takes the "title" attribute in which you place the expanded acronym. When an abbreviation tag is used, a hashed purple line will appear under the acronym. Hovering your mouse over the acronym will display the expanded version.

The general form of the abbreviation tag is as follows:

<abbr title="Name of Expanded Acronym">ACRONYM</abbr>

Inserting abbreviation tags

  1. Open the page you wish to edit.
  2. Click the Source button.  Notice that the text editing window is now displaying the html code for your page. Source icon.
  3. Insert the abbreviation tags where necessary. For example, in the first bulleted point on my page I have the phrase:

    "I spent my last co-op term in the UK working for the HSBC"

    I want to use the abbreviation tag on the acronyms "UK" and "HSBC". To do this I would:
    1. Find "UK" in the source code
       

    2. Insert the opening tag to the left of the acronym
      <abbr title="United Kingdom">UK

      Note: the title must appear in quotation marks

    3. Insert the closing tag to the right of the acronym
      UK</abbr>


      My code should now look like this:

      <li>I spent my last co-op term in the <abbr title="United Kingdom">UK</abbr> working for the HSBC.</li>


      I would do the same for the next acronym, "HSBC", and my code should look like this:

      <li>I spent my last co-op term in the <abbr title="United Kingdom">UK</abbr> working for the <abbr title="Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation">HSBC</abbr>.</li>
  4. Find all of the acronyms you wish to use the abbreviation tag for and complete steps (a) through (c).
     
  5. Click Save.
    Save button.
  6. Change the Moderation state to Published and click Apply.Changing moderation state to published.

On the viewing page your acronyms should now have purple hashed underlines, hover your mouse over the acronyms to view their expanded versions.

Published page showing dotted underlines beneath acronyms.