Send preformatted text in Skype

Sometimes I send pieces of code using Skype. Very often the text is messed up with smileys, and some brackets show up doubled.

Can I somehow send text that will not be transformed? Something like <pre> in HTML.

EDIT ( 19 march 2015 ): In Win 8.1 Skype version 7.2.59.103 (for desktop) both nesono's answer and Nishanth C's answer are working.

Bakudan

Posted 2011-05-06T22:45:58.423

Reputation: 1 203

For reference, here is the official list of Skype formatting escapes, under Formatting your instant messages.

– István Zachar – 2016-07-15T18:03:04.787

1{code}print(":)");{code} – Jens Frandsen – 2017-06-22T01:25:32.293

note, the opening {code} has to be at the beginning of a line – Jens Frandsen – 2017-06-22T01:28:07.683

@IstvánZachar Skype formatting seems to have changed radically in the new Skype included as part of Windows 10 (I'm on Skype 12.7.597.0). I have asked a new question at Do not insert emoticons into sent messages in Skype version 12

– Silverfish – 2017-11-06T16:29:27.530

1You could disable smileys and suggest your recipient do the same. It's not as nice as what you're asking for though. – Kyle Smith – 2011-05-18T14:48:41.103

Answers

In fact you can keep Skype from parsing the snippet for smileys. Just use two exclamation marks as the first line (rest empty) and paste your snippet afterwards.

Example:

!! call_function(0); :) (smoke)

Apart from that, you can use decorations to post *bold*, _italic_ or ~strikethrough~ text.

nesono

Posted 2011-05-06T22:45:58.423

Reputation: 796

Skype for Windows (6.20.64.104) support that – KindDragon – 2014-09-25T13:58:06.480

2You can also append "!! " before the text to leave the text raw. I don't like the extra line made from !! – Andrew Wong – 2014-11-01T03:51:13.297

1You don't have to make a new line after !!, a blank space suffices.

E.g.: !! function foo() {};

Will output "function foo() {};", without the exclamation marks and the space. No new line. (Skype for OS X, 7.14 301) – EriF89 – 2015-11-24T14:09:57.230

Does not work on Skype Linux 4.3.0.37. – Ciro Santilli 新疆改造中心法轮功六四事件 – 2017-05-25T13:03:11.620

Does not work with Skype for Linux Beta 5.4.0.1 and xml – Manuel Manhart – 2017-09-04T13:49:14.940

This does not work in Skype for Business 16.0.4549.1000 32-bit on Windows 7 Pro SP1 (6.1.7601.65536) – ShooShoSha – 2017-09-18T18:24:39.970

New skype has a feature to add code. Try this

{code}
call_function(0);
:)
(smoke)
{code}

Nishanth C

Posted 2011-05-06T22:45:58.423

Reputation: 611

7Could you please qualify new with a concrete version number? – O. R. Mapper – 2014-12-07T12:41:01.127

1It works here. Skype 7.1.0.105 – Francisco R – 2015-03-03T16:46:12.447

This do not work with web skype at this time – Carlo Pires – 2016-02-05T18:39:56.030

1Does not work on Skype Linux 4.3.0.37. – Ciro Santilli 新疆改造中心法轮功六四事件 – 2017-05-25T13:02:51.973

Does not work with Skype for Linux Beta 5.4.0.1 and xml – Manuel Manhart – 2017-09-04T13:49:09.730

This does not work in Skype for Business 16.0.4549.1000 32-bit on Windows 7 Pro SP1 (6.1.7601.65536) – ShooShoSha – 2017-09-18T18:24:34.593

This breaks in new coloured Skype v8.10.0.4 when using multiple code blocks in between normal text in one message. Ending tag doesn't seem to apply anymore. Wheres markdown multiple-backticks like in the answer below seem to work fine now. – leymannx – 2017-11-09T14:12:51.433

Markdown-like syntax also works. For example:

``` 
var s = "Block highlighting"; 
alert(s); 
```

Dmitry Rogov

Posted 2011-05-06T22:45:58.423

Reputation: 321

2I would say this is the best (fastest) way. {code} {code} and <pre> </pre> are longer to type and <pre> tags are stripped when the message is edited. – Dawid Ferenczy Rogožan – 2017-02-16T15:36:55.317

1Currently this does not work – JaKu – 2017-06-29T09:22:17.260

Does not work with Skype for Linux Beta 5.4.0.1 and xml – Manuel Manhart – 2017-09-04T13:49:06.943

1This does not work in Skype for Business 16.0.4549.1000 32-bit on Windows 7 Pro SP1 (6.1.7601.65536) – ShooShoSha – 2017-09-18T18:24:29.417

To get around this kind of problem in other chat systems, people often post the code fragment on a web-based snippet site like pastebin.com and then just send a link to the code via chat.

rakslice

Posted 2011-05-06T22:45:58.423

Reputation: 2 276

Sorry, based on question "Can I somehow send text that will not be transformed?" I thought you were looking for a workaround. – rakslice – 2016-02-27T00:24:18.017

6I know, like pastie.org, jsfiddle.net, codetidy.com, tinypaste.com, codepad.org, pastesite.com. This is not the point of the question. – Bakudan – 2011-05-10T05:04:21.570

Try three backticks ` newline and your text in several portions then again three backticks from the first position in line

Alex

Posted 2011-05-06T22:45:58.423

Reputation: 1

1This repeats the answer from 2017. – Dmitry Grigoryev – 2019-09-24T12:07:06.723