# Action Items Guide for Lab Sheets
This guide shows how to use the special styling classes to highlight action items and important sections in your lab sheets.
## Available Action Item Classes
### 1. `.action-item` - General Action Required
Use this for general actions that students need to perform.
```html
Task 1: Install Required Software
Download and install the following tools:
- Nmap
- Wireshark
- Metasploit Framework
```
### 2. `.warning-item` - Important Warnings
Use this for warnings or important notices.
```html
⚠️ Important Warning
Only perform these activities in a controlled lab environment. Never attempt these techniques on systems you don't own or have explicit permission to test.
```
### 3. `.danger-item` - Critical Warnings
Use this for critical warnings or dangerous operations.
```html
🚨 Critical Security Notice
This lab involves creating actual malware samples. Ensure you are working in an isolated environment and have proper authorization.
```
### 4. `.success-item` - Completion/Success
Use this to indicate successful completion or positive outcomes.
```html
✅ Lab Complete
Congratulations! You have successfully completed all tasks in this lab. Make sure to document your findings in your lab report.
```
### 5. `.action-text` - Inline Action Items
Use this for inline action items within paragraphs.
```html
First, open a terminal window and navigate to the lab directory. Then run the setup script to configure your environment.
```
## Markdown Usage
Since Jekyll processes Markdown, you can also use HTML directly in your Markdown files:
```markdown
## Lab Exercise 1
### Step 1: Network Discovery
Use Nmap to scan the target network and identify active hosts.
```bash
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24
```
### ⚠️ Legal Notice
Remember to only scan networks you own or have explicit permission to test.
```
## Color Schemes
The action items automatically adapt to both light and dark themes:
- **Light Theme**: Uses lighter backgrounds with darker text
- **Dark Theme**: Uses darker backgrounds with lighter text
- **Icons**: Each type has a distinctive emoji icon
- **Borders**: Left border in theme-appropriate colors
## Best Practices
1. **Use sparingly**: Don't overuse action items - they should highlight truly important sections
2. **Be specific**: Make action items clear and actionable
3. **Consistent language**: Use consistent terminology across your lab sheets
4. **Test both themes**: Check how your action items look in both light and dark modes
## Examples in Context
Here's how you might structure a typical lab section:
```markdown
## Network Scanning Lab
### Task 1: Basic Network Scan
Perform a basic network scan of the target range 192.168.1.0/24.
```bash
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24
```
### Important
Only scan networks you own or have explicit permission to test.
### Task 2: Service Detection
Once you've identified active hosts, perform service detection on the first three hosts.
```bash
nmap -sV 192.168.1.1,2,3
```
### Completion
If you can see the services running on the target hosts, you have successfully completed this lab section.
```
This creates a visually distinct and easy-to-follow lab experience for students.
## Highlight Syntax
You can also use the `==highlight==` syntax to highlight specific text inline:
```markdown
This is normal text, but this ==important information== should be highlighted.
You can also highlight ==multiple words== in the same paragraph.
```
This will render as:
- **Light theme**: Yellow background with black text
- **Dark theme**: Darker yellow background with black text
### When to Use Highlight vs Action Items
- **Use `==highlight==`** for emphasizing important information, key terms, or concepts
- **Use action item classes** for actual tasks, warnings, or structured content blocks
### Example Usage
```markdown
## Network Security Lab
### Task 1: Scan the Network
Use Nmap to scan the ==target network== and identify ==active hosts==.
```bash
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24
```
### Important
Only scan networks you ==own== or have explicit permission to test.
```
This combines both highlighting techniques for maximum clarity.