How to create FEN's?

I'd like to know more on how to create FEN's, they are very interesting and can help me in a lot of ways I have found out the basics of it but I need someone else to fill out the rest of the puzzle pieces. Here are some basic ones rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1, rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 1, rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 1 2. I already know that rnbqkbnr are the pieces that are not the pawns and pppppppp are the pawns in their order. Whites part of this is capitalized and black is vice-versa. w means whites turn and b means blacks turn. KQkq is ability to castle for both sides. A 1 replaces pieces that have moved. But the 8/8/8/8 and how it changes accordingly is difficult to me along with the "-" and the "0 1" or whatever the numbers happen to be in that case confuses me.

Click this button to create a diagram:

In the popup window, select the diagram radio button, click Continue, select Use a FEN string, paste the FEN string into the box, click Continue, click Insert.

Here is the 2nd one:

I didn't ask how to use FEN I already how to do that I'm asking how to create one by hand

Let's break one down. FENs start from a8 and separate the ranks by slashes. Lowercase letters are black pieces and uppercase are white. Numbers represent consecutive blank squares.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

Start with 6 blank squares, then add a bB and bR.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

On the 7th rank, add 7 blank squares and a pawn.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

Two blanks, bP, 1 blank, bK, 1 blank, bP, wP on 6th rank.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

etc.

Add the other pertinent information at the end.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

White to play.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

First dash means that no one has castling rights. KQ would mean white can castle on either side. KQkq means that both sides can castle on either side.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

Second dash means there is no en passant field. If black's last move was ...b7-b5, this field would be b6, indicating that Pc5 can capture en passant.

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

0 half-moves without a pawn move or capture [for the 50-move rule].

6br/7p/2p1k1pP/rpPp1pP1/pP1PpP2/P1K1P3/8/8 w - - 0 1

The move number is 1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth%E2%80%93Edwards_Notation  If you want to create FEN automatically from a diagram, see

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/program-to-convert-chess-diagram-to-fen

Thanks bigdogg I'll look into that more later, shadow that is not the fen I was talking about, and fredm I've seen the first link, it was too brief and I'm not looking to do it automatically thanks anyways

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN "r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/2b1p3/4P3/2NP1N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

qqqkqqqq/qqqqqqqq/PPPPPPPP/BBBBBBBB/RRRRRRRB/RNNNNNRB/RNQQQNRB/RNQKQNRB w - - 0 1

cool

r1bqk1nr/1pp1pppp/2n2b2/3Rp3/4P3/1CN1p3/PPP2PPP/R1B1K1NR w - - 1 24

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date ""]
[Round "-"]
[White "DHLDAFGKVJ"]
[Black "hisoka000407"]
[Result "0-1"]
[CurrentPosition "r1b1kb2/2pp3n/p2q4/1p1Np1B1/3nP3/3P4/PP3PPP/2R2RK1 w - -"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C42"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Petrovs-Defense-Three-Knights-Game"]
[UTCDate ""]
[UTCTime ":24"]
[WhiteElo "641"]
[BlackElo "701"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[Termination "hisoka000407 won by resignation"]
[StartTime ":24"]
[EndDate ""]
[EndTime ":33"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/123604395830?tab=analysis"]
[WhiteUrl ""]
[WhiteCountry "149"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]
[BlackCountry "2"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 a6 5. Ng5 Qe7 6. Nxf7 Rg8 7. O-O b5 8.
Nd6+ Qxd6 9. Bxg8 Nxg8 10. Qh5+ g6 11. Qxh7 Nf6 12. Qxg6+ Ke7 13. d3 Nd4 14. Bg5
Nxc2 15. Rac1 Nd4 16. Qh7+ Ke8 17. Nd5 Nxh7 0-1

rnbqkbnr/2pp1Qpp/pp6/4p3/2B1P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNB1K1NR b KQ

H

The FEN also contains information about a potential en passant square and the 50 move rule