Difference between revisions of "Help:Editing"

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Revision as of 14:39, 10 February 2008

This Editing Overview has a lot of examples. You may want to keep this page open in a separate browser window for reference while you edit. If you want the super-quickie help, see the Quickstart Guide.

Each of the topics covered here is covered somewhere else in more detail. See box at right for that

Editing basics

Start editing
To start editing a MediaWiki page, click the Edit this page (or just edit) link at one of its edges. This brings you to the edit page: a page with a text box containing the wikitext: the editable source code from which the server produces the webpage. If you just want to experiment, please do so in the sandbox, not here.
Type your changes
You can just type your text. However, also using basic wiki markup (described in the next section) to make links and do simple formatting adds to the value of your contribution.
Summarize your changes
Write a short edit summary in the small field below the edit-box. You may use shorthand to describe your changes, as described in the legend.
Preview before saving
When you have finished, click Show preview to see how your changes will look -- before you make them permanent. Repeat the edit/preview process until you are satisfied, then click Save page and your changes will be immediately applied to the article.



Basic text formatting

What it looks like What you type

You can italicize text by putting 2 apostrophes on each side.

3 apostrophes will bold the text.

5 apostrophes will bold and italicise the text.

(4 apostrophes don't do anything special -- there's just 'one left over'.)

You can ''italicize text'' by putting 2 
apostrophes on each side. 

3 apostrophes will bold '''the text'''. 

5 apostrophes will bold and italicize 
'''''the text'''''.

(4 apostrophes don't do anything special -- there's just ''''one left over''''.)

A single newline has no effect on the layout. But an empty line

starts a new paragraph.

A single newline
has no effect
on the layout.
But an empty line

starts a new paragraph.

You can break lines
without a new paragraph.
Please use this sparingly.

You can break lines<br />
without a new paragraph.<br />
Please use this sparingly.

You should "sign" your comments on talk pages:
- Three tildes gives your user name: Karl Wick
- Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: Karl Wick 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
- Five tildes gives the date/time alone: 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)

You should "sign" your comments 
on talk pages: <br />
- Three tildes gives your user
name: ~~~ <br />
- Four tildes give your user 
name plus date/time: ~~~~ <br />
- Five tildes gives the 
date/time alone: ~~~~~ <br />

You can use HTML tags, too, if you want. Some useful ways to use HTML:

Put text in a typewriter font. The same font is generally used for computer code.

Strike out or underlinetext, or write it in small caps.

Superscripts and subscripts: X2, H2O

Invisible comments to editors (<!-- -->) only appear while editing the page.

If you wish to make comments to the public, you should usually go on the talk page, though.

You can use <b>HTML tags</b>,
too, if you want. Some useful
ways to use HTML:

Put text in a <tt>typewriter
font</tt>. The same font is 
generally used for <code>
computer code</code>.

<strike>Strike out</strike>
or <u>underline</u> text,
or write it <span style=
"font-variant:small-caps">
in small caps</span>.

Superscripts and subscripts:
X<sup>2</sup>, H<sub>2</sub>O

Invisible comments to editors (&lt;!-- --&gt;) 
only appear while editing the page.
<!-- Note to editors: blah blah blah. -->

If you wish to make comments to the public, 
you should usually go on the [[talk page]], though.

For a list of HTML tags that are allowed, see HTML in wikitext. However, you should avoid HTML in favor of Wiki markup whenever possible.

Organizing your writing

What it looks like What you type
Section headings

Headings organize your writing into sections. The Wiki software can automatically generate a table of contents from them.

Subsection

Using more equals signs creates a subsection.

A smaller subsection

Don't skip levels, like from two to four equals signs.

Start with 2 equals signs not 1 because 1 creates H1 tags which should be reserved for page title.

== Section headings ==

''Headings'' organize your writing into sections.
The Wiki software can automatically generate
a table of contents from them.

=== Subsection ===

Using more equals signs creates a subsection.

==== A smaller subsection ====

Don't skip levels, 
like from two to four equals signs.

Start with 2 equals signs not 1 
because 1 creates H1 tags
which should be reserved for page title.
  • Unordered lists are easy to do:
    • Start every line with a star.
      • More stars indicate a deeper level.
    Previous item continues.
    • A new line
  • in a list

marks the end of the list.

  • Of course you can start again.
* ''Unordered lists'' are easy to do:
** Start every line with a star.
*** More stars indicate a deeper level.
*: Previous item continues.
** A new line
* in a list  
marks the end of the list.
* Of course you can start again.
  1. Numbered lists are:
    1. Very organized
    2. Easy to follow

A new line marks the end of the list.

  1. New numbering starts with 1.
# ''Numbered lists'' are:
## Very organized
## Easy to follow
A new line marks the end of the list.
# New numbering starts with 1.

Another kind of list is a definition list:

Word 
Definition of the word
Here is a longer phrase that needs a definition
Phrase defined
A word 
Which has a definition
Also a second one
And even a third
Another kind of list is a ''definition list'':
; Word : Definition of the word
; Here is a longer phrase that needs a definition
: Phrase defined
; A word : Which has a definition
: Also a second one
: And even a third
  • You can even do mixed lists
    1. and nest them
    2. inside each other
      • or break lines
        in lists.
      definition lists
      can be
      nested too
* You can even do mixed lists
*# and nest them
*# inside each other
*#* or break lines<br />in lists.
*#; definition lists
*#: can be 
*#;; nested too
A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph.

A new line after that starts a new paragraph.
This is often used for discussion on talk pages.

We use 1 colon to indent once.
We use 2 colons to indent twice.
We use 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.
: A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph.
A new line after that starts a new paragraph. <br />
This is often used for discussion on talk pages.
: We use 1 colon to indent once.
:: We use 2 colons to indent twice.
::: We use 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.

You can make horizontal dividing lines (----) to separate text.


But you should usually use sections instead, so that they go in the table of contents.

You can make horizontal dividing lines (----)
to separate text.
----
But you should usually use sections instead,
so that they go in the table of contents.

You can add footnotes to sentences using the ref tag -- this is especially good for citing a source.

There are over six billion people in the world.[1]
References:
  1. CIA World Factbook, 2006.

For details, see Wikipedia:Footnotes and Help:Footnotes.

You can add footnotes to sentences using the ''ref'' tag -- this is especially good for citing a source.

:There are over six billion people in the world.<ref>CIA World Factbook, 2006.</ref> <br />

References: <references/>

For details, see [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] and [[Help:Footnotes]].

External links

You will often want to make clickable links to other pages.

What it looks like What you type

Here's a link to a page named Arts and Letters Magazine. You can even say arts and letters magazines and the link will show up correctly.

Here's a link to a page named [[Arts and Letters Magazine]].
You can even say [[arts and letters magazine]]s
and the link will show up correctly.

You can put formatting around a link. Example: Wikipedia.

You can put formatting around a link.
Example: ''[[Wikipedia]]''.

The first letter of articles is automatically capitalized, so wikipedia goes to the same place as Wikipedia. Capitalization matters after the first letter.

The ''first letter'' of articles is automatically
capitalized, so [[wikipedia]] goes to the same place
as [[Wikipedia]]. Capitalization matters after the
first letter.

The weather in Riga is a page that doesn't exist yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.

[[The weather in Riga]] is a page that doesn't exist
yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.

You can link to a page section by its title:

If multiple sections have the same title, add a number. #Example section 3 goes to the third section named "Example section".

You can link to a page section by its title:

*[[List of cities by country#Morocco]].

If multiple sections have the same title, add
a number. [[#Example section 3]] goes to the
third section named "Example section".

You can make a link point to a different place with a piped link. Put the link target first, then the pipe character "|", then the link text.

Or you can use the "pipe trick" so that text in brackets does not appear.

You can make a link point to a different place
with a [[Help:Piped link|piped link]]. Put the link
target first, then the pipe character "|", then
the link text.

*[[Help:Link|About Links]]
*[[List of cities by country#Morocco|
Cities in Morocco]]

Or you can use the "pipe trick" so that text in
brackets does not appear. 

*[[Spinning (textiles)|Spinning]]

You can make an external link just by typing a URL: http://www.nupedia.com

You can give it a title: Nupedia

Or leave the title blank: [1]

You can make an external link just by typing a URL:
http://www.nupedia.com

You can give it a title:
[http://www.nupedia.com Nupedia]

Or leave the title blank:
[http://www.nupedia.com]

Linking to an e-mail address works the same way: mailto:someone@domain.com or someone

Linking to an e-mail address works the same way:
mailto:someone@domain.com or 
[mailto:someone@domain.com someone]

You can redirect the user to another page.

#REDIRECT [[Official position]]

Category links do not show up in line but instead at page bottom and cause the page to be listed in the category.

Add an extra colon to link to a category in line without causing the page to be listed in the category: Category:English documentation

[[Help:Category|Category links]] do not show up in line
but instead at page bottom ''and cause the page to be
listed in the category.''
[[Category:English documentation]]

Add an extra colon to ''link'' to a category in line
without causing the page to be listed in the category:
[[:Category:English documentation]]

The Wiki reformats linked dates to match the reader's date preferences. These three dates will show up the same if you choose a format in your Preferences:

The Wiki reformats linked dates to match the reader's
date preferences. These three dates will show up the
same if you choose a format in your
[[Special:Preferences|]]:
* [[July 20]], [[1969]]
* [[20 July]] [[1969]]
* [[1969]]-[[07-20]]

Just show what I typed

See also Help:Wiki markup examples#Just show what I typed.

A few different kinds of formatting will tell the Wiki to display things as you typed them.

What it looks like What you type

The nowiki tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''. It reformats text by removing new lines and multiple spaces. It still interprets special characters: →

<nowiki>
The nowiki tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''.
It reformats text by removing
new lines    and multiple spaces.
It still interprets special
characters: &rarr;
</nowiki>
The pre tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''.
It also doesn't     reformat text.
It still interprets special characters: →
<pre>
The pre tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''.
It also doesn't     reformat text.
It still interprets special characters: &rarr;
</pre>

Leading spaces are another way to preserve formatting.

Putting a space at the beginning of each
line stops the text   from being reformatted.
It still interprets Wiki markup and
special characters: →
Leading spaces are another way to preserve formatting.

 Putting a space at the beginning of each
 line stops the text   from being reformatted.
 It still interprets [[Wiki]] ''markup'' and
 special characters: &rarr;

Images, tables, video, and sounds

After uploading, just enter the filename, highlight it and press the "embedded image"-button of the edit_toolbar.

This will produce the syntax for uploading a file [[Image:filename.png]]

This is a very quick introduction. For more information, see:

  • Help:Images and other uploaded files for how to upload files
  • Help:Extended image syntax for how to arrange images on the page
  • Help:Tables for how to create a table
What it looks like What you type

A picture, including alternate text:

The logo for this Wiki

You can put the image in a frame with a caption:

The logo for this Wiki
A picture, including alternate text:

[[Image:Wiki.png|The logo for this Wiki]]

You can put the image in a frame with a caption:
[[Image:Wiki.png|frame|The logo for this Wiki]]

A link to Wikipedia's page for the image: Image:Wiki.png

Or a link directly to the image itself: Media:Wiki.png

A link to Wikipedia's page for the image:
[[:Image:Wiki.png]]

Or a link directly to the image itself:
[[Media:Wiki.png]]

Use media: links to link directly to sounds or videos: media:Sg_mrob.ogg|A sound file

Use '''media:''' links to link directly to sounds
or videos: [[media:Sg_mrob.ogg|A sound file]]
This is
a table
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center"
! This
! is
|- 
| a
| table
|-
|}

Mathematical formulas

You can format mathematical formulas with TeX markup. See Help:Formula.

What it looks like What you type

<math>\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n!}</math>

<math>\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n!}</math>

Templates

Templates are segments of Wiki markup that are meant to be copied automatically ("transcluded") into a page. You add them by putting the template's name in {{double braces}}.

Some templates take parameters, as well, which you separate with the pipe character.

What it looks like What you type

Template:Transclusion demo

{{Transclusion demo}}

This template takes two parameters, and creates underlined text with a hover box for many modern browsers supporting CSS:

Template:H:title

Go to this page to see the H:title template itself: {{H:title}}

This template takes two parameters, and
creates underlined text with a hover box
for many modern browsers supporting CSS:

{{H:title|This is the hover text|
Hover your mouse over this text}}

Go to this page to see the H:title template
itself: {{tl|H:title}}

Minor edits

A logged-in user can mark an edit as "minor". Minor edits are generally spelling corrections, formatting, and minor rearrangement of text. Users may choose to hide minor edits when viewing Recent Changes.

Marking a significant change as a minor edit is considered bad Wikiquette. If you have accidentally marked an edit as minor, make a dummy edit, verify that the "[ ] This is a minor edit" check-box is unchecked, and explain in the edit summary that the previous edit was not minor.

See also

Template:H:f