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| | ==How to start a new page== | | ==How to start a new page== |
| | === Creating an empty page === | | === Creating an empty page === |
| - | A '''new page''' is distinguished from a blank page: the latter has a [[Help:Page history|page history]]. However, creating a new page is just like editing a blank page, except that a new page displays the text from [[MediaWiki:Newarticletext]] (which may vary by project). | + | <pre>To create a new page type the new page name in the url bar. Eg Start of with http://britishexpats.com/wiki/ and then add the name of the page you wish to create: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/'''joebloggs''' |
| | | | |
| - | Occasionally it is useful to create an empty page — For example a template can be made such that, depending on a parameter, it produces either just a standard text or also an additional text. This is done by having it call another template, of which the name is a parameter; one version of the other template contains the additional text, the other version is blank. See [[Help:Template names%2C variable names and parameters depending on a variable or parameter#Optional text|optional text]]. | + | Always remember that navigation of a wiki is very important, therefore it is better to create the link to the new page on an already established page. So if you wanted to add a new page and link to it from the Spain Lifestyle you would go to Spain Lifestyle, click edit and then type in [[joeblogs]]</pre> |
| | | | |
| - | To create an empty page, save a page with the [[wikitext]] <nowiki>__END__</nowiki>. This code will not be saved, it just prevents refusal by the system to create an empty page. Alternatively, first create a non-empty page, e.g. with just one character, then edit the page to make it empty. A page with one or more blank spaces at the end, including a page only containing one or more blank spaces, is not possible. | |
| | ==Sub-Category== | | ==Sub-Category== |
| | ===How to add a sub-category=== | | ===How to add a sub-category=== |
Revision as of 11:56, 15 May 2008
Editing basics
Review policy and conventions
Make sure that you submit information which is relevant to the specific purpose of the wiki, or your content might be deleted.
Start editing
To start editing a wiki 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 code from which the server produces the finished page.
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. This wiki have style guidelines available. If you follow these, your contributions will be more valuable as they won't need to be cleaned up later.
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 edit summary 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.
Formatting
Wikitext
You can format the page using Wikitext special characters.
| 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 italicize the text.
(Using 4 apostrophes doesn't do anything special -- there are just ' left over ones' that are included as part of the text.)
|
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'''''.
(Using 4 apostrophes doesn't do anything
special -- <br> there are just ''''left
over ones'''' that are included as part of the text.)
|
|
A single newline generally has no effect on the layout. These can be used to separate sentences within a paragraph. Some editors find that this aids editing and improves the diff function (used internally to compare different versions of a page).
But an empty line starts a new paragraph.
When used in a list, a newline does affect the layout.
|
A single newline
generally has no effect on the layout.
These can be used to separate
sentences within a paragraph.
Some editors find that this aids editing
and improves the ''diff'' function
(used internally to compare
different versions of a page).
But an empty line
starts a new paragraph.
When used in a list, a newline ''does''
affect the layout.
|
|
You can break lines
without a new paragraph.
Please use this sparingly.
Please do not start a link or italics or bold on one line and close it on the next.
|
You can break lines<br>
without a new paragraph.<br>
Please use this sparingly.
Please do not start a link or
''italics'' or '''bold''' on one line
and close it on the next.
|
HTML Tags
You can use some HTML tags too. 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.
| What it looks like |
What you type |
|
Put text in a typewriter font. The same font is generally used for computer code.
|
Put text in a <tt>typewriter
font</tt>. The same font is
generally used for <code>
computer code</code>.
|
|
Strike out or underline text, or write it in small caps.
|
<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: X2, H2O
|
Superscripts and subscripts:
X<sup>2</sup>, H<sub>2</sub>O
|
Centered text
- Please note the American spelling of "center".
|
<center>Centered text</center>
|
The blockquote command will indent both margins when needed instead of the left margin only as the colon does.
|
<blockquote>
The '''blockquote''' command will indent
both margins when needed instead of the
left margin only as the colon does.
</blockquote>
|
Organize 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.
- 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 newline
* in a list
marks the end of the list.
* Of course you can start again.
|
- Numbered lists are:
- Very organized
- Easy to follow
A newline marks the end of the list.
- New numbering starts with 1.
|
# ''Numbered lists'' are:
## Very organized
## Easy to follow
A newline marks the end of the list.
# New numbering starts with 1.
|
|
Here's a definition list:
- Word
- Definition of the word
- A longer phrase needing definition
- Phrase defined
- A word
- Which has a definition
- Also a second one
- And even a third
Begin with a semicolon. One item per line;
a newline can appear before the colon, but
using a space before the colon improves
parsing.
|
Here's a ''definition list'':
; Word : Definition of the word
; A longer phrase needing definition
: Phrase defined
; A word : Which has a definition
: Also a second one
: And even a third
Begin with a semicolon. One item per line;
a newline can appear before the colon, but
using a space before the colon improves
parsing.
|
- You can even do mixed lists
- and nest them
- inside each other
- 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 newline starts a new paragraph.
Often used for discussion on talk pages.
- We use 1 colon to indent once.
- We use 2 colons to indent twice.
- 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.
|
: A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph.
A newline starts a new paragraph. <br>
Often used for discussion on talk pages.
: We use 1 colon to indent once.
:: We use 2 colons to indent twice.
::: 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.<ref>CIA World Factbook, 2006.</ref>
References: <references/>
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>
References: <references/>
For details, see [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]]
and [[Help:Footnotes]].
|
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 Official position.
You can even say official positions
and the link will show up correctly.
|
Here's a link to a page named [[Official position]].
You can even say [[official position]]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 London is a page that doesn't exist
yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.
|
[[The weather in London]] 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 parentheses or text after a comma does not appear.
|
*[[Help:Link|About Links]]
*[[List of cities by country#Morocco|
Cities in Morocco]]
*[[Spinning (textiles)|]]
*[[Boston, Massachusetts|]]
|
|
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@example.com or
someone
|
Linking to an e-mail address works the same way:
mailto:someone@example.com or
[mailto:someone@example.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.''
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|]]:
* [[1969-07-20]]
* [[July 20]], [[1969]]
* [[20 July]] [[1969]]
|
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.
| What it looks like
| What you type
|
|
A picture, including alternate text:
You can put the image in a frame with a caption:
This Wiki's logo
|
A picture, including alternate text:
[[Image:Wiki.png|This Wiki's logo]]
The image in a frame with a caption:
[[Image:Wiki.png|frame|This Wiki's logo]]
|
|
A link to Wikipedia's page for the image:
Image:Globes.jpg
Or a link directly to the image itself:
Media:Globes.jpg
|
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:
A sound file
|
Use '''media:''' links to link
directly to sounds or videos:
[[media:Sg_mrob.ogg|A sound file]]
|
|
|
{| border="1" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="5" align="center"
! This
! is
|-
| a
| table
|-
|}
|
How to start a new page
Creating an empty page
To create a new page type the new page name in the url bar. Eg Start of with http://britishexpats.com/wiki/ and then add the name of the page you wish to create: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/'''joebloggs'''
Always remember that navigation of a wiki is very important, therefore it is better to create the link to the new page on an already established page. So if you wanted to add a new page and link to it from the Spain Lifestyle you would go to Spain Lifestyle, click edit and then type in [[joeblogs]]
Sub-Category
How to add a sub-category
When you create a new page you can link it to a category page and it will automatically show that page as a sub-section.
Eg. After adding Category:Qatar City Guide as a new page, I then clicked on the edit tab and entered [[Category:Middle East City Guides]] then saved it and it automatically added that page as a sub-category of Middle East City Guides.