Help:Editing pages

Editing Help

On a wiki, it is customary to allow readers to edit content and structure. Changes are tracked, and are revertible. User rights are configurable, so you may need to create an account or log on first.

This is a brief overview of the editing and contributing process. The Editor table of contents lists a few longer versions and a list of detailed descriptions of specific topics.

Really quick start: Click the "edit" tab at the top of the sandbox page. Start playing! wikitext markup examples, and policy guidelines are available for your pleasure.

Editing basics

Review policy and conventions

Make sure that what you want to write belongs where you want to put it. The operator of the site likely has specific plans for the site, and your content might be deleted or unappreciated. You can always use the talk pages to ask questions or check to see if your idea will be accepted. Please make note of the license your contributions will be covered with.

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.

Enter the page title

In order to facilitate our special needs when it comes to page titles, we have disabled the automatic display of page titles. At the top of the document enter the following: <div class="title">[ARTICLE TITLE]</div> where [ARTICLE TITLE] is the text you would like displayed as the page's title.

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 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.

Most frequent wiki markup explained

Here are the 6 most frequently used wiki markups. If you need more help see:

• Help:Wikitext examples
• Help:Reference card
• Help:HTML in wikitext
• HTML elements

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. (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''''.)
You should "sign" your comments on talk pages: - Three tildes give your user name: Karl Wick - Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: Karl Wick 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC) - Five tildes give the date/time alone: 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)	You should "sign" your comments on talk pages: <br> - Three tildes give your user name: ~~~ <br> - Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: ~~~~ <br> - Five tildes give the date/time alone: ~~~~~ <br>
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 newline 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.
Numbered lists are: Very organized Easy to follow A new line marks the end of the list. 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.
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.
The weather in Moscow is a page that doesn't exist yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.	[[The weather in Moscow]] 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: 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 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".

Further reading

Editing help

• Help:Editing FAQ
• Help:Editing toolbar
• Help:Editing tips and tricks
• Help:Minor_edit

Wiki markups and codes

• Help:Wikitext examples
• Help:Wikitext reference
• Help:Reference card - a one-page summary of important commands, to be printed out and used next to the computer
• Help:HTML in wikitext
• HTML elements - introduction to HTML

Page management

• Help:Starting a new page
• Merging and moving pages
• Protecting pages
• Deletion policy
  • Pure wiki deletion system
• For others, look at the table ("tools" part) on your right hand side