Help:Editing advanced

"Official" Guides

• Quick Guide
• WikiMedia User's Guide
• MediaWiki editing help.

Formatting

Font appearance

Emphasis:

use two, three or five single apostrophes before and after:

''Italic'', '''bold''', '''''italic and bold'''''

Italic, bold, italic and bold

HTML tags you can use

Small text:

ordinary <small>and small text</small> example

ordinary and small text example

Big text:

ordinary <big>and big text</big> example

ordinary and big text example

Strike out text:

ordinary <s>and stricken out material</s> example

ordinary and stricken out material example

Teletype or monospace text:

ordinary <tt>and teletype text</tt> example

ordinary and teletype text example

Superscript:

ordinary ^{and superscripted text} example

ordinary ^{and superscripted text} example

Subscript:

ordinary _{and subscripted text} example

ordinary _{and subscripted text} example

Note: all of the above are "switched off" if a "Return" (↵) is inserted.

A line break can be forced using <br />:

This is the first line<br />and this the second

produces:

This is the first line
and this the second

Headings

same as headlines/chapters/sections

Headings use equals symbols ("==") before and after the desired heading:

==New section==

===Subsection===

====Sub-subsection====

A first level (new section) heading is for example the "Word formatting" heading on this page.
The "Headings" heading above is an example of a 2nd level (subsection) heading.
The "Bullet lists" heading below is an example of a 3rd level (sub-subsection) heading.

These headings are equivalent to <h2> <h3> <h4> in HTML and <h1> is already taken for the page name line at page top; so we start with <h2> heading level (==New Section==).

Note: The "Table of contents" box you see at the top of this page will appear automatically when you have used 4 or more headings. First level headings are shown as x, 2nd level as x.x and so on.

Links

Internal linking

See main article Help:Linking.

Double square brackets around a page name:

[[Main Page]]

becomes a link to the Main Page of this Wiki.

You can alias the link using the "pipe" (|) symbol thus:

[[Main Page|Teflpedia main page]]

becomes: Teflpedia main page

External linking

Remember to start with "http://".

Bare URL:

http://teflpedia.com

becomes http://teflpedia.com

Putting the URL in single square brackets

[http://teflpedia.com]

becomes: [1]

Which can also be aliased using a space between the URL and the alias

[http://teflpedia.com Teflpedia]

becomes: Teflpedia

Lists

Bullet lists

You can make bullet lists with "*":

* First level list object
** Second level list object
*** Third level list object
* Another first level list object

becomes

• First level list object
  • Second level list object
    • Third level list object
• Another first level list object

Numbered lists

You can make numbered lists using "#":

# First level list object
## Second level list object
## Another second level list object
### Third level list object
# Another first level list object

becomes:

1. First level list object
   1. Second level list object
   2. Another second level list object
      1. Third level list object
2. Another first level list object

Mixed lists

You can even make mixed lists:

* You can even do mixed lists
*# and nest them
*#* like this

becomes:

• You can even do mixed lists
  1. and nest them
     • like this

Definition lists

Using ";" and ":":

;item

:the item's definition

or:

;item:the item's definition

Either of which becomes:

item

the item's definition

Inserting references

You can create an (almost) entirely automatic "References" section.

To refer, as a footnote, to some source or related topic use the format: Body of sentence <ref> The reference </ref> rest of sentence.

The wording between the <ref> & </ref> tags will not appear where they are written. Instead a small blue superscript box (^[1]) containing a number is displayed.

To list the contents of all the references on a particular page: create a section ==References== at the foot of the page and under the header type <references/>.

All the references will then be displayed. Clicking on any numbered reference box in the text will take you to the appropriate reference. Each entry in the "References" section will have a small blue 'up' arrow (↑) which will move the focus up to the original reference (though this only serves its purpose with very long articles that require scrolling up/down).

The reference text can be anything at all (except another reference). It is common for Internal links, external links and books to be used but they may be merely an explanatory note or editorial comment.

Images

Images are inserted using the syntax:

[[Image:filename|options|caption text]]

The options are divided usin the pipe (|) symbol

The last item that is not a recognised option will always be considered the caption text.

Bare image without text

Using no options and no caption:

Sits inline at the actual size [[Image:Teacher.jpg]]

Sits inline at the actual size

Image with text caption

You add "|caption text" after the image link. This is the text most browsers will show when you hover over the image with the mouse:

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|Teacher with no options]]

Image options

Thumb

Teacher with thumb option

thumbnail, thumb:

Generates an automatically resized thumbnail image (either reduced or enlarged).

Caption text is displayed directly underneath. An "enlarge"-icon is added.

If you do not specify where the image should be placed it will be placed to the right.

Example to the right:

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|thumb|Teacher with thumb option]]

Frame

The image will have a frame, regardless of whether it is a thumb, and the caption text will be included as a visible caption.

Example to the left:[[Image:Teacher.jpg|frame|left|Teacher with frame option left]]

Teacher with frame option left

Right, left, center

right:

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|thumb|right|Teacher]]

Makes the image right-aligned.

left:

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|thumb|left|Teacher]]

Same as above, but left aligned.

center (note American spelling):

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|thumb|center|Teacher]]

Same as above, but centred.

none:

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|thumb|none|Teacher]]

The image will be rendered in-line, even if the thumbnail-option is set.

Size

sizepx

Renders a version of the image that's [size] pixels wide (e.g. '150px').

Height is computed to keep the aspect ratio (i.e. the shape of the image).

This allows both size reduction and enlargement.

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|50px|Teacher 50pixels wide]]

WARNING: if you set very big image size, say 1000px, the image might not show at all and you might get only a link to the image. 900px size seems to work however, probably sufficient.

Combining options

You can combine the options as you like:

[[Image:Teacher.jpg|20px|thumb|left|Teacher thumb left]]

Teacher thumb left

Or:

[[[Image:Teacher.jpg|center|frame|Teacher frame center]]

Teacher frame center

To force following text below the image, use Template:clear ({{clear}}).

Tables

Tables are complex; they use a code unique to wikimedia.

As a general rule:

1. declare a table using {|
   • add any formatting for the whole table on the same line, including parameters in double quotes
   • ↵ (return)
2. declare each new row using |-
   • ↵ (return)
3. begin the first column of that row using |
   • enter the data for that cell
4. begin the second (and subsequent) columns for that row using ||
   • enter their data
   • ↵ (return)
5. finish the table using |}
   
   

A simple 2 column, 3 row table:

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="3"

| 1 || 2

|-

| 3 || 4

|-

| 5 || 6

|}

produces:

1	2
3	4
5	6

See also WikiMedia table guide

It is permissible to use the HTML "table" format: you can create a table using an external program and copy it here.

Userboxes

Creating userboxes. Userboxes are quite simple to create. As with many computer based tasks the job consists of a series of small tasks – each very simple in its own right – but which look complicated when strung together. On this site userboxes usually have a small graphic to the left and some text to the right. You will need to upload a graphic, create a new page, copy in some userbox code, edit it a bit, preview it and save it.

1. If you are going to use a graphic then first find an appropriate graphic and upload it. (Please do not use copyrighted material). It is a good idea to reduce the size of the image before uploading it as you are only going to display a small image. Upload the image by using the "Upload file" link to be found on the far right.
2. Decide on the name of your userbox. When you have done this type: “Template:name of your userbox” (where “name of your userbox” is the actual name of the userbox you wish to create.)
3. This will generate a “not found” page with a red link to the top left having the name of the page you wish to create. Click this link.
4. Find a userbox close to the one you like, and use the “edit” button to see the code.
5. Copy the code to the page you are creating. (If you then click “review” you should see an image of the box you copied.)
6. Go to the image you uploaded and copy the name of the file you uploaded and paste it over the same part in the code you copied. If you click preview you should see that the image has changed. Edit the image size by changing the box numerals and keep clicking preview until you are happy.
7. Change the text to a text you want. And review again. When you are happy press “save”.

Table of contents

If an article contains more than three headings, a Table Of Contents (TOC) will normally be created automatically.

Removing table of contents

If, for whatever reason, a TOC isn't wanted it can be switched off by including when editing: "__NOTOC__" (that's: "underscore, underscore,N,O,T,O,C,underscore,underscore" meaning NO Table Of Contents). It is usual to put this at the top of the page, it will not show in the page.

Adding table of contents manually

If "__FORCETOC__ "(2 x underscore each side) is used, then a TOC will occur before the first heading even if there are three or fewer headings.

Similarly if "__TOC__" (2 x underscore each side) is used, then a TOC will occur at the point where "__TOC__" is placed even if there are three or fewer headings. You can thus place the TOC at any point vertically or horizontally or in a table cell.

Note: "__TOC__" overrides __NOTOC__".

Table of contents in a table

The table of contents can be forced into a floating table on the right hand of the screen with this code:

{| align="right"

| __TOC__

|}

Edit Conflict

Occasionally someone else might edit a page begining after you and saving before you. This produces an edit conflict. The software gives you the opportunity to examine the edit made by the other person and copy your version into the edit box. This doesn't happen often and can be minimised by editing sections rather than the whole page.

Additional hints

You can stop the wiki system processing the text (to avoid unwanted formatting) by putting <nowiki></nowiki> around the text you want to parse directly. (if you look at this page in "edit" mode you will see <nowiki> in use)

More help

Wikipedia has more editing information here

If you want to practice editing you can create your own playroom:

in the "search" box type: "user:your user name/sandbox" and click on "Go". You can then create a page to do as you wish by clicking on "create this page".

Notes

Bold, Italic, Internal link, External link, Second level heading, Image and "nowiki" are available in the toolbar above the editing area.