This page is copied directly from the English Wikipedia. Some examples may seem out of place, but the wikitext formatting remains the same. For the full document, see [1].
Basic text formatting
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What it looks like | What you type |
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You can emphasize text by putting two apostrophes on each side. Three apostrophes will emphasize it strongly. Five apostrophes is even stronger. | You can ''emphasize text'' by putting two apostrophes on each side. Three apostrophes will emphasize it '''strongly'''. Five apostrophes is '''''even stronger'''''. |
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 | You can break lines<br> without starting a new paragraph.<br> Please use this sparingly. |
You should "sign" your comments on talk pages: | You should "sign" your comments on talk pages: : Three tildes gives your user name: ~~~ : Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: ~~~~ : Five tildes gives the date/time alone: ~~~~~ |
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
| 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>. <sup>Superscripts</sup> and <sub>subscripts</sub> Invisible comments that only appear while editing the page. <!-- Note to editors: blah blah blah. --> Comments should usually go on the talk page, though. |
You should avoid HTML in favor of Wiki markup whenever possible.
Organizing your writing
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What it looks like | What you type |
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Section headings Headings organize your writing into sections. The Wiki software can automatically generate a table of contents from them.
Using more equals signs creates a subsection.
Don't skip levels, like from two to four equals signs. Start with two equals signs; don't use single equals signs. | == 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 two equals signs; don't use single equals signs. |
marks the end of the list.
| * ''Unordered lists'' are easy to do: ** Start every line with a star. *** More stars indicate a deeper level. *A newline *in a list marks the end of the list. *Of course you can start again. |
A newline marks the end of the list.
| # Numbered lists are also good: ## Very organized ## Easy to follow A newline marks the end of the list. #New numbering starts with 1. |
| * You can even do mixed lists *# and nest them *#* or break lines<br>in lists. |
Another kind of list is a definition list:
| Another kind of list is a '''definition list''': ; word : definition of the word ; longer phrase : phrase defined |
A newline after that starts a new paragraph.
| :A colon indents a line or paragraph. A newline after that starts a new paragraph. ::This is often used for discussion on talk pages. |
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. |
Links
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You will often want to make clickable links to other pages.
What it looks like | What you type |
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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: The weather in London. | You can put formatting around a link. Example: ''[[The weather in London]]''. |
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 France is a page that doesn't exist yet. You could create it by clicking on the link. | [[The weather in France]] 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. | 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]] |
You can also use the "pipe trick" to quickly hide the ugly parts of a wikilink. Usually you won't want an article's disambiguation tag (which appears in parentheses) to appear in the text of an article. For example: "Bonecrusher (Universe Deluxe)" is kind of cumbersome to read. You can use a pipe to write in new link text, but it's a pain to rewrite the whole name of the page, especially if you're making a lot of links. So instead, simply write a pipe and then close the link, and the software will clean it up for you: Bonecrusher. You can also hide an article's namespace (which appears before a colon in some articles, like this one) this way. Then a link to the page Help:Style guide appears as just Style guide. Make sure you don't put a space after the pipe, or the link text will disappear totally! | You can also use the "pipe trick" to quickly hide the ugly parts of a wikilink. Usually you won't want an article's disambiguation tag (which appears in parentheses) to appear in the text of an article. For example: "[[Bonecrusher (Universe Deluxe)]]" is kind of cumbersome to read. You can use a pipe to write in new link text, but it's a pain to rewrite the whole name of the page, especially if you're making a lot of links. So instead, simply write a pipe and then close the link, and the software will clean it up for you: [[Bonecrusher (Universe Deluxe)|]]. You can also hide an article's namespace (which appears before a colon in some articles, like this one) this way. Then a link to the page [[Help:Style guide]] appears as just [[Help:Style guide|]]. Make sure you don't put a space after the pipe, or the link text will disappear [[Help:Style guide| ]] totally! |
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: [2] |
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] |
You can redirect the user to another page. | #REDIRECT [[Official position]] |
Category links don't show up, but add the page to a category. Add an extra colon to actually link to the category: Category:Help | [[Help:Category|Category links]] don't show up, but add the page to a category. [[Category:Help]] Add an extra colon to actually link to the category: [[:Category:Help]] |
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
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A few different kinds of formatting will tell the Wiki to display things as you typed them.
What it looks like | What you type | |
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<nowiki> tags |
The nowiki tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''. It reformats text by removing newlines and multiple spaces. It still interprets special characters: → | <nowiki> The nowiki tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''. It reformats text by removing newlines and multiple spaces. It still interprets special characters: → </nowiki> |
<pre> tags |
The pre tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''. It also doesn't reformat text. It still interprets special characters: → | <nowiki> <pre> The pre tag ignores [[Wiki]] ''markup''. It also doesn't reformat text. It still interprets special characters: → </nowiki></pre> |
Leading spaces |
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: → |
Images, tables, video, and sounds
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What it looks like | What you type | ||||||
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A picture, including alternate text: 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]] |
| <center> {| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5 | This | is |- | a | '''table''' |} </center> |
Go to Wikipedia for more information about Editing. |