Wikiversity:FAQ/Editing

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
without starting a new paragraph.
Please use this sparingly.

You can break lines<br />
without starting 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:
: 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 computer code.

Strike out or underline text, or write it in Small Caps.

Superscripts and subscripts: x², x₂

Invisible comments that only appear while editing the page. Comments 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>, x<sub>2</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.

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.

== 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.

• 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.

* ''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.

1. Numbered lists are also good:
   1. Very organized
   2. Easy to follow

A newline marks the end of the list.

1. New numbering starts with 1.

# 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
  1. and nest them
     • or break lines
       in lists.

* You can even do mixed lists
*# and nest them
*#* or break lines<br />in lists.

Another kind of list is a definition list:

word 

definition of the word

longer phrase

phrase defined at length, such that, even with a relatively large window width one can see that the wrapping of the text maintains the indentation of the definition and thus a highlight of the defined term. This accentuates readability of the list.

Another kind of list is a '''definition list''':
; word : definition of the word
; longer phrase 
: phrase defined at length, such that, even with a
relatively large window width one can see that the 
wrapping of the text maintains the indentation of the 
definition and thus a highlight of the defined term.  
This accentuates readability of the list.

A colon indents a line or paragraph.

A newline after that starts a new paragraph.

This is often used for discussion on Talk pages.

: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.

Here's a link to a page named Official position. You can even say official positions and the link will show up correctly.

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

The first letter will automatically be capitalized, so wikiversity goes to the same place as Wikiversity. Capitalization matters after the first letter. This is not the case with wiktionary, where every letter is case-sensitive - see apollo and Apollo as an example.

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

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: ''[[Wikiversity]]''.

The ''first letter'' will automatically be capitalized,
so [[wikiversity]] is the same as [[Wikiversity]].
Capitalization matters after the first letter.

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

You can link to a page section by its title:

• List of cities by country#Morocco.
• List of cities by country#Sealand.

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

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.

• About Links
• Cities in Morocco

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 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]

You can redirect the user to another page with a special link. For example, you might want to redirect USA to United States.

#REDIRECT [[United States]]

Category links don't show up, but add the page to a category. Add an extra colon to actually link to the category: Category:English documentation

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: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:

• July 20, 1969
• 20 July 1969
• 1969-07-20

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]]

[edit] <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: &rarr;
</nowiki>

[edit] <pre> tags

The pre tag ignores [[Wiki]] and <strong>HTML</strong> ''markup''.
It also doesn't     reformat text.
It still interprets HTML special characters: →

<pre>
The pre tag ignores [[Wiki]] and <strong>HTML</strong> ''markup''.
It also doesn't     reformat text.
It still interprets special characters: &rarr;
</pre>

[edit] 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: →

but it puts the text in a box.

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: →

but it puts the text in a box.

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:Wikiversity_beta.png|50px|The logo for this Wiki]]

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

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

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

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

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

Use media: links to link to sounds or videos.

Sound File Example: A sound file

pdf File Example: A pdf file

Use '''media:''' links to link to sounds
or videos.
Sound File Example: [[media:Sound_Of_Fear.ogg|A sound file]]
pdf File Example: [[Media:Darkside-graphak1.pdf|A pdf file]]

<center>
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5
| This
| is
|- 
| a
| '''table'''
|}
</center>

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

{{Transclusion demo}}

This template takes two parameters, and creates underlined text with a hover box:

Hover your mouse over this text

Go to this page to see the H:title template itself.

This template takes two parameters, and creates
underlined text with a hover box:

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

Go to [[template:H:title|this page]] to see the H:title template itself.