Wikipedia is a vast and often unwieldy place. This is a page I've created where I store useful HOW-TOs and style guides to help me as an editor and contributor. It was inspired by EdwinHJ's helpful welcome post on my talk page. Feel free to use it, but understand that this page is for my personal use only, and as such is designed to useful to me. YMMV, as they say.
DISCLAIMER: I don't guarantee the authority of this guide. This page is a reminder/refresher. It assumes you have read the relevent pages on wikipedia (so you know when to use the stub tag, for example, you just can't remember how the heck it's formatted). Other wikipedia flavors may have different guidelines. I think FR Wikipédia, for example, places many tags on the top of pages whereas EN wikipedia places them at the bottom. Or something like that.
General Reminders edit
- Don't forget to sign in to get credit! (although I guess you already are if you're reading this.)
- Take a Wikibreak from time to time (and use the proper template)!
- ALWAYS preview the page. Even if your entry is correct, you might spot a new item to edit.
- Alt+X gets you a random page. For best results, say Wheeeeeeeee!! as you type it.
Markup Reminders (help) edit
- Sections are done using "==" on both ends.
- Piped links have the descriptive name AFTER the pipe: UGLYFUNCTIONALLINK|Easy to Read
- Sign "~ ~ ~ ~" on Talk pages, but not in the summary!
- Use of " ' " in Wikiformatting:
- 1 = '
- 2 = it.
- 3 = b.
- 5 = it.b.
Questions edit
I may already know the answers to these, but I want to add them for reference. think of this section as a to-do list for this page.
- How do I:
- make a bulleted list? using splats/asterisks (*)
- make indented bullets? use two splats left justified "**"
- make indented replies/paragraphs (as on Talk pages) use one colon (:) for each level of indentation
- create a box around things? indent by three spaces
- produce a colored box?
- form a TOC box? autocreated when 3?4?+ sections. To force, ... (help)
- redirect a page? tag with .... @ top
- change text size?
- insert pictures that are already uploaded? (help)
- create a disambiguation page? (help)
Editing Summary Abbreviations (help) edit
This is based on the Editing Summary Legend, where you will find the full list +annotations. Below, the first abbrev. is the one that I personally prefer to use.
- wfy = wikify (also: wikified, wikify, wfy, wky, wkfy, wiki)
- sp = spelling (also: sp, spelling, typo)
- typo = typo (also: sp, tiop, tiops, tpyo, tpyos, tyop, tyops, typo, typos) Soem things are obviously typos [sic]
- rv:reasonforit = revert (also: revert, rv) -- when you revert, feelings get hurt, so always give a good reason!
- del = removal of text (also: -, rm, remove, del) but hyphen discouraged b/c ambiguous
- redir 'Directed to' = redirection (also:REDIRECT 'Article Name', rd 'Article name', redir 'Article name')
- punc = Editing punctuation
- gm = grammar (also:gm, gr, grmr)
- ext link:elaboration = External Link (also: xl, ext lk, ext lks, ext lnk, ext lnks, ext link, ext links, URL, http)
- link 'Article Name' = Link (inside the wiki)
- + = Added. Addition (also: +, add:, addition:)
- cl = Cleaned up (also: cl, cleanup) use in conjuntion with sp, et al. Not for rephrasing
- copyedit = Copy Edit (also. copyedit, cpyed) indicate what was edited
- NB the difference in the ESL between "removal of ambiguity" and "disambiguation"
Useful Templates to invoke edit
- stub! { {stub} } OR ... choose from this list in the form of { { typeofstub-stub} } (help)
- categories ...
- deletions ...
- licensing ...
- cleanup ..be sure to add an explanatory note to the article's Talk page (help)
- { { cleanup-date|January 2006 } } can also tag -image / -list / disambig-cleanup
- archived talk: {{User:Ckamaeleon/Template:Archives}}
Shortcut to Shortcuts edit
- WP:ESL = Edit Summary Legend
- WP:STYLE / WP:MOS = Wikipedia Manual of Style
- WP:TEA - Have a Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit-Down
- WP:UA - Unusual Articles
to French Wikipedia's homepage ʘ Link to Spoken Wikipedia info