Help:Contents/Editing

Remember: In the Cumulus Wiki you can only edit/create pages if you are Registered and Logged in.

Creating a new page

The simplest way to create a new page is to search for the topic. If there are no pages which satisfy you then use the 'Create this Page' option at the top of the search results page.

Editing a page

If you wish to edit an existing page simply search for it and then click the 'Edit' tab at the top.

Wiki formatting

When writing for a Wiki there are a number of formats you can write in. The most common, and preferred method, is Wiki Markup or WikiText. This is simply text with a variety of symbols to quickly produce consistent and navigable pages. In the following sections you will learn the basics of WikiText. This is a very powerful markup language however what is detailed below is a good starting point.

In addition to WikiText you can write part or all of the page in HTML, PHP, Javascript and a few other languages. Where ever possible use WikiText as it is the most efficient for delivery and formatting. After a few minutes of writing a page you will be familiar with the basics.

Plain text

This will be the bulk of your page and you simply type as you would read, with sentences, punctuation and paragraphs.

Formatting your text

Itallics

Two apostrophes either side of your text will italicise it.

Example: This should have the last word in ''italics''

Result: This should have the last word in italics

Bold

Three apostrophes either side of your text will make it bold.

Example: This should have the last word in '''bold'''

Result: This should have the last word in bold

Use five apostrophes either side to bold and italicise.
Four apostrophes does nothing!

Underline

use the HTML markup for underline. <u> tag at the start and </u> at the end of your word of phrase.

New Paragraphs

To start a new paragraph simply press the Return key as you would in any editor. If you wish to force a further paragraph use <br/> at the end of the line.

Creating Sections

If you are writing anything longer than a few paragraphs there will be a good chance that it reads better if split into sections and a table of contents at the top (as with this page). WikiText will automatically create the sections, deal with all the formatting and create the table of contents at the top of your page. All you need do is mark your headings appropriately.

Start your Section name on a new line, with two equals symbols and end the section name in the same way.
Example....
==Weather Stats==
Normaly text, and paragphs
==Historic Facts==
More text

Create sub-sctions by using more equals signs.
Example....
==Weather Stats==
Normaly text, and paragphs
===This Year===
this years data
===Last Year===
Last years data
==Historic Facts==
More text

If you create more than three sections, the Wiki will automatically generate a contents page at the top of the page.

Lists

Simple lists with bullets are produced by starting the paragraph with a * symbol. For sub-sections use multiple symbols.

Number lists start with a # signs

Indent a paragraph by starting with a : symbol

Page Linking

One of the most useful features of any page is referring the reader to informatin on other pages to futher expand their knowledge or explain something in more detail.

If you are referring to a page in the Cumulus Wiki simply enclose the name of the page is two square brackets.

Example: [[Webtags]]

When the reader clicks on the word Webtags they will be taken to the page of the same name. If you wish to show a different word or phrase from the page name use the | symbol

Example: [[Webtags|Special tags]]

In this case, the user will see the words Special tags but when they click it will take them to the Webtags page

if you wish to link to a page outwith the Cumulus Wiki, enclosed the full URL, a space, and a word or phrase in one set of square brackets.

Example: [http://www.google.com Google]

The reader will see the word Google but when clicked will be taken to an external page.

Be careful with the case of the page name when linking in Wiki. Pages always start with a capital letter but after this the case is important. So linking to [[webtags]] or [[Webtags]] is the same as Wiki will always uppercase the first letter. However [[webTags]] would fail as the real page does not have an uppercase T

If you link to an internal page name that does not exist, it will appear in red on the page. You, or the user, can then create the page. This is a quick way to create a new page!

Using images

If you wish to include an image in your page, you must first upload the image to the Wiki. You can then refer to it with your text.

To upload the image, use the Upload file option in the toolbox in the navigation bar on the left. Once uploaded you may insert your image on your page using the the square brackets, the word 'file:' and the filename. Example [[File:map.jpg]]

Identify your updates to others

The Cumulus Wiki keeps a historic copy of every change on every page of the system. Before you save your page, take a moment to complete the Summary box at the bottom and explain why you edited the page. If this is a minor edit tick the box. A minor edit would typically be you fixing a typo, spelling error or layout problem. Major edits are new content, updated content, etc.

We log who changed the page and when so your username will appear on the 'History' tab.

Editing Tips

• Always Preview your work, refine, and preview again before saving.
• If you are not sure how to do something in WikiText, look at another page and 'View Source' (if you are not logged in) or Edit the page (but do not save) to see how someone else has formatted a page. (Tip - Open a second browser window)
• User your own user page to experiment. Click on your name at the top of the screen and edit your own page.
• Don't over save as the system retains a history of every save. Save only when your article/edit is complete.
• A few of the pages on the Cumulus Wiki are protected and only editable by Administrators. For example, the main page, help, disclaimer, etc. The majority of pages are fully editable by registered users.

Further Help

Full and extensive help is available on the MediaWiki software page under Editing