User:RationalResponse/Sandbox

The RationalResponse User Sandbox

I have only recently created a user account for Wikipedia, and as such, my user page is currently under construction. I am an avid user of Wikipedia; I could even be called a burgeoning Wikaholic! Because I feel I have benefited greatly from using Wikipedia, I have decided to become a contributor so I can give back to the Wiki community. Before I can reach my full potential as a contributor, I need to learn how to successfully edit pages, using Wikipedia guidelines. For easy reference, I have also placed a link to the Wikipedia Editing Code Cheatsheet here.

I am currently using this page to preview and practice the use of various wiki text codes. The information on this page is for testing wiki codes, should not be considered for inclusion into Wikipedia. The detail on this page should become more sophisticated over time, as I learn more advanced editing techniques. Although this page will not meet the standard for inclusion into the encyclopedic pages of Wikipedia, it may, however, upon its completion, contain some useful tips and tricks for Wikipedians new to editing wiki pages and using wiki codes.

Basic Formatting, Simple Internal Links and References

It is of top priority for me to learn how to create internal links within a Wikipedia article. When I have been searching for specific information on Wikipedia, I have often found myself jumping from article to article, almost compulsively. As such, I will try to include as many relevant and useful internal links when I create or edit Wikipedia articles.

Simple Internal Links:

When preparing to create an internal link, it helps to load the page in another tab in the browser window. Because the page name is necessary to create an internal link, having the link open in another tab creates a tab with the name of the internal link. Then transcribing the name of the tab into wiki code is very straightforward.

"London has public transport." The previous sentence was copied from the page entitled, Wikipedia:How to edit a page. I created the previous internal link by first typing the name of the page enclosed in double square brackets, highlighting the text, then applying the wiki code by pressing the CONVERT TO WIKI CODE button on the toolbar. While I know it is possible to italicize and embolden text by using text-based wiki code on its own, I prefer to use the buttons on the toolbar.

As is evident from the previous paragraph, from this point forward, I will use a combination of bold, italicized and CAPITALIZED text to refer to a particular BUTTON on the toolbar, or a particular COMMAND in a menu, and bold text to refer to the toolbar or menu itself.

When creating internal links, it is VITALLY important to copy the Wikipedia page names EXACTLY. In the case of the internal link above, I inadvertently created a link to the incorrect page, when I didn't make the page name case sensitive. Also, the page title must contain correct punctuation marks and spaces.

To complete the formatting in the previous paragraph, I used both the UNDERLINE button and the TOGGLE CASE button on the Standard toolbar.

In order to link to a page using a word that is not the title of the page itself, you must use specific code. For simplicity, I will use the same link as before, but instead of including the name, I will simply include the link here.

Creating the preceding paragraph made two points very clear:

1. It is important to type the text code BEFORE pressing the WIKI CODE button.
2. Excepting those instances with simple codes that format the look of text, it is better to create each instance of wiki code from scratch, as opposed to using the "copy/paste" shortcut. Spacing and punctuation is crucial when creating wiki code. Using "copy/paste" shortcuts can sometimes change spacing. As such, it can change the point at which the code starts or stops.

References and Footnotes

In the previous section, the reference was inserted using the following steps:

1. In the main article, identify the insertion point of the reference.
2. Type the text to be included in the reference at the previously determined insertion point.
3. Click the INSERT A REFERENCE button on the WikiEd toolbar.
4. Copy & Paste the reference text between the wiki code "bookends." The reference text should appear "grayed" out.
5. If none exists, insert a horizontal line at the end of the main article by clicking the HORIZONTAL LINE button on the WikiEd toolbar.
6. After the horizontal line, click the REFERENCES LOCATION button on the Standard toolbar.

These steps can also be used to create footnotes.

Numbered and Bulleted Lists

Note that the above numbered list was created by first typing the list, making to use the return key to indicate the end of one "number" and the start of another. Select the text to be numbered, then choose the INCREASE NUMBERED LIST LEVEL button on the Standard toolbar to add the number formatting.

Advanced Internal Links & Redirecting Articles

Linking to a Section within an Article

Now I will to turn my attention to creating a link to a specific point in a page. Earlier when I was editing the article entitled, Escobar Gallardo, I wanted to add an internal link to the page containing information on the character named Monica Wilder. However, the character doesn't have her own page, as of yet. As a general rule, if a user clicks on the link for an empty page, he should be redirected to another page with some related information. The redirect command should be created in the empty page using the REDIRECT button in the WikiEd toolbar to insert the command (example): #REDIRECT List of Nip/Tuck episodes. I won't actually create a page, just to have it redirected to another page. But I will keep these instructions for reference.

At this time, Monica Wilder's character details are included in an episode summary on a page entitled, List of Nip/Tuck episodes. Because she was featured in Episode 3 of Season 4, the information about her is listed closer to the end of the page. I would like to include a link to her information in the article about Escobar, and ensure that the reader doesn't have to scroll through the entire article in order to read it. If I can figure out the appropriate code, I will include it in the article, formatted in this way: Monica Wilder. This internal link was added to the Escobar Gallardo page on August 12, 2008.

To link to a specific point in a page:

1. Type the wiki code for the link to the page.
2. Immediately after the name of the page, type a number sign (#)
3. Leaving no spaces after the number sign, type the name of the heading for the section.
4. If desired, create a pipe (|), then include the name that should be displayed for the link.

Adding a Table of Contents

As stated in the Wiki Editing Cheatsheet,

A Table of Contents will automatically be generated when four headings are added to an article.

To add headings, add equal signs (=) to either side of the header text, placing the same number on each side. Increasing the number of equal signs on each side of the header text, DECREASES its size. Use text smaller than the header text preceding it to indicate a subsection.

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Things left to add to this guide

How to place the TOC wherever you want it to be in the article How to include the section numbers in the headings of sections - find an article with the sections numbered the way I like and then How to block quote text how to embed video - use olympics how to link to a file - use olympics schedule how to create a table - olympics results of favourite athletes, or programs loaded on my computer How to create a summary box at the end of an article

Create my first page

Monica Wilder from Nip/Tuck - using a template for characters from TV shows..rewatch the episodes in which she is featured. Include links to other Nip/Tuck articles & characters, the actress who portrayed the characters, the her home town, occupation, manner of death, psychological problems, include her in relevant sections in the Issues addressed in Nip/Tuck page

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