Welcome to the Help page on Formatting in MediaWiki! This guide will walk you through the basics of formatting text, creating lists, adding links, including images, and more, helping you to create well-structured and readable wiki pages. This guide is specifically aimed at beginners, so we’ll cover everything in detail with plenty of examples. This guide is optimized for MediaWiki 1.40.
MediaWiki uses a simple markup language for formatting text. Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly used options:
Bold text:* Surround the text with three single quotes (`text`). This is useful for emphasizing important terms or phrases. For example: `This is bold text.` renders as: This is bold text.
Italic text:* Surround the text with two single quotes (`text`). This is often used for book titles, foreign words, or subtle emphasis. For example: `This is italic text.` renders as: This is italic text.
~~Strikethrough text~~:* Surround the text with two tildes (`~~text~~`). Useful for indicating removed content or outdated information. For example: `~~This text is struck through.~~` renders as: ~~This text is struck through.~~
`Monospace text`:* Surround the text with backticks (` `text``). This is typically used for code snippets, file names, or technical terms. For example: ``This is monospace text.`` renders as: `This is monospace text.`
Underlined text:* Surround the text with two underscores (`__text__`). Note: Underlining is generally discouraged in modern web design as it can be confused with hyperlinks. For example: `__This text is underlined.__` renders as: This text is underlined.
Superscript text:* Surround the text with two carets (`^text^`). For example: `x^2^` renders as: x2.
Subscript text:* Surround the text with two underscores (`_text_`). For example: `H_2O` renders as: H2O.
Headings
Headings are crucial for organizing your content. MediaWiki uses equal signs (=) to define heading levels. The more equal signs, the smaller the heading.
`= Heading 1 =` renders as:
Heading 1
`== Heading 2 ==` renders as:
Heading 2
`=== Heading 3 ===` renders as:
Heading 3
`==== Heading 4 ====` renders as:
Heading 4
`===== Heading 5 =====` renders as:
Heading 5
`====== Heading 6 ======` renders as:
Heading 6
It’s generally recommended to use headings logically, starting with Heading 1 for the page title and progressing down from there. Avoid skipping heading levels (e.g., going directly from Heading 2 to Heading 4). Use headings to create a clear outline of your article. See Help:Contents for more on wiki structure.
Lists
MediaWiki supports both bulleted and numbered lists.
Bulleted Lists:* Start each list item with an asterisk (`*`).
```wiki
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
```
renders as:
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
You can create nested bulleted lists by indenting the items with colons (`:`). Each colon adds another level of indentation.
Item 1
Item 2
* Sub-item 2.1
* Sub-item 2.2
Item 3
Numbered Lists:* Start each list item with a hash mark (`#`).
```wiki
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
```
renders as:
1. Item 1
2. Item 2
3. Item 3
Similar to bulleted lists, you can create nested numbered lists using colons for indentation. The numbering will automatically adjust. See Help:Lists for more details.
Links
Links are essential for connecting related pages and providing additional information.
Internal Links:* Links to other wiki pages are created using double square brackets (`Page Name`). For example, `Main Page` renders as: Main Page. If the page name contains spaces, use underscores instead (e.g., `Help:Formatting`). You can also specify a different link text than the page name: `Formatting Guide` renders as: Formatting Guide.
External Links:* Links to external websites are created by surrounding the URL with square brackets (`Example Website`). For example, `Wikipedia` renders as: Wikipedia.
Named Links:* You can create named links to specific sections within a page using the `#Section Name` syntax. For example, if you have a section titled "Basic Text Formatting", you can link to it using `#Basic Text Formatting`. This is useful for long articles where you want to quickly jump to a specific section.
Links are crucial for navigating the wiki and providing context. See Help:Links for a comprehensive guide.
Images
Adding images can make your articles more visually appealing.
Inserting Images:* Use the following syntax: `File:ImageName.jpgCaption`. Replace `ImageName.jpg` with the actual filename of the image that has been uploaded to the wiki. `thumb` creates a thumbnail version of the image. `Caption` is the text that will appear below the image.
Image Size:* You can control the size of the image using the `width` parameter: `File:ImageName.jpgCaption`. This will display the image with a width of 200 pixels.
Image Alignment:* You can align the image to the left, right, or center using the `left`, `right`, or `center` parameters: `File:ImageName.jpgCaption`.
Ensure you have the right to use any images you upload to the wiki. See Help:Images for more information.
Tables
Tables are useful for organizing data in a structured format.
```wiki
Table Caption
Header 1
Header 2
Header 3
Row 1, Cell 1
Row 1, Cell 2
Row 1, Cell 3
Row 2, Cell 1
Row 2, Cell 2
Row 2, Cell 3
```
This code will create a basic table with a caption, headers, and two rows of data. The `class="wikitable"` attribute applies a default styling to the table. You can customize the table further using CSS.
Horizontal Rules
Horizontal rules are used to visually separate sections of your article.
Creating a Horizontal Rule:* Use three or more hyphens (`---`) on a separate line.
```wiki
---
```
This will create a horizontal line across the page.
Special Characters
Sometimes you need to display special characters that have a specific meaning in MediaWiki markup.
Escaping Characters:* To display a character that would normally be interpreted as markup, use a backslash (`\`) before it. For example, to display a literal single quote (`'`), use `\'`.
Named Entities:* MediaWiki supports named entities for various special characters. For example, ` ` represents a non-breaking space. A comprehensive list of entities can be found at Help:Wiki markup.
Templates
Templates are reusable blocks of code that can be inserted into multiple pages. They are a powerful way to standardize formatting and content. Using templates reduces redundancy and makes it easier to maintain your wiki. See Help:Templates for details.
Character Entities
Character entities represent characters that are difficult or impossible to type directly. Useful for displaying symbols.
MediaWiki supports displaying mathematical formulas using LaTeX syntax. Surround the formula with double dollar signs (`$$`). For example:
```wiki
$$E = mc^2$$
```
renders as:
$$E = mc^2$$
For more complex formulas, you may need to use more advanced LaTeX commands.
Advanced Formatting Techniques
Beyond the basics, MediaWiki offers several advanced formatting techniques:
Collapsible Sections:* You can create sections that can be collapsed or expanded by users.
Transclusion:* You can include the content of one page into another.
Category Assignment:* Categorizing pages helps to organize the wiki and make it easier for users to find information. This is done by adding category links at the bottom of the page, such as ``.
Parser Functions:* These functions allow you to perform complex operations on text and data.
Trading & Financial Concepts (Illustrative Links)
To show how this formatting can be used in a real-world context, here are some links related to trading and financial analysis, where clear formatting is crucial:
This guide provides a solid foundation for formatting your wiki pages. Experiment with different markup options and refer to the resources listed above for more detailed information. Remember to preview your changes before saving to ensure they look as intended.
