MediaWiki Users Guide
- MediaWiki Users Guide
This guide provides a comprehensive introduction to using MediaWiki, the software powering many wikis, including Wikipedia. It is aimed at beginners and covers the essential features for reading, editing, and contributing to a MediaWiki-based website. We will cover everything from basic formatting to more advanced techniques, helping you become a confident wiki user.
What is a Wiki?
A wiki is a collaborative website that allows users to easily add and edit content. The name "wiki" comes from the Hawaiian word for "quick." MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki software, making it a popular choice for a wide range of projects, from internal knowledge bases to large public encyclopedias. Its strength lies in its simplicity and collaborative nature. Understanding the underlying principles of wiki software, like version control and the ability to revert changes, is crucial for effective participation.
Reading a Wiki
Reading a wiki is typically very straightforward. Pages are linked together using hyperlinks, allowing you to navigate efficiently between related topics.
- Links: Text that is underlined and often a different color (usually blue) is a link. Clicking on this link will take you to another page within the wiki. See Help:Links for more details.
- Navigation: Most wikis have a search bar at the top, allowing you to quickly find specific pages. They also often have a sidebar with links to important categories and pages.
- Page History: Every change made to a wiki page is recorded in its history. You can access a page's history by clicking the "View history" tab at the top of the page. This allows you to see who made changes, when, and what those changes were. This is vital for understanding the evolution of the content.
Editing a Wiki
Editing a wiki is what makes it truly collaborative. Here's a breakdown of the basics:
- Creating an Account: Most wikis require you to create an account before you can edit. This helps to track contributions and prevent vandalism.
- The Edit Page: To edit a page, click the "Edit" or "Edit source" tab at the top of the page. This will open an edit window. "Edit" typically provides a visual editor, while "Edit source" allows you to edit the wiki markup directly.
- The Visual Editor: The visual editor is a "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) editor, similar to a word processor. It allows you to format text, insert images, and create links without needing to learn wiki markup. However, it may not support all advanced features.
- Wiki Markup: Wiki markup is a simple text-based language used to format content in MediaWiki. It's relatively easy to learn and provides a lot of control over the appearance of your edits. This guide will focus largely on wiki markup, as it’s the foundation of editing.
Basic Wiki Markup
Here are some essential wiki markup elements:
- Headings: Use equal signs (=) to create headings. The number of equal signs determines the heading level.
* `= Heading 1 =` creates a Heading 1 * `== Heading 2 ==` creates a Heading 2 * `=== Heading 3 ===` creates a Heading 3
- Paragraphs: Separate paragraphs with blank lines.
- Bold Text: Surround text with triple apostrophes (`text`).
- Italic Text: Surround text with double apostrophes (`text`).
- Lists:
* Unordered Lists: Use asterisks (*) to create unordered lists. * `* Item 1` * `* Item 2` * Ordered Lists: Use numbers (#) to create ordered lists. * `# Item 1` * `# Item 2`
- Links: Use double square brackets (`Page Name`) to create links to other pages within the wiki. You can also use a pipe (|) to specify the link text: `[[Page Name|Link Text]`. For external links, use square brackets with a URL: `Example Website`. See Help:Linking for more complex linking scenarios.
- Images: Use double square brackets with a colon and the image file name: `File:Example.jpg`. You can also specify the image size and alignment. See Help:Images for details.
- Horizontal Rule: Use four hyphens (----) on a line by itself to create a horizontal rule.
- Code: Use the `<nowiki>` tag or triple backticks (```) to display code without formatting.
- Superscript and Subscript: Use `superscript` and `subscript` respectively.
- Tables: Tables are created using wiki markup, defining rows and columns. See Help:Tables for detailed instructions.
Advanced Wiki Markup and Features
- Templates: Templates are reusable pieces of content that can be inserted into multiple pages. They help to maintain consistency and reduce duplication. See Help:Templates.
- Categories: Categories are used to organize pages. You can add a page to a category by adding a category link at the bottom of the page, such as ``.
- Infoboxes: Infoboxes are tables that summarize key information about a topic. They are often used in biographical articles.
- Math Formulas: MediaWiki supports LaTeX for displaying mathematical formulas.
- Variables: Variables can be used to store and reuse values within a page or template.
- Conditional Statements: Using parser functions, you can create conditional statements to display different content based on certain conditions. This is a more advanced feature requiring significant learning.
Editing Workflow and Best Practices
- Show Preview: Always preview your changes before saving them to see how they will look.
- Edit Summary: Provide a clear and concise edit summary explaining your changes. This helps other users understand your contributions.
- Be Bold, But Careful: Don't be afraid to edit, but always be mindful of the wiki's policies and guidelines.
- Discuss Changes: If you're making significant changes, it's a good idea to discuss them with other users on the talk page. Every page usually has a "Talk" page associated with it.
- Respect Copyright: Only add content that you have the rights to use.
- Avoid Vandalism: Do not intentionally damage or disrupt the wiki.
- Use the Talk Page: Discuss proposed changes, ask questions, and provide feedback on the talk page associated with the article. This fosters collaboration and understanding.
Understanding Page History and Version Control
MediaWiki’s core strength lies in its robust version control system. Every edit is saved, allowing you to:
- Compare Revisions: See the differences between two versions of a page.
- Revert to Previous Versions: Undo changes that you or others have made.
- Track Changes: Monitor the evolution of a page over time.
This system minimizes the risk of accidental data loss and allows for easy correction of errors. Learning to effectively use the page history is crucial for maintaining the quality and accuracy of the wiki.
Resources and Further Learning
- Help:Contents - The central help page for MediaWiki.
- Help:Editing - A detailed guide to editing wiki pages.
- Help:Formatting - Information on wiki markup.
- Help:Templates - A guide to using templates.
- MediaWiki.org - The official MediaWiki website.
Trading and Financial Analysis Resources (Related to Wiki content creation – potential topics for articles)
To expand the wiki's content, here are resources related to financial trading and analysis that could be documented:
- Technical Analysis: Investopedia - Technical Analysis, StockCharts.com
- Fundamental Analysis: Investopedia - Fundamental Analysis
- Candlestick Patterns: Candlestick Patterns - BabyPips
- Moving Averages: Investopedia - Moving Average, TradingView - Moving Average Ribbon
- Relative Strength Index (RSI): Investopedia - RSI, Trading Fidelity - RSI Explained
- MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): Investopedia - MACD, TradingView - MACD Strategy
- Bollinger Bands: Investopedia - Bollinger Bands, School of Pips - Bollinger Bands
- Fibonacci Retracements: Investopedia - Fibonacci Retracement
- Support and Resistance Levels: Investopedia - Support and Resistance
- Trend Lines: TradingView - Trend Lines Guide
- Chart Patterns: Investopedia – Chart Patterns
- Elliott Wave Theory: Investopedia - Elliott Wave Theory
- Ichimoku Cloud: Investopedia - Ichimoku Cloud
- Volume Analysis: Investopedia - Volume Analysis
- Market Sentiment: Investopedia - Market Sentiment
- Risk Management: Investopedia - Risk Management
- Position Sizing: Position Sizing - BabyPips
- Diversification: Investopedia - Diversification
- Correlation Analysis: Investopedia - Correlation Coefficient
- Backtesting Strategies: TradingView - Backtesting
- Algorithmic Trading: Investopedia – Algorithmic Trading
- High-Frequency Trading (HFT): Investopedia – High-Frequency Trading
- Options Trading: Investopedia – Options Trading
- Forex Trading: BabyPips - Forex Education
- Cryptocurrency Trading: Investopedia – Cryptocurrency
Start Trading Now
Sign up at IQ Option (Minimum deposit $10) Open an account at Pocket Option (Minimum deposit $5)
Join Our Community
Subscribe to our Telegram channel @strategybin to receive: ✓ Daily trading signals ✓ Exclusive strategy analysis ✓ Market trend alerts ✓ Educational materials for beginners