Help:Formatting

NOTICE
• This Note in Template:PD Help Page: This page may currently exhibit 'broken code effects' such as '}', '}}', '|', '#if:' and many other 'strange artifacts'.  • These will be cured once the N3V SYSOPS enables ParserFunctions on this wiki.
• See category:Imported from Mediawiki, category:Imported from Metawiki, category:Imported from Wikipedia and Help:Extension:ParserFunctions for many other broken examples awaiting this change. // FrankB 21:58, 2 July 2013 (EST)</br>

Intro to editing

You can format your text by using wiki markup. This consists of normal characters like asterisks, apostrophes or equal signs which have a special function in the wiki, sometimes depending on their position. For example, to format a word in italic, you include it in two pairs of apostrophes like ''this''. To format a word in bold, you include it in a pair of triple apostrophes like '''this'''. Single apostrophes like 'this phrase' are called 'scare quotes' and are formed like 'this'. Putting scare quotes in italics needs a little slight of hand (okay, forethought) you put the italics 'on' apostrophes before the space followd by the single scare quote, and reverse the order at the end of the phrase like '' 'this phrase' ''here…. Now can you guess how to get bold italics or how about 'scare-quoted' 'Bold Italics'?

What you expect me to tell you? This is, as they say, an 'opportunity' to show something 'else'. Whether you guessed or don't know, you should see a little blue 'edit' tag just to the right near 'this' sections title line. Click on that if you aren't sure of how it is done. Now forming a title is bit easier, you use the same paired '{{wp|operator (computing)|operator) principle like HTML uses tags delimited by < and > operators, but wiki-markup uses '=' characters (equals signs) to set off titles:

Ordered lists

1. = title large =
2. == Major Section title == — by convention, most sections on a page are of the double-equals ('==') variety, mostly because single equals form a really big title—which of course sometimes have a place.
3. === Sub-section title ===
4. ==== Sub-subsection title ==== and so on.

Each of those sub-tiles will be a bit smaller (up to a limit) and also show up in the Table of Contents, each subsection indented further under the parent section above.

Unordered lists and indenting

By now some of you are wondering how the preceding was enumerated, well the answer is using the '#' character in the left column just like this example uses the asterisk (*) character to make an indented bulleted list:

• This sentence has a leading bullet.
  • And this one has two leading to this line, 'a related thought'

But while unordered bulleted lists are useful, sometimes we just want to indent…

so we use the colon (: character in just that same simple way:

whereas this line uses two to keep indenting. You can use quite a few before reaching mid-page.

Multiple indentations are used as a' convention in Wiki business discussions, which is to say on Talk pages where each editor says his piece indented in one more colon from the last guy, that way who said what is very visible. Once there are too many, the thread begins again at the margin, as it started! Simple.

Let's review,

1. Apostrophes from one to six in pairs surrounding a word or phrase gives a change in the text formatting
2. '#', '*', and ':' allow different flavor of indentations, and enumerations such that
   1. two '##' symbols cause a sub-numbered paragraph
   2. two "**' symbols cause a similar bulleted nested sub-para
   3. one ':' or more cause plain indenting
3. whereas one pair of '=' signs in the left margin, as 'all of these' must start in the left margin or they just show up as characters at the beginning of a line.

That's an important point. If there is whitespace (spaces or tabs) in the first line column postition

you get this effect, which has been used in the reference pages of the TrainzOnline wiki extensively to set off config.txt INI file codes.

Linking basics

The true strength of a wiki and indeed the internet is the ability to form hyperlinks to other pages within a web site or external to the web site. Wiki markup provides internal links made up using the square brackets on your keyboard. Putting [[around this phrase]] will form a link to a page of that name, with a url local on this wiki. So [["Trainz-bulid tag]] will make the link: "Trainz-bulid tag (bold added).

Text formatting markup

Description	You type	You get
Character (inline) formatting – applies anywhere
Italic text	''italic''	italic
Bold text	'''bold'''	bold
Bold and italic	'''''bold & italic'''''	bold & italic
Strike text	<strike> strike text </strike>	strike text
Escape wiki markup	<nowiki>no ''markup''</nowiki>	no ''markup''
Escape wiki markup once	[[API]]<nowiki/>extension	APIextension
Section formatting – only at the beginning of the line
Headings of different levels	== Level 2 == === Level 3 === ==== Level 4 ==== ===== Level 5 ===== ====== Level 6 ====== {{#if: Skip Level 1, it is page name level. An article with 4 or more headings automatically creates a table of contents.	Skip Level 1, it is page name level. An article with 4 or more headings automatically creates a table of contents. | Note Note: }}	Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Horizontal rule	Text before ---- Text after	Text before Text after
Bullet list	* Start each line * with an [[Wikipedia:asterisk|asterisk]] (*). ** More asterisks give deeper *** and deeper levels. * Line breaks <br />don't break levels. *** But jumping levels creates empty space. Any other start ends the list.	Start each line with an asterisk (*). More asterisks give deeper and deeper levels. Line breaks don't break levels. But jumping levels creates empty space. Any other start ends the list.
Numbered list	# Start each line # with a [[Wikipedia:Number_sign|number sign]] (#). ## More number signs give deeper ### and deeper ### levels. # Line breaks <br />don't break levels. ### But jumping levels creates empty space. # Blank lines # end the list and start another. Any other start also ends the list.	Start each line with a number sign (#). More number signs give deeper and deeper levels. Line breaks don't break levels. But jumping levels creates empty space. Blank lines end the list and start another. Any other start also ends the list.
Definition list	;item 1 : definition 1 ;item 2 : definition 2-1 : definition 2-2	item 1 definition 1 item 2 definition 2-1 definition 2-2
Indent text	: Single indent :: Double indent ::::: Multiple indent {{#if: This workaround may harm accessibility. | This workaround may harm accessibility. | Note Note: }}	Single indent Double indent Multiple indent
Mixture of different types of list	# one # two #* two point one #* two point two # three #; three item one #: three def one # four #: four def one #: this looks like a continuation #: and is often used #: instead <br />of <nowiki><br /></nowiki> # five ## five sub 1 ### five sub 1 sub 1 ## five sub 2 {{#if: The usage of #: and *: for breaking a line within an item may also harm accessibility. | The usage of #: and *: for breaking a line within an item may also harm accessibility. | Note Note: }}	one two two point one two point two three three item one three def one four four def one this looks like a continuation and is often used instead of <br /> five five sub 1 five sub 1 sub 1 five sub 2
Preformatted text	Start each line with a space. Text is '''preformatted''' and ''markups'' '''''can''''' be done. {{#if: This way of preformatting only applies to section formatting. Character formatting markups are still effective. | This way of preformatting only applies to section formatting. Character formatting markups are still effective. | Note Note: }}	Start each line with a space. Text is preformatted and markups can be done.
Preformatted text blocks	<nowiki>Start with a space in the first column, (before the <nowiki>). Then your block format will be maintained. This is good for copying in code blocks: def function(): """documentation string""" if True: print True else: print False</nowiki>	Start with a space in the first column, (before the <nowiki>). Then your block format will be maintained. This is good for copying in code blocks: def function(): """documentation string""" if True: print True else: print False

Paragraphs

MediaWiki ignores single line breaks. To start a new paragraph, leave an empty line. You can force a line break within a paragraph with the HTML tag <br />.

HTML tags

Some HTML tags are allowed in MediaWiki, for example <code>, <div>, <span> and <font>. These apply anywhere you insert them.

Description	You type	You get
Inserted (Displays as underline in most browsers)	<ins>Inserted</ins> or <u>Underline</u>	Inserted or Underline
Deleted (Displays as strikethrough in most browsers)	<s>Struck out</s> or <del>Deleted</del>	Struck out or Deleted
Fixed width text	<code>Source code</code> or <tt>Fixed width text</tt>	Source code or Fixed width text
Blockquotes	Text before <blockquote>Blockquote</blockquote> Text after	Text before Blockquote Text after
Comment	<!-- This is a comment --> Comments are only visible in the edit zone.	Comments are only visible in the edit zone.
Completely preformatted text	<pre> Text is '''preformatted''' and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done</pre> {{#if: For marking up of preformatted text, check the "Preformatted text" entry at the end of the previous table. | For marking up of preformatted text, check the "Preformatted text" entry at the end of the previous table. | Note Note: }}	Text is '''preformatted''' and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done
Customized preformatted text	<pre style="color: red"> Text is '''preformatted''' with a style and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done </pre> {{#if: A CSS style can be named within the style property. | A CSS style can be named within the style property. | Note Note: }}	Text is '''preformatted''' with a style and ''markups'' '''''cannot''''' be done

continued:

Description	You type	You get
Customized preformatted text with text wrap according to available width	<pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: -moz-pre-wrap; white-space: -pre-wrap; white-space: -o-pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"> This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. </pre>	This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer.
Preformatted text with text wrap according to available width	<code> This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer. </code>	This long sentence is used to demonstrate text wrapping. This additional sentence makes the text even longer.

Inserting symbols

Symbols and other special characters not available on your keyboard can be inserted through a special sequence of characters. Those sequences are called HTML entities. For example, the following sequence (entity) → when inserted will be shown as right arrow HTML symbol → and — when inserted will be shown as an em dash HTML symbol —.

---

{{#if: Hover over any character to find out the symbol that it produces. Some symbols not available in the current font will appear as empty squares. |

Hover over any character to find out the symbol that it produces. Some symbols not available in the current font will appear as empty squares.

| Note Note: }}

HTML symbol entities
Á	á	Â	â	´	Æ	æ	À	à	ℵ	Α	α	&	∧	∠	Å	å	≈	Ã	ã	Ä	ä	„	Β	β	¦	•	∩	Ç	ç	¸	¢
Χ	χ	ˆ	♣	≅	©	↵	∪	¤	†	‡	↓	⇓	°	Δ	δ	♦	÷	É	é	Ê	ê	È	è	∅			Ε	ε	≡	Η	η
Ð	ð	Ë	ë	€	∃	ƒ	∀	½	¼	¾	⁄	Γ	γ	≥	>	↔	⇔	♥	…	Í	í	Î	î	¡	Ì	ì	ℑ	∞	∫	Ι	ι
¿	∈	Ï	ï	Κ	κ	Λ	λ	〈	«	←	⇐	⌈	“	≤	⌊	∗	◊	‎	‹	‘	<	¯	—	µ	·	−	Μ	μ	∇		–
≠	∋	¬	∉	⊄	Ñ	ñ	Ν	ν	Ó	ó	Ô	ô	Œ	œ	Ò	ò	‾	Ω	ω	Ο	ο	⊕	∨	ª	º	Ø	ø	Õ	õ	⊗	Ö
ö	¶	∂	‰	⊥	Φ	φ	Π	π	ϖ	±	£	′	″	∏	∝	Ψ	ψ	"	√	〉	»	→	⇒	⌉	”	ℜ	®	⌋	Ρ	ρ	‏
›	’	‚	Š	š	⋅	§	­	Σ	σ	ς	∼	♠	⊂	⊆	∑	⊃	¹	²	³	⊇	ß	Τ	τ	∴	Θ	θ	ϑ		Þ	þ	˜
×	™	Ú	ú	↑	⇑	Û	û	Ù	ù	¨	ϒ	Υ	υ	Ü	ü	℘	Ξ	ξ	Ý	ý	¥	ÿ	Ÿ	Ζ	ζ	‍	‌

Description	You type	You get
Copyright symbol	©	©
Greek delta letter symbol	δ	δ
Euro currency symbol	€	€

See the list of all HTML entities on the Wikipedia article List of HTML entities. Additionally, MediaWiki supports two non-standard entity reference sequences: &רלמ; and &رلم; which are both considered equivalent to ‏ which is a right-to-left mark. (Used when combining right to left languages with left to right languages in the same page.)

HTML tags and symbol entities displayed themselves (with and without interpreting them)

€  → €

<span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;">Typo to be corrected</span>  → Typo to be corrected

&lt;span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;">Typo to be corrected&lt;/span>  → <span style="color: red; text-decoration: line-through;">Typo to be corrected</span>

Nowiki for HTML

<nowiki /> can prohibit (HTML) tags:

• <<nowiki />pre>  → <pre>

But not & symbol escapes:

• &<nowiki />amp;  → &

Other formatting

Beyond the text formatting markup shown hereinbefore, here are some other formatting references:

• Links
• Lists
• Images
• References - see Extension:Cite/Cite.php
• Tables

You can find more references at Help:Contents.