CZ:Technical Help

MediaWiki--the software that runs this wiki--has an undeserved reputation for difficulty of use. You can just dive in and start typing the way way you'd type an e-mail. Come to this page, however, for a jumping-off place to technical instructions.

Most important here is our guide to the wiki code: how to edit an article. Don't want to learn the code? Then email us an article in word processor format!

Editing helps

How to edit an article

The wiki code! How do you use [[this]], ''this'', [http://citizendium.org this], or ==This== ? Learn here, in our local manual for MediaWiki, not to be confused with our style guide, Article Mechanics. Also useful: MediaWiki help and Wikipedia help

Searching

How to use the search box (in the upper left).

Templates

We use many "templates," a short piece of wiki code which, when saved, adds in long pieces of text (or code). It's a space- and labor-saver.

Other editing utilities

Here are a few more pages that may be of help in writing articles:

• Box Help - for inset text boxes
• Citation templates - many templates are available for citing books, etc.
• Symbols - but these are also found beneath the edit box
• How to display foreign characters - what to do if your browser won't show you e.g. Asian fonts correctly.
• Enhancing your editing with javascript extensions
• Math - formatting math
• How to make tables - displaying information in a tabular format

Subpage and checklist technical help

A unique feature of the Citizendium is that we use subpages for reference information of different types. As a result, we have to connect all the subpages together, and to the article's main page. We have an article "checklist," or metadata template, which helps do this, and also tracks things like the article's quality and its workgroups.

Article structure

A general introduction to the structure of an article, including subpages, the metadata, etc.

Using the Subpages template

The main technical guide to subpages and the metadata page.

Start article with subpages

A tool that makes starting a "subpagified" article as painless as possible.

The Article Checklist

Must-read for anyone filling out the checklist (now found on "metadata" pages). The checklist includes data about the article workgroups, status, etc.

{{Subpages}} template

The most important template in the subpage system. Not generally editable.

Help for programmers

Downloads

The contents of CZ available for programmers who want to make their own copy. We would appreciate it if multiple backups of our content existed around the world, if disaster should strike our Internet host (not too likely, that).

Technical Team Workgroup

A wiki home page for our volunteer technical crew. (Not well developed at present.)

Extensions

We use these add-ons to MediaWiki, the software that runs the wiki.

Templates

A conical list of templates employed at CZ (still developing.)

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