Help:Editing

The Science Olympiad forum has a Wiki to provide a resource for events, user pages, and more. This page is meant to provide a basic guide for using MediaWiki and Wiki Markup.

BBCode and Wikitext

BBCode, Wikitext, and Wiki Markup are closely related. The tags used are similar, so an understanding of the first may lend itself to easier learning of the latter two. (See Scioly.org:BBCode)

BBCode

Main Article: Scioly.org:BBCode

BBCode is the abbreviated form of bulletin board code, used to format posts on forums.

Wikitext

Wikitext is a language that is used to create pages on wiki websites, including this Wiki. It is almost the same as HTML (hypertext markup language). In fact, one of its main goals is to be converted into HTML so that non-Wiki websites can copy and paste the text.

Wiki Markup

Wiki markup is the syntax used to format a page. Several versions of syntax are used on the wiki because there is no standardized syntax used on Wikis. Pages may contain multiple different syntaxes that serve different or even the same function.

Editing a Page Using Wiki Markup

WM and BBCode use a similar format when editing. They both use tags, but in some cases, the "tags" in Wikitext won’t appear as brackets ([example]) but as a series of apostrophes to change the text. Additionally, while BBCode usually uses one pair of brackets as tags, special Wiki Markup tags (such as image tags) use two pairs ([[example]]).

The next section provides a list of common codes that can be used on any page of Scioly’s Wiki.

Wiki Markup - Basics

	Code	Example of the Code	Result
Italics	''Example''	''WIDI''	WIDI
Bold	'''Example'''	'''MagLev'''	MagLev
Link to another page on the Wiki (internal link)	[[PageName]]	[[Astronomy]]	Astronomy
Internal Link with Description	[[PageName | Description]]	[[BBCode | A helpful guide]]	A helpful guide
Link to a page outside of the Wiki (external link)	[PageAddress]	[http://www.soinc.org]	[1]
External Link with Description	[PageAddress Description]	[http://www.soinc.org Science Olympiad]	Science Olympiad
Inserting an Image on the Wiki	[[File:filename.extension]]	[[File:sciolylogo.png]]
Adding citations (don’t plagiarize!)	References: references URL	References: https://scioly.org/forums/index.php	References: https://scioly.org/forums/index.php

Lists

Unordered Lists

Unordered lists are bulleted.

Code	Result
Lorem ipsum *List Entry1 *List Entry2 **List Entry2a	Lorem ipsum List Entry1 List Entry2 List Entry2a

Ordered Lists

Ordered lists are numbered.

Code	Result
Lorem ipsum #List Entry1 #List Entry2 ##List Entry2a	Lorem ipsum List Entry1 List Entry2 List Entry2a

Indented Lists

Indented lists are simply indented.

Code	Result
Lorem ipsum :List Entry1 :List Entry2 ::List Entry2a	Lorem ipsum List Entry1 List Entry2 List Entry2a

Tables

Basic Table

Code	Result
{| |+Example Table !Heading 1 !Heading 2 !Heading 3 |- !Row Heading 1 |Row Entry 1 |Row Entry 2 |- !Row Heading 2 |Row Entry 3 |Row Entry 4 |- !Row Heading 3 |Row Entry 5 |Row Entry 6 |}	Example Table Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3 Row Heading 1 Row Entry 1 Row Entry 2 Row Heading 2 Row Entry 3 Row Entry 4 Row Heading 3 Row Entry 5 Row Entry 6

Skinned Table

Use class="wikitable" to make your tables look nice.

Code	Result
{|class="wikitable" |+Example Table !Heading 1 !Heading 2 !Heading 3 |- !Row Heading 1 |Row Entry 1 |Row Entry 2 |- !Row Heading 2 |Row Entry 3 |Row Entry 4 |- !Row Heading 3 |Row Entry 5 |Row Entry 6 |- |}	Example Table Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3 Row Heading 1 Row Entry 1 Row Entry 2 Row Heading 2 Row Entry 3 Row Entry 4 Row Heading 3 Row Entry 5 Row Entry 6

Text Alignment in Tables

Use style="text-align:_____" to set the alignment of text in a table. Allowed parameters include left, center, and right.

Code	Result
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left" ! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit |- | Row 1 Content |}	Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit Row 1 Content
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:right" ! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit |- | Row 1 Content |}	Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit Row 1 Content

Sorted Table

Use class="sortable" to make your tables sortable on each column. You will need to use both wikitable and sortable together, as shown below.

Code	Result
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |+2008 Science Olympiad National Tournament !Overall Rank!!School Name!!2008 States!!Nationals WS |- |1||Troy High School||18 Apr 2008||30 |- |2||Centerville High School||18 Apr 2008||26 |- |3||Grand Haven High School||26 Apr 2008||7 |- |4||Fayetteville-Manlius High School||15 Mar 2008||2 |- |5||Mentor High School||18 Apr 2008||20 |- |}	2008 Science Olympiad National Tournament Overall Rank School Name 2008 States Nationals WS 1 Troy High School 18 Apr 2008 30 2 Centerville High School 18 Apr 2008 26 3 Grand Haven High School 26 Apr 2008 7 4 Fayetteville-Manlius High School 15 Mar 2008 2 5 Mentor High School 18 Apr 2008 20

Clicking on the buttons next to each column heading sorts the items in the table accordingly.

Text Color/Highlighting

You can change the color of the text from the default black color. The color template may also be used.

Code	Result
<b style="color:red">red text</b> <b style="color:orange">orange text</b> <b style="color:yellow"> yellow text</b> <b style="color:green">green text</b> <b style="color:blue"> blue text</b> <b style="color:violet"> violet text</b> <b style="color:purple"> purple text</b> <b style="color:pink"> pink text</b> <b style="color:brown"> brown text</b> <b style="color:gray"> gray text</b>	red text orange text yellow text green text blue text violet text purple text pink text brown text gray text

Colored text is used sparingly on Wiki pages to maintain formality.

Images

Here is the most basic method of adding images:

1. If the image does not already exist on the wiki, you will need to save it to your computer before uploading it to the wiki.
2. Determine the location of the image you wish to upload and the Wiki page you wish to upload it to.
3. On the Wiki page, place the following where you want the image:

Code	Example	Result
[[File:filename.extension]]	[[File: sciolylogo.png]]

The name and filetype can be changed based on your preferences, but it must be designated as a File by the "File:" prefix.

1. Once you have added the link, save your edit to the page. Note: the image has not been uploaded yet, so it will appear as a redlink after saving the edit.
2. Return to the broken filename on the edited page and click on the image file. The red text is indicative of no uploaded images or changes to that page.
3. Click on the "Upload" button and add a description if you wish.
4. Hit "Submit" and your image should now appear on the page!

Alternatively:

1. Upload an image to the wiki from your computer.
2. Choose a destination filename and upload.
3. Use step #3 from above to add it to the appropriate page.

Image Thumbnails

An image may be thumbnailed in order to limit its size on the page.

An image may also be aligned horizontally with the keywords left, center, and right. If no alignment is specified, it is automatically left-aligned.

Code
[[Image:sciolylogo.png|thumb|center|SciOly.org Logo]]
Result
SciOly.org Logo

Image Size

An image or thumbnail may be resized to fit a page better.

Code
[[Image:sciolylogo.png|thumb|200px|center|SciOly.org Logo]]
Result
SciOly.org Logo

Headings

NOTE: The first heading type is used in the titles of pages and using it for other subheadings is discouraged.

Code	Result
=Heading=
==Heading1==
===Subheading===
====Subsubheading====

Redirects

Redirects are used to redirect users to existing wiki pages from commonly used names. For example, the page Cow A Bungee redirects to Bungee Drop. To remove a redirect from a page, follow a link to the page you wish to edit, add &redirect=no to the end of the URL, and edit out the redirect.

Code:

 #REDIRECT [[PageRedirectedTo]] 

Math

When math is used on the Wiki, encase it in:

[math]...[/math] 

This converts the encased text into LaTeX, a mathematical typesetting system that creates very pretty equations. Here are some basic commands:

\frac{x}{y}=z

creates [math]\frac{x}{y}=z[/math]. See how much prettier that is compared to x/y=z! Other useful commands are:

\alpha\beta\gamma\delta\epsilon = \sqrt{5}\times 5^{3} \cdot 4^{4^{4}}\neq 1+2+3+\cdots+n

giving: [math]\alpha\beta\gamma\delta\epsilon = \sqrt{5}\times 5^{3} \cdot 4^{4^{4}}\neq 1+2+3+\cdots+n[/math]. However, having this looks quite ugly because it's within the line with other text. To center align an equation, use:

<div align="center"> [math]...[/math]</div>

With the equation we just had, it turns it into:

[math]\alpha\beta\gamma\delta\epsilon = \sqrt{5}\times 5^{3} \cdot 4^{4^{4}}\neq 1+2+3+\cdots+n[/math]

General Wiki Standards

When editing the Science Olympiad Student Center Wiki, there are certain standards pages should meet in order to maintain the quality of the resource. These guidelines are provided below for various types of pages.

All Pages

• No abusive or offensive language.
• No vandalism.
• No personal identification information of minors.
• No advertising.
• No edit warring; if a dispute occurs, please discuss on the talk page before continuing.

Event and Informational Pages

• Avoid excessive use of first- and second-person language.
• No removal of significant chunks of information (unless justified through consultation with moderators).
• Do not copy material directly from outside sources.
• Language should be appropriate for an academic resource; try to avoid grammar/spelling errors and excessive colloquial or casual language.
• If including external links, a description of the page being linked to should be included in the link.
• Event pages should cover at least the requirements listed in the rules. If a significant portion of the event is not covered, the event should be tagged as Incomplete until this information is added.

Team Pages

• If a chronological table is not using a custom style, the "wikitable sortable" style should be used.
• While team pages do not need to remain objective about the team itself, it must remain objective about other teams.
• Coaches and alumni (over the age of 18) may be listed by name, preferably with consent from the parties. Names of current competitors are generally prohibited.

Tournament Pages

• Chronological tables should be listed in order with the most recent occurrence at the bottom of the table.
• Chronological tables should use the "wikitable sortable" style.
• Invitational tournament pages, where possible, should avoid a promotional tone.

Talk Pages

• Comments should be signed before submitting changes by typing "~~~~" after the comment.

User Pages

• User pages are generally free to edit by the user, as long as it does not break any of the rules that apply to all pages.
• Do not edit the content of another user's page unless given permission by the user (or if it is to remove information that violates global wiki rules).

Templates

• Generally, avoid editing or adding templates directly unless given permission by a moderator; you may experiment with templates in the Sandbox or create your own Sandbox (e.g. User:EastStroudsburg13/Sandbox).

See Also

How To Edit A Page
Cheatsheet (a more complete listing)
Displaying Formulas
User:John Richardsim/Editing Guide