View source for Help:Editing

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'''Editing''' refers to the changing of a page by a Wikipedia user. Unless certain restrictions are in effect, such as [[WP:PPOL|protection]], all pages are editable, by everyone. This is a brief overview of that process. For more detailed information, see the links under [[#Further reading|Further reading]] below.

==Editing basics==
<!--It is intended to be brief, or as an overview. Otherwise why we separate the materials into different pages? Thus it's best NOT to add new materials or expand here. Add more examples or expand in other areas like Wikitext examples. Thanks!-->

===Review policy and conventions===

:Make sure that you submit information which is relevant to the specific purpose of the wiki, or your content might be deleted. You can always use the [[Help:Talk page|talk pages]] to ask questions or check to see if your idea will be accepted. Please make note of the license your contributions will be covered with.

===Start editing===
:Click the '''edit this page''' tab at the top of the page. This brings you to the edit page: a page with a text box (the ''edit box'') containing the ''[[wikitext]]'' – the editable code from which the server produces the finished page.
:Note: if you just want to experiment, please do so only in the [[{{ns:4}}:Sandbox|sandbox]].

===Type your changes===
:You can just type your text. However, also using basic wiki markup (described in the next section) to make links and do simple formatting adds to the value of your contribution. Style guidelines can be found in the [[WP:MOS|Manual of Style]]. If you follow these, your contributions will be more valuable as they won't need to be cleaned up later.

===Summarize your changes===
:Write a short [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] in the small field below the edit-box. You may use shorthand to describe your changes, as described in the [[w:Wikipedia:Edit summary legend|edit summary legend]].

===Preview before saving!===
:When you have finished, click '''[[Help:Show preview|Show preview]]''' to see how your changes will look '''before''' you make them permanent.  Repeat the edit/preview process until you are satisfied, then click '''Save page''' and your changes will be immediately applied to the article. Sometimes it is helpful to save in between.

==Most frequent wiki markup explained== <!-- other pages link directly to this section; do not rename -->
<!--It is intended to be brief, or as an overview. Otherwise why we separate the materials into different pages? Thus it's best NOT to add new materials or expand here. Add more examples or expand in other areas like Wikitext examples. Thanks!-->
Here are the most frequently used types of wiki markup. If you need more help see [[Help:Wikitext examples|Wikitext examples]].

<br clear="right" />
{| class="wikitable"
! style="width: 50%" | What it looks like
! style="width: 50%" | What you type
|-
|
You can ''italicize text'' by putting 2
apostrophes on each side.

3 apostrophes will embolden '''the text'''.

5 apostrophes will embolden and italicize
'''''the text'''''.

(4 apostrophes don't do anything special -- there's just ''''one left over''''.)
|<pre>
You can ''italicize text'' by putting 2
apostrophes on each side.

3 apostrophes will embolden '''the text'''.

5 apostrophes will embolden and italicize
'''''the text'''''.

(4 apostrophes don't do anything
special -- there's just ''''one left
over''''.)
</pre>
|-
|
You should "sign" your comments on talk pages:
* Three tildes give your user name: [[User:Example|Example]] ([[User talk:Example|talk]])<br />
* Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: [[User:Example|Example]] ([[User talk:Example|talk]]) 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
* Five tildes give the date/time alone: 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
|<pre>
You should "sign" your comments
on talk pages:
* Three tildes give your user
name: ~~~
* Four tildes give your user
name plus date/time: ~~~~
* Five tildes give the
date/time alone: ~~~~~
</pre>
|-
|
<div style="font-size:150%;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(170,170,170);">Section headings</div>

''Headings'' organize your writing into sections.
The Wiki software can automatically generate
a [[Help:Section|table of contents]] from them.

<div style="font-size:132%;font-weight:bold;">Subsection</div>
Using more equals signs creates a subsection.

<div style="font-size:116%;font-weight:bold;">A smaller subsection</div>

Don't skip levels, like from two to four equals signs.

Start with 2 equals signs not 1 because 1 creates H1 tags which should be reserved for page title.
|<pre>
==Section headings==

''Headings'' organize your writing into sections.
The Wiki software can automatically generate
a table of contents from them.

===Subsection===

Using more equals signs creates a subsection.

====  A smaller subsection  ====
Don't skip levels,
like from two to four equals signs.

Start with 2 equals signs not 1
because 1 creates H1 tags
which should be reserved for page title.
Also notice spaces between the modifier
and text do not matter.
</pre>
|- id="lists"
|
* ''Unordered [[Help:List|list]]s'' are easy to do:
** Start every line with a star.
*** More stars indicate a deeper level.
*: Previous item continues.
** A new line
* in a list
marks the end of the list.
*Of course you can start again.
|<pre>
* ''Unordered lists'' are easy to do:
** Start every line with a star.
*** More stars indicate a deeper level.
*: Previous item continues.
** A new line
* in a list
marks the end of the list.
* Of course you can start again.
</pre>
|-
|
# ''Numbered lists'' are:
## Very organized
## Easy to follow
#: Previous item continues
A new line marks the end of the list.
# New numbering starts with 1.

|<pre>
# ''Numbered lists'' are:
## Very organized
## Easy to follow
#: Previous item continues
A new line marks the end of the list.
# New numbering starts with 1.
</pre>
|-
|
: A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph.
A newline starts a new paragraph. <br>
Often used for discussion on [[talk pages]].
: We use 1 colon to indent once.
:: We use 2 colons to indent twice.
::: 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.
|<pre>
: A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph.
A newline starts a new paragraph. <br>
Often used for discussion on talk pages.
: We use 1 colon to indent once.
:: We use 2 colons to indent twice.
::: 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.
</pre>


|-
|
Here's a link to the [[Main page]].

But be careful - capitalization counts!
|<pre>
Here's a link to the [[Main page]].
</pre>
|-
|
[[Intentionally permanent red link]] is a page that doesn't exist
yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.
|<pre>
[[Intentionally permanent red link]] is
a page that doesn't exist
yet. You could create it by
clicking on the link.
</pre>
|-
|
You can link to a page section
by placing a "#" before its title:

* [[Help:Contents#For editors]].

If sections have the same title, add
a number to link to any but the first.
[[#Example section 3]] goes to the
third section named "Example section".
|<pre>

You can link to a page section
by placing a "#" before its title:

* [[Help:Contents#For editors]].

If sections have the same title, add
a number to link to any but the first.
[[#Example section 3]] goes to the
third section named "Example section".
</pre>
|}

==Restrictions==
Some pages cannot be edited by everyone. A special function known as [[protection]] can be applied to a page by [[Wikipedia:Administrators|administrator]]s, making the said page uneditable to certain classes of users. There are several degrees of protection:
*If a page is semiprotected, it can be edited by everyone except IPs and accounts that have not yet been [[autoconfirmation|confirmed]].
*If a page is fully protected, only other admins can make edits to the page.
*A page can also be protected so that it cannot be [[Help:Moving a page|moved]].
*In some cases, an admin might see fit to protect a page from being created.
*For very rare pages, such as the Main Page, "cascading" protection is applied, wherein every page that is [[WP:Transclusion|transcluded]] onto a page is protected too.
There are various reasons why a page might be protected. Vandalism and spam can lead to semiprotection, while content wars and other severe cases can lead to full protection. There are other times where [[WP:Office actions|Office actions]] come into play. For the most part, protection is temporary and editing privileges are then restored. In any case, everyone can view the source of any page, irrespective of its level of protection.

==Further reading==
<!--More relevant links are welcome-->

===Editing help===
*[[Help:Editing FAQ]]
*[[Help:Editing toolbar]]
*[[Help:Minor edit]]

===Wiki markups and codes===
*[[Help:Wikitext examples]]
*[[m:Help:Reference card|Help:Reference card]]: a one-page summary of important commands, to be printed out and used next to the computer
*[[Help:HTML in wikitext]]
*[[Help:Comment tags]]
*[[HTML element]]s: HTML Elements in general
*[[Help:Redirect]]: setting up a redirect page within Wikipedia

===Page management===
*[[Help:Starting a new page]]
*[[Help:Administration#Protection|Protecting pages]]
*[[Wikipedia:Merging and moving pages|Merging and moving pages]]
*[[meta:Anti-spam features]]