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Difference between revisions of "Help:Editing"

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== CAZypedia and WYSIWYG editing ==
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== Use Firefox ==
The nature of the wiki format which forms the basis of CAZypedia ''does not'' lend itself very well to WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing that most of us are used to. Unlike word processing software, where what you type is immediately formatted on the screen and later appears on the printed page, wiki editing is a bit more like making a web pageIn the latter case, text is typed in an unformatted form, which is later formatted on-the-fly according to specific formatting "tags" embedded in the text itself.
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''CAZypedia'' works best using the [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox browser] with javascript turned on.  Get Firefox [http://www.mozilla.com/ here].
  
The reasons wikis, and thus CAZYpedia, use this less user-friendly way are mainly technical, having to do with using a web browser as an input tool and a remote web server as the data storage device. People who are used to "mark-up" computer languages (like HTML) will have little trouble getting used to the wiki way of formatting text. To ease the pain for everyone else, CAZypedia implements an ''almost'' WYSIWYG editor called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd wikEd].  wikEd was develped to make life easier for Wikipedia contributors, and since CAZypedia runs the same wiki software (MediaWiki), we can benefit from wikEd, too.
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''CAZypedia's'' advanced editor, wikEd, requires one of the following browsers with <u>javascript enabled</u>: [http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ Firefox], [http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ SeaMonkey], [http://www.apple.com/safari/ Safari], or [http://www.google.com/chrome Google Chrome].
  
== Using wikEd on CAZypedia ==
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd wikEd] is a javascript program that runs by default on all CAZypedia user accounts.  Therefore, there's nothing to install or configure.  All you need is a [http://www.mozilla.org/ Mozilla browser] (Firefox 1.5 or higher, Mozilla 1.3 or higher, or SeaMonkey) with javascript enabled; ''Microsoft Internet Explorer and Opera Browser currently don't work with wikEd''.
 
  
=== MediaWiki syntax ===
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== Preamble: ''CAZypedia'' and WYSIWYG editing ==
MediaWiki is the engine that drives CAZypedia, rendering all of the ugly data into the nice-looking format that your web browser presents.   These links provide an overview of the basic "markup" (formatting rules) that CAZypedia uses:
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The nature of the wiki format which forms the basis of ''CAZypedia'' ''does not'' lend itself very well to WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing that most of us are used to.  Unlike word processing software, where what you type is immediately formatted on the screen and later appears on the printed page, wiki editing is a bit more like making a web page. Text is typed in an unformatted form, which is later formatted on-the-fly according to specific formatting "tags" embedded in the text itself.
  
* [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Editing Basic editing & markup]
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The reasons wikis, and thus ''CAZypedia'', use this less user-friendly way are mainly technical, having to do with using a web browser as an input tool and a remote web server as the data storage device.  People who are used to "markup" computer languages (like HTML) will have little trouble getting used to the wiki way of formatting text.
 +
 
 +
To ease the pain for everyone else, ''CAZypedia'' implements an ''almost'' WYSIWYG editor called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd wikEd].  wikEd was develped to make life easier for ''Wikipedia'' contributors, and since ''CAZypedia'' runs the same wiki software ([http://www.mediawiki.org/ MediaWiki]), we can benefit from wikEd, too (see below).
 +
 
 +
== Quick links for Mediawiki formatting ==
 +
MediaWiki is the engine that drives ''CAZypedia''.  These links provide an '''overview of the basic "markup" (formatting rules) that ''CAZypedia'' uses''':
 +
 
 +
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting Basic editing & markup]
 
* [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext_examples More markup examples] - including inserting pictures
 
* [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext_examples More markup examples] - including inserting pictures
 
* [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Advanced_editing Advanced editing] - all kinds of cool stuff, including making links, math, special characters, and templates.
 
* [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Advanced_editing Advanced editing] - all kinds of cool stuff, including making links, math, special characters, and templates.
 +
* There's even a handy printable [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Reference_card reference card].
  
=== wikEd ===
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== Making life a bit easier: The wikEd editor in ''CAZypedia'' ==
wikEd can be used to add most of the markup listed on the pages above, and therefore greatly simplifies making and editing CAZypedia pages.  Some current features include (from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd main wikEd page]:
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''CAZypedia'' uses an advanced editor called wikEd, which greatly simplifies making and editing ''CAZypedia'' pages.  wikEd has a bunch of neat features, all of which you can read about on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd wikEd homepage].
  
<blockquote>
 
  
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For the average ''CAZypedia'' contributor, these are probably the most useful:
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* Click buttons to format text (bold, italic, etc.), like a word processor
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* Find and replace
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* '''Cut-and-paste''' and convert formatted text '''from''' e.g. '''Microsoft Word''' and web pages using the  ''wikify'' button <span style="background: #d4d0cc; border: 1px outset; padding-bottom: 2px;">[[Image:wikEd_wikify.png]]</span>.
  
* Wikicode syntax highlighting
 
  
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd_help The wikEd help page] contains a '''quick tutorial''' and some easy to follow  details on formatting buttons in wikEd.  It is  strongly recommended that you  browse this page before beginning work on ''CAZypedia''.
  
* Pasting, import, and conversion of formatted text, e.g. from Microsoft-Word and web pages
 
* Regular expression search and replace
 
* Edit preview and show changes on the same page without reloading
 
* Fullscreen editing mode
 
* Single-click fixing of common mistakes
 
* History for summary, search, and replace fields
 
* Jump to selected heading
 
* Type-ahead find
 
  
</blockquote>
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'''Note:''' To use wikEd, you need to use one of the following browsers with <u>javascript enabled</u>: [http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ Firefox], [http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ SeaMonkey], [http://www.apple.com/safari/ Safari], or [http://www.google.com/chrome Google Chrome].  ''Microsoft Internet Explorer and Opera Browser currently don't work with wikEd''.  '''''CAZypedia'' recommends [http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ Mozilla Firefox].'''
  
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cacycle/wikEd_help The  wikEd help page] contains a tutorial and full details on the function of all of the buttons in wikEd.
 
  
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'''Although wikEd is both quite good and quite powerful, ''patiently'' bear in mind that you will have to understand the MediaWiki markup to fix things when they don't look ''quite'' right.  Soon enough, editing pages in ''CAZypedia'' will become second nature.'''
  
'''Although wikEd is both quite good and quite powerful, ''patiently'' bear in mind that you will have to understand the MediaWiki markup to fix things when they don't look ''quite'' right.  Soon enough, editing pages in CAZypedia will become second nature.'''
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== References to the literature ==
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Although wikEd can be used to copy-and-paste formatted text from a word processor like MS Word, it will not automatically fix literature references.  There are other special features to help with the addition of literature references to ''CAZypedia'' entries; for detailed instructions, please see the [[Help:References]] page.

Latest revision as of 08:40, 19 July 2019

Use Firefox

CAZypedia works best using the Firefox browser with javascript turned on. Get Firefox here.

CAZypedia's advanced editor, wikEd, requires one of the following browsers with javascript enabled: Firefox, SeaMonkey, Safari, or Google Chrome.


Preamble: CAZypedia and WYSIWYG editing

The nature of the wiki format which forms the basis of CAZypedia does not lend itself very well to WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing that most of us are used to. Unlike word processing software, where what you type is immediately formatted on the screen and later appears on the printed page, wiki editing is a bit more like making a web page. Text is typed in an unformatted form, which is later formatted on-the-fly according to specific formatting "tags" embedded in the text itself.

The reasons wikis, and thus CAZypedia, use this less user-friendly way are mainly technical, having to do with using a web browser as an input tool and a remote web server as the data storage device. People who are used to "markup" computer languages (like HTML) will have little trouble getting used to the wiki way of formatting text.

To ease the pain for everyone else, CAZypedia implements an almost WYSIWYG editor called wikEd. wikEd was develped to make life easier for Wikipedia contributors, and since CAZypedia runs the same wiki software (MediaWiki), we can benefit from wikEd, too (see below).

Quick links for Mediawiki formatting

MediaWiki is the engine that drives CAZypedia. These links provide an overview of the basic "markup" (formatting rules) that CAZypedia uses:

Making life a bit easier: The wikEd editor in CAZypedia

CAZypedia uses an advanced editor called wikEd, which greatly simplifies making and editing CAZypedia pages. wikEd has a bunch of neat features, all of which you can read about on the wikEd homepage.


For the average CAZypedia contributor, these are probably the most useful:

  • Click buttons to format text (bold, italic, etc.), like a word processor
  • Find and replace
  • Cut-and-paste and convert formatted text from e.g. Microsoft Word and web pages using the wikify button WikEd wikify.png.


The wikEd help page contains a quick tutorial and some easy to follow details on formatting buttons in wikEd. It is strongly recommended that you browse this page before beginning work on CAZypedia.


Note: To use wikEd, you need to use one of the following browsers with javascript enabled: Firefox, SeaMonkey, Safari, or Google Chrome. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Opera Browser currently don't work with wikEd. CAZypedia recommends Mozilla Firefox.


Although wikEd is both quite good and quite powerful, patiently bear in mind that you will have to understand the MediaWiki markup to fix things when they don't look quite right. Soon enough, editing pages in CAZypedia will become second nature.

References to the literature

Although wikEd can be used to copy-and-paste formatted text from a word processor like MS Word, it will not automatically fix literature references. There are other special features to help with the addition of literature references to CAZypedia entries; for detailed instructions, please see the Help:References page.