Editing Help:Editing basics

{{NavWiki|help}}
The markup language used on the wiki is called ''wikitext''. Most articles on BG3Wiki can be edited either by directly manipulating wikitext via the ''source editor'', or by using the ''visual Editor'', which functions as a word processor.

Most of the information in this manual will be explained using wikitext, but it applies to both the source editor and the visual editor.

== Page tabs ==
=== Edit ===
<gallery>
File:edit_visual_or_source.png|thumb|100px|Visual Editor and Source Editor.
File:switch_visual_or_source.png|thumb|100px|Switching between editor types.
</gallery>
To edit an existing page, click either ''Edit'' (opens the visual editor) or ''Edit source'' (opens the source editor) above the page. Within either editor, you can switch between the Visual Editor and the Source Editor at any time via the upper-right menu button.

When you've finished editing, feel free to add a brief summary of your changes. You can also preview any changes you've made before saving.

=== Discussion ===
An article's ''discussion'' page – or ''talk page'' – is used to settle disagreements about an article. Use an article's discussion page to discuss the article's contents and edits. Sign your comments using {{code|<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>}}.

=== View history ===
Click the '''View history''' tab to see a history of edits performed on that page. Each line describes a revision of the page, including date/time, the contributor who made that edit, and possibly a summary for the edit.

== Linking ==
=== Internal linking ===
Internal links (links to other BG3Wiki articles) are added using double square brackets {{code|<nowiki>[[...]]</nowiki>}}. A pipe {{code|<nowiki>|</nowiki>}} can be placed after the name of the target article, and followed with a text to display in its place. For example, {{code|<nowiki>[[Help: Style Guide|Style Guide]]</nowiki>}} appears as [[Help:Style Guide|Style Guide]].

Links can be used to display images as well. See [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images Help:Images on MediaWiki] for further instructions.

=== External links ===
External links (to other websites) are added by enclosing the URL followed by a Space then the Link Text within single square brackets {{code|<nowiki>[URL LinkText]</nowiki>}}. For example, {{code|<nowiki>[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links MediaWiki Help - Links]</nowiki>}} appears as [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links MediaWiki Help - Links]. 

For commonly referenced sites such as the Forgotten Realms wiki, Wikipedia, or IMDB, use a premade [[:Category:External link templates|External Link Template]] for it.

== Templates ==
{{hatnote|For a list of all commonly used templates, see [[Help:List of templates]].}}
A ''template'' is a special type of page designed to be included within other pages. Templates are used extensively on BG3Wiki.

The [[Help:Using templates|next step]] of this manual will cover specific uses of templates.

=== Adding templates using the visual editor ===
[[File:visual_editor_template.png|right|thumb|Inserting a template with the Visual Editor]]
Templates can be searched for and added via the toolbar above the visual editor by clicking ''Insert'', and in the dropdown box, selecting ''Templates''. Most templates can be easily inserted onto a page this way. To later edit its contents, simply click on the inserted template in the visual editor for options.

=== Adding templates using the source editor ===
Templates are added by using double brackets {{code|<nowiki>{{ ... }}</nowiki>}}. For example, the template {{code|foo}} is added by typing {{code|<nowiki>{{foo}}</nowiki>}}.

A template's parameters are specified through the use of pipes {{code|<nowiki>|</nowiki>}}.

* Template with one parameter:
** Code: {{code|<nowiki>{{enchantment|+1}}</nowiki>}}
** Result: {{enchantment|+1}}
* Template with multiple parameters:
** Code: {{code|<nowiki>{{AttributeBlock|8|15|7|6|10|8|dex save = yes|race=Bird|hp=10}}</nowiki>}}
** Result:
{{AttributeBlock|8|15|7|6|10|8|dex save = yes|race=Bird|hp=10}}

== Categories ==
[[Special:Categories|Category]] pages list all the pages within that Category.
 
The ''Everything'' search option includes Categories in the search results. You can also find them on the [[Special:Categories]] page. Categories can prove useful when looking for a specific image or page, particularly when you don't know the exact name of the thing you're looking for.

<gallery>
File:visual_editor_categories.png|thumb|150px|Adding categories in Visual Editor.
File:category_example.png|thumb|150px|Example of a category page.
</gallery>

Some templates will automatically add the correct category to the page it is used on. However, in some cases, you'll want to manually add pages to additional categories.

To add a page to a category:
* When using the Visual Editor, you can add a page to a category by clicking on the upper-right menu and selecting '''Categories'''. Start typing a category name in the provided box, and the editor will suggest autocomplete options for the category, if any exist.
* When using the Source Editor, use the markup {{code|<nowiki>[[</nowiki>Category:<em>Name of category here</em><nowiki>]]</nowiki>}} at the bottom of the page. You can repeat this as many times as needed for additional Categories.

== Creating new pages ==
A new page can be created simply by opening a link to a page that have yet to be created, such as by clicking a red link, or by searching for the page on the wiki. If it doesn't yet exist, it can be created. Most pages on BG3Wiki are created with the help of templates, which may seem daunting at first, but they are actually quite easy to use.

=== Creating redirects ===
If a page exists but users may search for it using multiple terms, a redirect page can be created using {{code|<nowiki>#REDIRECT [[article link]]</nowiki>}}.

== Additional resources ==
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents MediaWiki help pages]
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting MediaWiki formatting]

[[Category: Wiki Help]]