%audience% authors (basic)

%trail% <<|[[Documentation Index]]|>>

The pages on this site are [[WikiWikiWeb]] pages, which means that pages can be created and edited by multiple authors. To edit a page, click the '''Edit''' link that exists somewhere on the page, usually in the header or footer. Some pages may be [[password(s)]]-protected, depending on the system's security policies, but many systems allow open editing of pages.

When editing a page, you see the ''markup text'' that describes the content of the page.  The basic rules for page markup are fairly simple:
# Put a blank line between paragraphs
# To make a list, start each line with # for numbered (ordered) lists or * for bulleted (unordered) lists.
# To make a heading, start a line with two or more ! marks; !! is a subheading, and !!! is a sub-subheading.
# To emphasize text, enclose it in 2 or 3 ''single quotes''; [@''text''@] for italics or [@'''text'''@] for bold.
# To make a link to another page, enclose the page's name in double brackets; for example [@[[basic editing]]@] links to this page. Links to [[nonexistent pages]] are displayed specially, to invite others to create the page.
# To make a link to another site, type its address, such as http://www.example.com/ .

'''If you want to experiment with editing a page, try it on the [[Main/WikiSandbox]].''' You can [[Main/WikiSandbox?action=edit | edit the WikiSandbox]] without affecting anything important on this site. If you do edit other pages, it's courteous to '''sign''' your contribution; using [=~~=]~ effectively 'signs' the name that you provide in the Author field on the Page Edit form.

!! Examples

The table below demonstrates many of the common markups used to format pages.  The left column shows the effect of the markup, the right column shows what to write to achieve the effect.  More details are available from the [[text formatting rules]] and other documentation pages. An '''exhaustive list''' of default markup is available as the [[markup master index]]

!!! General Usage

(:table width='100%' border='1' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='2':)
(:cellnr width='40%':)
%center% '''What it looks like'''
(:cell:)
%center% '''What to type'''
(:cellnr:)
An empty line

starts a new paragraph.
(:cell:) [@
An empty line

starts a new paragraph.
@]
(:cellnr:)
A single newline
usually doesn't affect the layout.  
Use two backslashes\\
to break a line.
(:cell:) [@
A single newline
usually doesn't affect the layout.  
Use two backslashes\\
to break a line.
@]
(:cellnr:)
A single backslash \
joins the next line \
to the previous one.
(:cell:)
[@
A single backslash \
joins the next line \
to the previous one.
@]
(:cellnr:)
Use three backslashes\\\
for two line breaks.
(:cell:) [@
Use three backslashes\\\
for two line breaks.
@]
(:cellnr:)
* Lists are created by using asterisks
** More asterisks produce deeper lists
*** The list is terminated
by the first line that is not a list

# Numbered lists
# are also possible
** and lists can nest
(:cell:) [@
* Lists are created by using asterisks
** More asterisks produce deeper lists
*** The list is terminated
by the first line that is not a list

# Numbered lists
# are also possible
** and lists can nest@]
(:cellnr:)
-> An arrow (->) indents content.

   Line up text to continue the indent.

-->Longer arrows (-->) indent further.

-<A reverse arrow (-<) creates a \
hanging indent, the first line \
is outdented and remaining lines \
are indented.
--< Longer reverse arrows indent \
further.
(:cell:) [@
-> An arrow (->) indents content.

   Line up text to continue the indent.

-->Longer arrows (-->) indent further.

-<A reverse arrow (-<) creates a \
hanging indent, the first line \
is outdented and remaining lines \
are indented.
--< Longer reverse arrows indent \
further.
@]
(:cellnr:)
: Definition list : list of definitions
: item : the item's definition
: another item : that item's definition
(:cell:) [@
: Definition list : list of definitions
: item : the item's definition
: another item : that item's definition
@]
(:cellnr:)
 Lines that begin with
 a space are formatted exactly
 as typed, in a fixed-width font.

Note that very long lines of preformatted text
can cause the whole page to be wide.
(:cell:) [@
 Lines that begin with
 a space are formatted exactly
 as typed, in a fixed-width font.@]
(:cellnr:)
%center% This text is centered.

%right% This text is right justified.
(:cell:) [@
%center% This text is centered.

%right% This text is right justified.@]
(:cellnr:)
Four or more dashes
at the beginning of a line
----
produce a horizontal line.
(:cell:) [@
Four or more dashes
at the beginning of a line
----
produce a horizontal line.
@]
(:tableend:)


!!! [[#links]] [[Links]]

(:table width='100%' border='1' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='2':)
(:cellnr width='40%':)
%center% '''What it looks like'''
(:cell:)
%center% '''What to type'''
(:cellnr:)
Practice editing
in the [[wiki sandbox]].

* Text in double brackets become links to other pages.
* Words are automatically capitalized in page titles.
(:cell:) [@
Practice editing
in the [[wiki sandbox]].
@]
(:cellnr:)
Practice editing
in the [[Main/WikiSandbox]].

Which one?
Oh, in the [[Main.WikiSandbox]].

* When linking to a page in a different wikigroup, provide the group name, followed by a separator, and then the page name.
* If the separator you use is a slash, only the page name will appear.
* If the separator you use is a dot, the full string will appear.
(:cell:) [@
Practice editing
in the [[Main/WikiSandbox]].

Which one?
Oh, in the [[Main.WikiSandbox]].
@]
(:cellnr:)
Practice editing in the
[[WikiSandbox | practice area]].

Practice editing in the
[[Main.WikiSandbox | practice area]].

Practice editing in the
[[practice area -> WikiSandbox]].

* Text after a pipe (|) is used as the link text, or use the alternate (and perhaps more understandable) arrow (text -> link) notation.
(:cell:) [@
Practice editing in the
[[WikiSandbox | practice area]].

Practice editing in the
[[Main.WikiSandbox | practice area]].

Practice editing in the
[[practice area -> WikiSandbox]].
@]
(:cellnr:)
Practice editing in the
[[wiki sandbox]]es.

Practice editing in the
[[(wiki) sandbox]].

* Endings become part of the link text.
* Parentheses hide parts of the link name.
(:cell:) [@
Practice editing in the
[[wiki sandbox]]es.

Practice editing in the
[[(wiki) sandbox]].
@]
(:cellnr:)
What's an [[(Wikipedia:)aardvark]], anyway?

* Pmwiki can use [[InterMap| InterMap prefixes]] that have specific meanings.
* Parentheses can hide those too.
(:cell:) [@
%newwin%What's an
[[(Wikipedia:)aardvark]], anyway?
@]

(:cellnr:)
Links to external sources can be entered
# bare url:  http://google.com
# link text: [[http://google.com | Google]]
# as reference: [[http://google.com |#]]
(:cell:) [@
Links to external sources can be entered
# bare url:  http://google.com
# link text: [[http://google.com | Google]]
# as reference: [[http://google.com |#]]
@]

(:cellnr:)
Links can open in another window,
as in %newwin% http://www.pmwiki.org.
(:cell:) [@
Links can open in another window,
as in %newwin% http://www.pmwiki.org.
@]
(:tableend:)

!!! Character formatting

(:table width='100%' border='1' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='2':)
(:cellnr width='40%':)
''Emphasize'', '''strongly''', 
'''''very strongly'''''.

* These are all apostrophes (single-quote marks), not double-quotes.
(:cell:) [@
''Emphasize'', '''strongly''', 
'''''very strongly'''''. @]

(:cellnr:)
@@Monospaced text@@

[@This is a
  preformatted
    text block@]
(:cell:) [@
@@Monospaced text@@ @]
 [=
[@This is a
  preformatted
    text block@]=]
(:cellnr:)
* Text with '^superscripts^'
* Text with '_subscripts_'
* deleted {-strikethrough-} text
* inserted {+underline+} text
* [+big+], [++bigger++] text
* [-small-], [--smaller--] text
(:cell:) [@
* Text with '^superscripts^'
* Text with '_subscripts_'
* deleted {-strikethrough-} text
* inserted {+underline+} text
* [+big+], [++bigger++] text
* [-small-], [--smaller--] text
@]
(:cellnr:)
[[WikiStyles]] allow %red% text
%blue% to %green% be 
%color=#ff7f00% different %%colors.

* Use lowercase letters for RGB colors (#ff7f00, not [=#FF7F00=]).
(:cell:) [@
[[WikiStyles]] allow %red% text
%blue% to %green% be 
%color=#ff7f00% different %%colors.
@]
(:tableend:)

!!! Headings and blocks

(:table width='100%' border='1' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='2':)
(:cellnr width='40%':)
!! Major Subheading
!! [-Major Subheading With Smaller Text-]
!!! Minor Subheading
!!!! And More
!!!!! Subheadings
* Headings are useful for creating a "well-structured" page.
  They're not just for making big text.
(:cell:) [@
!! Major Subheading
!! [-Major Subheading With Smaller Text-]
!!! Minor Subheading
!!!! And More
!!!!! Subheadings
@]
(:cellnr:)
-<'''Page titles'''
''Not shown''
(:title Basic Editing:)

* The [@(:title:)@] directive sets the page's title to something other than its name.
(:cell:) [@
(:title Basic Editing:)
@]
(:cellnr:)
-<'''Block styles'''
(:comment note you can't nest table and div :)
%block purple%All of the text in this block
is purple.
* %item purple%Purple cows and purple flowers
* %item purple%Purple people eater
* %item red% Now this list is red
* %item center% and this text is centered
* %item right% and this text is right justified
* And this is normal
(:cell:) [@
>>purple<<
All of the text in this block
is purple.
* Purple cows and purple flowers
* Purple people eater
>>red<<
* Now this list is red
>>center<<
* and this text is centered
>>right<<
* and this text is right justified
>><<
* And this is normal@]
(:tableend:)

%trail% <<|[[Documentation Index]]|>>

>>faq<< [[#faq]]
[[#beginning]]
Q: I'm new to PmWiki, where can I find some basic help for getting started?
A: This [[Basic Editing]] page is a good start.  From there, you can just follow the navigational links at the bottom of the page (they are called [[WikiTrails]]) to the next pages, or to the [[Documentation Index]] page, which provides an outline style index of essential documentation pages, organized from basic to advanced.

Q: How do I include special characters on my wiki pages?
A: Use character codes to insert [[special characters]], such as Copyright (&#169;) and Trademark (&#174; or &#8482;) symbols, that don't appear on your keyboard.

(:haloscan:)