Difference between revisions of "PrF UG help user howto"

If you are comfortable browsing web pages, you should have no difficulty using our "wikified" User's Guide. From the perspective of a user who only wants to read the guide, it's just a set of web pages (with content, clickable links, etc).

However, because the guide is actually a set of wiki pages, you are allowed (nay, encouraged) to make your own contributions. This page will give you some ideas about how to go about this.

Note: Please review this material, even if you are a seasoned wiki user, as it contains some information specific to the guide.

Wiki Notes

The "wiki engine" we're using is MediaWiki, best known as the engine used for Wikipedia. MediaWiki is a mature, well-supported wiki engine, with a number of useful features. Some of these require careful handling, however, so we ask that you act cautiously in editing anything you aren't sure you understand.

If you are new to wikis in general and/or MediaWiki in particular, you should approach your initial editing sessions with a bit of caution. Print out a copy of the page you wish to edit, so that you know how it looked when you started. By comparing this page to the "markup text" on the editing page, you can see which markup produces which formatting effects.

Ordinary paragraph text is simple and relatively safe to edit. Links can be tricky to get right, but if they render properly and go to the right page, you're OK. Bullet lists and tables, on the other hand, can be seriously difficult to edit correctly. Finally, the mysterious incantations at the top and bottom of each Content page should be left alone (really).

If you aren't sure you know what you're doing, don't be afraid to ask for help! The BMIR staff will happily assist you with any questions. Also, bearing in mind the fact that the Guide is not part of Wikipedia, you can still find a great deal of useful information in the Wikipedia help pages.

Page Types

For our purposes, the guide is composed of four page types:

• Aggregate - used for printing, scanning, searching, etc.
• Content - used for the guide's actual content
• Discussion - used for comments, questions, etc.
• Template - used for formatting information, etc.

Aggregate Pages

Aggregate pages contain concatenated sets of Content pages. If you want to print a Chapter (or the entire Guide), an Aggregate page is your best option. In addition, by loading an Aggregate page into your browser, you will be able to scan or search the material for desired content.

It should seldom be necessary for a user to edit an Aggregate page. They should only be edited when a Content page has been added, deleted, or renamed. Any of these actions should be cleared in advance with the BMIR staff.

Content Pages

Most of the pages in the Guide are Content pages. They contain text, diagrams, etc. If you see a way that a Content page could be improved, and feel confident in making the change, please feel free to do so!

Discussion Pages

If you find that a page needs some help, but aren't exactly sure how it should be changed, use the accompanying Discussion page to add a comment or question. Just click the "discussion" tab at the top of the relevant Content page, then add your comment and save the page. Your comments won't get in the way of regular users and they may well help to make the Guide better for everyone!

Template Pages

Template pages are used for formatting information, navigational sidebars, etc.

It should seldom be necessary for a user to edit a Template page. They should only be edited when the format of the wiki needs modification or a Content page has been added, deleted, or renamed. Any of these actions should be cleared in advance with the BMIR staff.