Wiki Usage

Wiki is a platform for working together on constructing web pages. The principles are simple.

  • A text is written and saved.
  • Later, another person may read that text and think of some additions or corrections that could be made. They choose "Edit" and make their changes to the page.
  • After saving their new version, it is available globally.

With a wiki, it is also easily possible to add a page or link to existing pages.

  • A link is created by a WikiWord. This is one word with at least two capital letters. If a page with this name already exist, it will be linked automatically, if not, it will be displayed with a question mark.
  • Clicking on this question mark, will start a new blank page with that name, ready to edit.

Wiki formatting rules

Paragraphs

  • separate paragraphs inside the text with empty lines
  • use three percent signs %%% to enforce a line break
  • if you prepend text with spaces or tabs it will get indented

!! Headlines

  • use an exclamation mark ! at the beginning of a line to create a small headline
  • !! for medium
  • !!! for large headlines

Text style

  • if you want to emphasize text enclose it in two single-quotes '' (usually looks italic)
  • text gets bold with two underscores __ (or if enclosed with two asterisks **)
  • to make text big enclose it in hash characters ##
  • you can get smaller text using "µµ" likewise
  • a typewrite like font will be used if you enclose text in two equal == signs

Lists

  • start a line with an asterisk * to begin a list
  • use # instead for numerated lists
    1. you can create sublists
    2. subsequent list points should start with the same mix of * and #

HyperLinks

  • just enter a WikiWord inside your text to create a new hyper link
  • enclose some words in [square brackets] to create a HyperLink inside the WikiWikiWeb which is not made up of a valid WikiWord
  • any valid internet address (starting with http:/) like http://www.example.com/ inside the text will be made clickable automatically
  • enclose a www address or a WikiLink inside square brackets and assign it a neat title using quotation marks or the | character
    • [title | http://example.com]
    • [WikiWord "title"] or ["title for" WikiLink]
  • if you don't want a WikiWord or a http://www-address (or [anything] inside square brackets) to become a HyperLink then just prepend it with a exclamation mark or a tilde
    • !NoHyperLink, ~NoHyperLink
    • ![no hyperlink], !http://nolink.org/

Tables with |

| just enclose | things with the dash | character |
| to build a | table structure |
| browsers usually | leave out the missing | cells |

Please always put an empty line before and after a table, so it stands out from other text in its own paragraph.

Pictures

  • to include an image into a page enclose its absolute www-address in square brackets, like [http://www.example.com/pics/image.png]
  • alternatively you could use the image uploading function.

Further readings

There are more possibilities for Wiki mark-up. Please consult the Erfurt Wiki Homepage for more information.

Index of all help files



Discaimer: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The presentation reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.