Editing User:TheAstorPastor/ Basic Guide to Editing

'''MediaWiki''' is wiki software, released under the GPL, that is used by Wikimedia projects as well as other websites. It is an implementation of a '''wiki''', a content pool that anyone can freely edit. Test Wiki runs on the very same software, MediaWiki 1.41.1 which is the latest stable version. 

== Basic Guide to Editing ==
This guide will walk you through the basics of editing a page

=== 1. '''Creating an Account''' ===
'''Step 1:''' Navigate to the [[Main Page]] of Test Wiki.

'''Step 2:''' Click on the "Create account" link found at the top right of the page.

'''Step 3:''' Fill out the required fields, such as username, password, and email.

'''Step 4:''' Complete any additional verification steps, such as CAPTCHA, if required, and submit your information.

=== 2. '''Logging In''' ===
'''Step 1:''' Click the "Log in" link at the top right of the page.

'''Step 2:''' Enter your username and password.

'''Step 3:''' Click "Log in."

=== '''3. Navigating to a Page''' ===
'''Step 1:''' Use the search bar at the top right to find the page you want to edit. Here we will edit the page "[[Test page]]"

'''Step 2:''' Click on the page title from the search results to open it.

=== '''4. Editing a Page''' ===
'''Step 1:''' Click the "Edit" tab at the top of the page.

'''Step 2:''' You will enter the edit mode, where you can modify the content of the page.

* '''Visual Editor:''' A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that resembles a word processor.
* '''Source Editor:''' Allows you to edit the raw wikitext.

=== 5. '''Basic Editing in Visual Editor''' ===
'''Editing Text:''' Click on the text you want to edit and start typing.

'''Formatting Text:'''

* '''Bold:''' Select the text and click the "B" icon.
* '''Italic:''' Select the text and click the "I" icon.
* '''Headings:''' Use the "Paragraph" dropdown to select different heading levels.

* '''Adding Links:'''
*# '''Internal Links:''' Highlight the text, click the link icon, and type the page name.
*# '''External Links:''' Highlight the text, click the link icon, select "External site," and enter the URL.
* '''Inserting Images:''' Click the "Insert" dropdown, choose "Media," and select or upload an image.

=== 6. '''Basic Editing in Source Editor''' ===
'''Editing Text:''' Directly modify the wikitext by typing in the source editor.

'''Formatting Text:'''

* '''Bold:''' Enclose text in triple apostrophes (<code><nowiki>'''bold'''</nowiki></code>).
* '''Italic:''' Enclose text in double apostrophes (<code><nowiki>''italic''</nowiki></code>).
* '''Headings:''' Use equals signs (<code>=</code>) around the text (<code>== Heading 2 ==</code>).

* '''Adding Links:'''
*# '''Internal Links:''' Use double square brackets (<code><nowiki>[[PageName]]</nowiki></code>).
*# '''External Links:''' Use single square brackets with the URL and text (<code><nowiki>[http://example.com link text]</nowiki></code>).
* '''Inserting Images:''' Use the <code><nowiki>[[File:Filename.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt text|Caption]]</nowiki></code> syntax.

=== 7. '''Saving Your Changes''' ===
'''Step 1:''' Once you are done with your edits, click the "Save changes" button.

'''Step 2:''' Add a brief summary of your changes in the "Edit summary" box.

'''Step 3:''' If it's a minor edit, you can check the "This is a minor edit" box.

'''Step 4:''' Click "Save changes" to submit your edit.

=== 8. '''Previewing Your Changes''' ===
'''Step 1:''' Before saving, click the "Show preview" button to see how your changes will look.

'''Step 2:''' Review the preview and make any necessary adjustments.

'''Step 3:''' Once satisfied, save your changes.

=== 9. '''Discussion and Collaboration''' ===
'''Step 1:''' To discuss a page, go to its "Talk" page by clicking the "Discussion" tab.

'''Step 2:''' Add your comments or questions and sign your post by typing <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code> (four tildes).

=== 10. '''Tracking Changes''' ===
'''Recent Changes:''' Use the "Recent changes" link in the sidebar to monitor edits across the wiki.

'''Watchlist:''' Add pages to your watchlist by clicking the star icon at the top of the page to receive notifications of changes.