This quick start guide will help you learn how editing works on a wiki. This guide is specially aimed at absolute beginners. Once you finish reading this, you'll be more than ready to edit articles. Don't feel the need to memorize everything on this guide though – just come back to it when you need a quick reminder. You can learn about more advanced features in other places, but you shouldn't need them most of the time.
The examples in this page explain what you must write in order to get the desired outcome. MediaWiki formatting is meant to be intuitive, so if you use common sense, you can probably achieve what you want. When in doubt, consult this page, and if there are things you still don't know how to do, then check the other help pages, learn from an article that does what you want, or ask on the chatroom.
Introduction
If you want to fix a typo, add info, or change text, you will have to edit the article.
To edit, open the article you want, and click "edit" at the top of the screen. A text box will then appear with the article's contents.
Basic editing
Any normal text you type or change will end up exactly as you wrote it.
| What you write | What you get |
|---|---|
This is some normal article text. This is another line. |
This is some normal article text. This is another line. |
You might find some other characters that don't make sense as normal text, though. These are explained further ahead.
After you make your changes, press "Save page", which is below the content text box, and the article will be instantly updated. You don't have to, but it would be nice if you would use the "Show preview" button first, to see how the article will end up, just to make sure you didn't make any mistakes (remember that this does not save yet!). You should also write a quick summary (e.g. "Fixed a typo." or "Added information about pellets.") so that people can know what you did more easily.
Sections
An article is split into sections. A list of sections can be found on the table of contents at the start of any article. You can create sections like so:
| What you write | What you get |
|---|---|
== Control types == This section explains the control types. === Classic === This sub-section explains the classic controls. === Stylus === This one explains the stylus control scheme. |
Control types This section explains the control types. Classic This sub-section explains the classic controls. Stylus This one explains the stylus control scheme. |
Special content
But what if you want text in bold, or a list? Just follow the section that corresponds to what you need. Remember that if you want to combine the effects, just combine the rules (e.g. ''[[Pikmin 2]]'' for a link + italics.)
Bold and italics
| What you write | What you get |
|---|---|
This is '''some text''' in bold. Also, game names, like ''Pikmin 3'', should be in italics. |
This is some text in bold. Also, game names, like Pikmin 3, should be in italics. |
Links
| What you write | What you get |
|---|---|
On [[The Distant Spring]] there is an [[Smoky Progg|optional boss]] for quick players. |
On The Distant Spring there is an optional boss for quick players. |
Images
| What you write | What you get |
|---|---|
[[File:RedPikmin.png|thumb|A Red Pikmin.]] |
File:RedPikmin.png A Red Pikmin. |
| Advanced example | |
|---|---|
| What you write | What you get |
[[File:Blue Pikmin.png|thumb|right|A right-aligned image.]]
There is an image to the right of this text.
{{clear}}
This text should appear below the image.
|
There is an image to the right of this text. This text should appear below the image. |
Lists
| What you write | What you get |
|---|---|
* Hocotatians ** Olimar ** Louie ** The President * Koppaites ** Alph ** Brittany ** Charlie |
|
Templates
In simple terms, when you write the name of a template, it expands into an entire box, or table, or what have you. If said box/table/etc. has any fields, you can fill them out when you call the template's name. Read the corresponding template's page in order to learn more about how that specific template works.
| What you write | What you get | ||
|---|---|---|---|
{{stub}}
|
| ||
{{stub|This example is too small.}}
|
|
Talk pages
You can discuss an article on its "talk page". To access it, click the "discussion" button at the top of the respective page.
Just type your text in the appropriate place in order to post a comment. After you write it, add ~~~~ at the end, so people know that it was you that wrote that. Finally, if you want to reply to somebody, write your message under their message, and add a colon (:) before your text, so that it becomes aligned with their response. If their comment already has some colons, then add the same number of colons + 1.
Creating a new page
There are several ways, but the easiest is to go on the search feature, type the exact name of the page you want to create, and then you'll get a warning saying how that page does not exist, along with a link suggesting you to create it. Click that, and you're all set.
Final thoughts
When editing, try to use clean English, be consistent with your style, don't go crazy, and write the truth. Basically, write what you'd see on a US school book that explains everything about Pikmin. And keep in mind that help is always around the corner.
If you still want more information, read the other help pages; if not, then you're probably ready to jump right in and start helping!