Help:Editing Wikisource

The most basic wiki feature is the 'edit' tab. With a few exceptions, you can edit every page on Wikisource. The Sandbox exists solely for tests, so feel free to use it to experiment. By the nature of Wikisource, original texts should not be changed, except for correcting errors. However, you are welcome to add new primary source texts or complete current ones.

[edit] Basic editing

When you click edit at the top of a page, you'll find yourself in the 'edit view'. The box contains the text and code of the page; make any changes you think improve the page. Below the edit box, you'll find the insert box. Click on a symbol inside this box to automatically insert it into the edit box where you last placed your cursor.

Once you're done, please write a brief summary of your changes in the edit summary box. The summary can be very descriptive or very terse, as you see fit; for example, other editors will understand that the edit summary "typo" means you made a minor spelling or punctuation correction. Accurate edit summaries are considered good etiquette, and leaving it blank will invite careful scrutiny of your edits from other editors.

If it's a very minor change, you can mark it as minor by checking the appropriate box below the edit summary. This feature is only available to registered users. It's possible to hide minor edits in the recent changes list. Note that marking an obviously major edit as minor is widely considered bad behaviour. If you accidentally mark a major edit as minor, make a trivial edit to the page (like changing one space) and write "the previous edit was not minor" or some such in the edit summary.

A very useful feature to use before saving is the Show preview button. This will show you the page exactly as it will appear after you save, so it's a good way to proofread or make sure everything is working correctly. The Show changes button will provide a side-by-side comparison of revisions with highlighted differences.

Once you're done, click the Save page to save your edits. The new version of the page will be visible immediately.

[edit] Wiki markup

Wikisource uses a special syntax called Wikitext or Wiki markup to do nearly anything in articles. Wiki markup is especially designed to be easy to use.

[edit] Basic formatting

Text can be emphasised by surrounding it with apostrophes.

• ''italicised text'' (Double apostrophes.)
• '''emboldened text''' (Triple apostrophes.)
• '''''italicised and emboldened text''''' (Quintuple apostrophes.)

[edit] Headings

Headings (Such as "Headings" above) are used to divide a page into sections.

• = First-level heading = (Should almost never be used, equivalent to the page title at the top of this page.)
• == Second-level heading == (The most common heading level, equivalent to "Wiki markup" above.)
• === Third-level heading === (A subsection - the word "Headings" above this passage is a third-level heading.)
• ==== Fourth-level heading ==== (A sub-subsection.)
• ===== Fifth-level heading =====

[edit] Lists

[edit] Unnumbered lists

Lists, such as an author's works, can be given in simple point form using asterisks. The following is an unnumbered list:

• * Item 1
• * Item 2
• * Item 3

[edit] Numbered lists

Lists that require a definite sequence - such as steps in assembling furniture - can be created using the hash mark or octotrophe (#); the following list is numbered to illustrate:

1. # Item 1
2. # Item 2
3. # Item 3

[edit] Links

You can easily insert links to a page on Wikisource, on another wiki, or on the Internet.

• [[wikilink]] (Link to a page on Wikisource by surrounding the page in double square brackets. You can also create a link to another page using text other than the page title: [[wikilink|click here]].)
• [http://example.org] (Link to a page on the Internet by surrounding the URL with single square brackets. Doing so will create a bracketed number resembling [1]. You can link using text by adding a space after the URL followed by the desired text: [http://example.org click here]. Caveat)
• For advanced help concerning interwiki, interlanguage (and interwiki-interlanguage) links, see interwiki linking on the Meta-Wiki.

[edit] Categories

• [[Category:Category name]] (Add the current page to a category if you know which category it belongs to.) If you want to create a link to a category, use the following format [[:Category:Category name]]. Note that there is a colon (:) before the word "category."
• For advanced Category help, see Help:Category on the Meta-Wiki.

[edit] Advanced

See m:Help:Editing for advanced help.