Help:Editing: Difference between revisions

{{ombox|image=none|small=y|text='''Note''': You can use the [[Draft:Sandbox|sandbox]] to experiment with page editing.|imageright=[[File:Sandbox.svg|52px]]}}

[[Wikipedia]] is a [[wiki]], meaning anyone can edit nearly any<ref name="protection"/> page and improve articles immediately. You do not need to register to do this, and anyone who has edited is known as a ''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedians|Wikipedian]]'' or ''editor.'' Small edits add up, and every editor can be proud to have made Wikipedia better for all. There are two editing interfaces: the new [[Wikipedia:VisualEditor|VisualEditor]] (VE) and classic [[Help:Wikitext|wikitext]] editing (wiki markup), which uses the [[Help:Introduction to editing with Wiki Markup/1|Source Editor]].

{{see also|Wikipedia:FAQ/Editing|Help:Introduction to editing with VisualEditor/1}}

An [[Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Information style and tone|encyclopedic style]] with a [[Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Tone|formal tone]] is important: straightforward, [[Wikipedia:Summary style|just-the-facts]], instead of essay-like, argumentative, or opinionated. The goal of a Wikipedia article is to create a comprehensive and [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|neutrally written]] summary of existing mainstream knowledge about a topic. Wikipedia does not publish [[Wikipedia:No original research|original research]]. An encyclopedia is, by its nature, a [[tertiary source]] that provides a survey of information already published in the wider world. Ideally, all information should be [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|cited]] and [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|verifiable]] by [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources|reliable sources]]. Sourcing requirements are significantly stricter in [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|articles on living persons]].

Wikitext editing using the Source Editor is chosen by clicking the <kbd>Edit source</kbd> tab at the top of a Wikipedia page (or on a [[Help:Section|section-edit link]]). This opens an editable copy of the page, showing all the wikitext used there, and the Source Editor toolbar offers simple menu options to add or change the formatting. Wikitext is used extensively throughout Wikipedia for such things as [[Help:Link|hyperlinks]], [[Help:Table|tables]] and [[Help:Columns|columns]], [[Help:Footnotes|footnotes]], [[Wikipedia:Inline citation|inline citation]], [[Help:Special characters|special characters]] and so on. The Source Editor lets users toggle on "wikitext highlighting", which uses different colours to help differentiate article text from wikitext.

The VisualEditor option is intended as a user-friendly, "What You See Is What You Get" ([[WYSIWYG]]) editing aid, allowing one to edit pages without the need to learn wikitext markup. It is available only to registered, logged-in users through an opt-in choice that can be made in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeatures|personal preferences]]. See the [[Wikipedia:VisualEditor/User guide|VisualEditor user guide]] for more information.

The Wikipedia community has developed [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style|style guidelines]] to make articles and facts appear in a standardized form, and Wikipedia easier to use as a whole. A basic list of [[Help:Wikitext|wikitext]] can be found on the [[Help:Cheatsheet|cheatsheet]]. An "[[Help:Edit toolbar|edit toolbar]]" is provided just above the edit box (pictured below), which allows logged-in users (by selecting the option in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets|personal preferences]]) to automatically place and format various aspects of wiki code. See [[Help:Wikitext]] for more information; remember that you can't break Wikipedia; and, although there are many protocols, [[Wikipedia:Editing policy#Wikipedia is a work in progress: perfection is not required|perfection is not required]] because [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia is a work in progress|Wikipedia is a work in progress]].

When you have finished editing, you should write a short [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] in the field underneath those words (pictured below). You may use shorthand to describe your changes, as described in the [[Wikipedia:Edit summary legend|legend]]. To see how the page looks with your edits, press the "'''Show preview'''" button. To see the differences between the page with your edits and the previous version of the page, press the "'''Show changes'''" button. If you're satisfied with what you see, '''[[Wikipedia:Be bold|be bold]]''' and click on the "'''Publish changes'''" button. Your changes will immediately be visible to all Wikipedia users.

All editors are encouraged to [[Wikipedia:Be bold|be bold]] when improving articles, but there are several things that a user can do to ensure that potentially disruptive edits are performed smoothly. Before engaging in a major edit, a user should consider discussing proposed changes on the article discussion/talk page. During the edit, if doing so over an extended period, the {{tlx|in use}} tag can reduce the likelihood of an [[Help:Edit conflict|edit conflict]]. Once the edit has been completed, the inclusion of an [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] will assist in documenting the changes. These steps will help all to ensure that major edits are well received by the Wikipedia community.

There are no necessary terms to which you have to agree when doing major edits, but the preceding recommendations have become best practice. If you do it your own way, the likelihood of your edits being re-edited may be higher.

{{further|Help:Referencing for beginners|Wikipedia:Citing sources}}

{{hatnote|Introductions: [[Help:Introduction to referencing with Wiki Markup/1]] and [[Help:Introduction to referencing with VisualEditor/1]]}}

[[File:Citing sources tutorial, part 1.ogv|thumb|upright|A screencast that walks through the essentials needed in citing your sources. <small>(2:01&nbsp;min)</small>]]

{{hatnote|Introductions: [[Help:Introduction to images with Wiki Markup/1]] and [[Help:Introduction to images with VisualEditor/1]]}}

A file that is already hosted on Wikipedia or the [[Wikimedia Commons]] can be inserted with the basic code <code><nowiki>[[File:FILENAME|thumb|DESCRIPTION]]</nowiki></code>. (<code>Image:</code> can be substituted for <code>File:</code> with no change in effect; the choice between the two is purely a matter of editorial preference.) Using <code>thumb</code> generates a [[thumbnail]] of an image (the most common placement option), which is typically sized differently from the original image. The Wikimedia Commons' [[Commons:Special:UploadWizard|File Upload Wizard]] and Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:File Upload Wizard|File Upload Wizard]] will guide you through the process of submitting media. There are various file formats available.

Every article on Wikipedia has a [[Help:Talk pages|talk page]], reached by clicking the "Talk" tab just above the title (for example, [[Talk:Alexander the Great]]). There, editors can discuss improvements to the content of an article. If you ever make a change that gets [[Wikipedia:Reverting|reverted]] by another editor, discuss the change on the talk page! The [[Wikipedia:BOLD, revert, discuss cycle|BOLD, revert, discuss cycle]] is a popular method of reaching consensus. It is very important that you conduct yourself with [[Wikipedia:Civility|civility]] and [[Wikipedia:Assume good faith|assume good faith]] on the part of others. [[Wikipedia:Edit warring|Edit warring]] (repeatedly overriding or reimplementing contributions) is highly discouraged.

:Sign your contributions to a Talk page by using four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>), which produces your username and a time/date stamp.

{{further|Wikipedia:Rough guide to semi-protection|Wikipedia:Protection policy|Wikipedia:Requests for page protection|Wikipedia:Lists of protected pages}}

Some pages are [[Help:Protection|protected from editing]]. These pages have a "View&nbsp;source" tab instead of an "Edit" tab. You can still edit these pages indirectly by submitting an [[Wikipedia:Edit requests|edit request]] and an editor with permission to edit the protected page will respond to it.

To submit an edit request, click on the protected page's "View&nbsp;source" tab and then the "Submit an edit request" button at the bottom right.

{{further|Wikipedia:Simplified ruleset|Wikipedia:Simplified Manual of Style}}

Some pages are [[Wikipedia:Protection policy|protected from editing]] and marked by a lock icon at the top right. If you are not allowed to edit the page, it will have a "View&nbsp;source" instead of an "Edit" tab. You can still edit these pages indirectly by submitting an [[Wikipedia:Edit requests|edit request]]: click "View&nbsp;source", then "Submit an edit request" at the bottom right, and an editor who is authorized to edit the page will respond to your request.