The International Simutrans Forum

Tutorial: How to... Create a Wiki-Article

This tutorial will guide you through the process of writing a wiki article and thus helping other Simutrans players. Don't fear, it's easier than you think!

First, visit the official Simutrans Wiki at http://wiki.simutrans-germany.com. You may want to register for a new account, so choose your nickname and p****word.

Once you have chosen the topic you want to write about, think of how you are going to write. Perhaps you may want to create a pre-version in a (simple) text editor like gedit etc. (Linux), Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).

When you're quite happy with your solution, open the Simutrans Wiki (http://wiki.simutrans-germany.com). At the frontpage, you'll see three links, one to the English, one to the German and one to the Swedish Wiki section. Choose your preferred language at next. You can do this by clicking the button on the top of the page (see picture).

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/1.png)

Next, you'll need to create a new page in order to start writing. To do so, have a look at the left column of the wiki. Look for the box which says 'create/edit a wiki page' (the eighth entry from top). Enter either the name for the new article (if you're going to post an article which does not exist so far) or the (exact) name of an already existing page to be prompted to edit it. If you want to edit an article but don't know its exact name, don't worry: Just start typing the topic and there will be suggestions made while typing.

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/2.png)

Once you have submit the name for a new article, you will be prompted to a page where you have to select the language in which your article will be. Do so, and click on 'choose language' when you're done.

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/3.png)

The first thing you might want to do is to set the headline for your article so the user get to know the topic. In the editing page, just click the 'H1' button. There will be something like '!text' appearing in your text box. Just remove the 'text' (don't remove the exclamation mark!) and type your heading. Alternatively, just enter an exclamation mark into the textbox followed by your heading - remember not to make a space between the exclamation mark and your heading, otherwise it won't be recognized as a headline. This is how it will look like:

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/4.png)

Later you may want to use sub-headings. For sub-headings just click on the 'H2' and 'H3' buttons or type '!!' for heading n°2 or '!!!' for heading n°3.

Now you can start filling your text into the box. You may use the other buttons for additional formatting. Because they're almost self-explaining, I won't show you their function in detail. Just a short overview. I'll start from top-left continuing until bottom-right.

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/5.png)

• 'B' => Set a word to be printed in bold letters. Instead of clicking, you may want to use the syntax '___text___' for faster progress.
• 'I' => Set a word to be printed in italic letters. Alternative version: type '''text''' (two quotation marks).
• 'S' => 'Strikethrough'. Use it to mark a section as deleted or wrong. Click the button or just type '--text--'.
• colour palette n°1 => Use the first palette to set the text colour. If you click on this palette, there will be a list opening that shows you which coulours are available. Alternative: use '~~#CC6:text~~' to have your text shown in the colour defined as #CC6.
• colour palette n°2 => Use the second palette to set the background colour. There will be a list of the colours, too. Use   '~~black,#99C:text~~' to have black letters on a #99C-coloured background.
• picture => Use the picture button to add pictures to your article. This may be very useful because it shows (e.g.) the position of a button directly on a game window ('a picture says a thousand words') By clicking this window, you will be able to choose the location of your picture and define the appearance.    How to upload a picture? See below.
• The next two icons will make you able to look for specific text blocks (first icon) and replace them with another one (second icon).
• Do you need special characters in your text? Click on the next icon to be shown a list of all available special characters.
• There's also a possibility to have smilies in an article, but (personally) I don't like this feature - if I use it, only when commenting.
• The button on the very right gives you more help.

Let's move on to the next row.

• 'H1' to 'H3' => As already said above, the next three icons make you able to choose different headlines. Use 'H1' for main headlines only.
• The next three icons give you the possibility to make your text appear either centered, bound to the left or the right, respectively.
• Often there's a need for lists in an article. To do so, use the next two buttons. You can choose between a simple 'ordered' list and a numbered one.
• It is possible to embed Flash or HTML elements into your article. Use the next two buttons to do so.
• Then, another important feature: the table builder. When clicking on it, another window will open where you can add more columns (by clicking on the green 'plus' buttons) and enter your texts.
• If you want to enter code, use the last button in the second row. Another window opens where you can select the text attributes.
• The very right button will make you able to edit your text in fullscreen-mode. This is very helpful for longer texts.
• In the third row, the first two buttons add a table of contents to your article which makes it easier for the reader to navigate through your text. By clicking on the first button, the book, '{toc}' will appear. This will create a table of contents (toc) showing up the structures you used on this page. Don't change anything, it will automatically detect the headlines you used and show them up in a user-friendly way. Use the next button to have a table of contents presenting the different headlines (remember the '!' and the '!!') you used to the user.
• 'BR' => this will add a linebreak to your text.
• The next button will add no linebreak but a pagebreak.
• Next, you'll be able to link to other pages for further information. The fist link button is to provide interwiki-links. Once clicked, another window will open up where you can set the link destination and so on.
• The button right to the interwiki-link one is for external links. Set its destination in a pop-up window that will open by clicking on the icon.
• Did you write a very long article? No problem, you can provide easy access to the top of the page (and, e.g., the table of contents) by adding such a link. Just click on the icon with the arrow on it.
• Finally, the next two buttons make you able to add other page's content to this very page.

Maybe you've already noticed the other tabs available at the top of the button bar.

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/6.png)

• 'Edit Page' => That's where you can edit your text.
• 'Categories' => Set and manage the categories your text belongs to.
• 'Tools' => Lock your article, allow/disallow commenting, upload files and much more.
• 'Properties' => Set properties of your article, e.g. the language, and write a short description.

Before submitting your article, press the 'Preview' button which will make you able to correct mistakes before placing your article in the web.

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1709823/tut_wiki/7.png)

At the bottom of the input box, you can enter a summary of the changes you made, upload pictures and several things more.

That's it! Now you've learned the basics of wiki syntax. For further information, visit the Tikiwiki homepage at http://doc.tikiwiki.org/tiki-index.php or ask our friendly members!

I hope I have encouraged you to help writing the documentation of Simutrans. Don't fear, write! ;)

________________________
What do you think of this tutorial? Spotted any mistakes? Let me know!

EDIT: I wrote this Tutorial because of a posting Frank made at Hajo's Funkelwerk-Forum:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=317.msg1129#msg1129 (http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=317.msg1129#msg1129) (in German)

________________________
EDIT: @Frank, thanks, I fixed the TOC-section

Just wanted to add that even if today there is only a wiki "root" for Swedish, English and German, this does not in any way mean that pages only are welcome in those languages. Write in whatever language you prefer, and if you feel the need for a wiki root for your preferred language ask Frank or me and we can set one up.

Currently most pages have a name that starts with the language abbreviation followed by an underscore; f ex pages written in Swedish start with sv_, in German with de_ and English en_. I think it is a good idea to continue this naming practice.

(http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/pics/icons/book.png) show a TOC from structure, from this page
code: {toc}

(http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/img/icons/float.gif) show a TOC from headlines on the page
code: {maketoc}

TOC = table of content

Thanks, I fixed that.

(http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/img/icons/book.gif) shows items from translate tracker (http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-view_tracker.php?trackerId=2)

this Tracker lists common texts

code: {TRAFD(fields=>SprachID,filtervalue=>TextID)}{TRAFD}

SprachID = listed in the tables on this page (http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=de_TranslateTracker)

TextID = column Id in the translate tracker (http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-view_tracker.php?trackerId=2)


(http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/img/icn/pagetop.gif)(http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/img/icons/pagetop.gif) show a top link to the page

code: {ALINK(aname=tiki_top)}{TRAFD(fields=>9,filtervalue=>1)}{TRAFD}{ALINK}

default language is English ( fields=>9 ) and show Top

I think this was needed at Simutrans Tikiwiki as well, so I create http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=en_TikiwikiEditing and added the content from this tutorial. I have not included the changes proposed by Frank that has not been incorporated.