Help:Add Info
Contents
- 1 How do I format text?
- 2 How do I add references?
- 3 What do I do if someone changes what I wrote?
- 4 Is there any way to keep people from editing my entries?
- 5 How do I import a large data set into the EcoliWiki?
- 6 How do I add links?
- 7 How do I add tables?
- 8 When should I use the Create new page link in the navigation bar?
- 9 How do I get an image to show up in a page?
- 10 Can I import data from an Excel spreadsheet?
- 11 How do I add categories?
- 12 How do I make suggestions?
- 13 How do I add a new plasmid, strain, gene, bioinformatic tool, etc?
- 14 How do I know if it's right?
- 15 What if my information doesn't fit in to any templates?
How do I format text?
The Mediawiki software uses formatting tags to indicate italics, bold, etc. For example, two apostrophes on either side of a word or phrase cause it to be italicized; the text ''rpoD'' will display as rpoD. You won't need to enter the tags by hand, because most of the time there will be a toolbar at the top of the editing box. Just select the word you want formatted and click on the appropriate box in the toolbar. One exception is when entering or editing information in tables. In tables the formatting tags need to be entered by hand.
| italics | ''italics'' Text is surrounded by two single quote (') marks on each side. |
| bold | '''bold''' Text is surrounded by three single quote (') marks on each side. |
| bold italics | '''''bold italics''''' Text is surrounded by five (three for bold, two for italics) single quote (') marks on each side. |
| 'italicized single quoted' | '' 'italicized single quoted' '' Put a blank space in between the marks for italics and the single quotes you want to appear in the text. |
How do I add references?
For detailed information about References in EcoliWiki, see Help: References.
What do I do if someone changes what I wrote?
This is a wiki and so the information you add to the wiki may be changed by other users, just as you may change other users' enties. If you find the correction to be inaccurate, you may discuss the subject with other users in the Notes section available below each main section, or on the Discussion page. To add a note on the same page at the bottom of the section, click the Edit link to the right of the Notes heading. To initiate or view a discussion on a particular topic, click the discussion tab located on the top left hand side of the page. To add additional comments, you can click the + to add your comment to the end of the list. OR, you may click the edit tab and type your comments there. As you can see, there are plenty of places to make your voice heard.
Is there any way to keep people from editing my entries?
Yes. When you add data to a table, you have the opportunity to select public or private. The public selection allows any registered user to change your entries, whereas the private selection allows only you and the Ecoliwiki staff to edit your entries.
How do I import a large data set into the EcoliWiki?
Contact the EcoliWiki staff at ecoliwiki@gmail.com for options about getting your data set into EcoliWiki.
How do I add links?
There are two main types of links for EcoliWiki: internal and external. Adding a link to an EcoliWiki page is done using [[link]] wiki mark-up. For example, to link to the lacZ page, the link will look like this: lacZ.
Adding links that are outside of EcoliWiki is simple. Write: [url what you want to appear]. For example, adding a link to Google would like this: [http://www.google.com link to Google] and for a usable link, look like link to Google.
How do I add tables?
EcoliWiki uses a special Table Extension for tables. For more detailed information, see Special:TableEdit
When information you want is not in EcoliWiki, you may add it using the page generator found under the Create new page link. Using the page generator is beneficial because it automatically formats the information you add using a specific template. The page generator is available for Complexes, Strains, Plasmids, Literature, Physiological Processes, Genes, Databases, and Bioinformatic Tools.
How do I get an image to show up in a page?
To add an image to a wiki page, you must first upload the image to the wiki. Click the upload file link in the toolbox on the left hand side of your browser window underneath the search bar. You may type in the file pathway or click browse to find the file. Write a summary of the image, and click the Upload File button.
Once an image is in the wiki, go back to the page where you want to add the image; click Edit and type [[Image:File.jpg]] where File.jpg is the name of the file you uploaded. Click the Save button to save the image to the wiki.
You can see more information at Help:Images.
Can I import data from an Excel spreadsheet?
No. We are working on creating a way to do that, but that option is currently unavailable.
How do I add categories?
Categories are ways of grouping pages together by some common thread. To add a page to a category page, you'll need to know the category you want to add your page to. Once you know the Category, use the following wiki mark-up to add the category:[[Category:Name of Category]].
How do I make suggestions?
There are two ways to make suggestions to the EcoliWiki staff. Click on the Suggestions subheading under the main heading and you will be taken to the Suggestions page. Click the + tab or the edit tab at the top of the page and let us have it. The other way to do this is to email the Ecoliwiki staff at ecoliwiki@gmail.com. Either option will get your suggestions to us.
How do I add a new plasmid, strain, gene, bioinformatic tool, etc?
For adding a new item, click on the Create new page link on the left-hand side of the page. Find the appropriate heading for the information you want to add in the Page_Generator and click either the Create or Edit buttons.
How do I know if it's right?
You can't break the wiki. If you're unsure of the formatting, markup, etc. someone else can fix it. Email the Ecoliwiki staff at ecoliwiki@gmail.com and inform them of your concern. The staff will then format the page.
What if my information doesn't fit in to any templates?
If you find that the pre-existing categories don't apply to your information, search for the information in the search box at the left and click the Create this page link and you can edit the page however you would like. You may also email the EcoliWiki staff at ecoliwiki@gmail.com add ask a staffer to create a template for you.
