So you're ready to create a new page? Or how about add a section in an existing article? Whatever the case is, if you're a newbie to Wikidot editing, then you've come to the right page!
Create a New Article
If you have an idea or a topic that does not exist in a previous article, you may decide to create a new article.
Create a page
There are two ways to create a page. One is to enter the name of the page itself on the "Add a new page" section on the side bar. The page name is also the URL of the new page, where the URL will be:
http://pgiwiki.wikidot.com/page-name/
where page-name is the name of the page supplied.
The other option is to go directly to the URL of the page to be. Upon entering an URL without a page, the wiki will present you an error that the page cannot be found, and offers an option to create the page.
Special Categories
While there is an URL categorization feature that Wikidot possess, PGIWiki does not use it mostly. However, certain pages must be placed in special categories as a means to seperate it from the rest.
Edit a Page
On every article on the site, there's a list of tabs on the bottom of each page. You can use these to edit a page. Take note, however, that some of the pages in PGIWiki are protected and cannot be modified by anyone except by the moderators and admins.
Edit
Clicking "edit" will present the source of the entire article. This is the standard way of editing.
Edit Sections
This can be accessed by clicking the "+ options" in the initial list of tabs. This will toggle the "edit" buttons for individual sections of the article. It allows you to edit a specific section of the article instead of editing the entire thing.
Append
Warning: This is NOT recommended because PGIWiki follows a standard format in each article (like the "External Links" section should always located at the end of each article). If you wish to add anything, like a new section for the page, use the normal edit function and add at the appropriate location of the article.
This can be accessed by clicking the "+ options" in the initial list of tabs. You will be presented with a blank editor, and anything you add in there will be added at the end of the article.
Rename
This can be accessed by clicking the "+ options" in the list of tabs. It renames the page name (including the category name).
Delete
This can be accessed by clicking the "+ options" in the list of tabs. It deletes the current page. Do not do this unless you're absolutely sure!
Wiki Content
The Wikidot Syntax
Whether you're creating a new page or editing an existing one, the Wikidot syntax will prove invaluable in establishing a presentable page.
Wikidot DOES NOT use MediaWiki, the same wiki engine used by the popular Wikipedia. So for editors of Wikipedia, I'm afraid you need to learn a different set of syntax for PGIWiki.
You do not need to memorize the syntax, as much of its features can be inserted using shortcuts found whilst editing a page. However, remembering some of the most commonly used syntax, such as making a word bold, will greatly aid in editing.
The official documentation of the Wikidot syntax can be found here.
Files
You can add, rename, or delete files using the "files" button in the list of tabs located at the bottom of every page. The most commonly used purpose is to upload and link images. After uploading, you can now link to it with the [[image]] function (you can also use the wizard in the editor to insert images in a page).
References
References, while not a strict requirement, is necessary to increase the accuracy and validity of an article. Linking to articles or news posts will aid in reinforcing the facts of the page.
Other Notes
WYSIWYG
The Wikidot engine has no WYSIWYG interface, unfortunately. Use the "preview" button to see how a page will turn out without actually posting the article.
Grammatical Error Detection
While the engine has a spelling error detection on the English language, it has no grammatical error detection whatsoever. For long, English articles, it is best to use word processors such as Microsoft Word to help detect grammatical errors, prior to posting the article.
Conclusion
There are much more to cover on how to edit, what I've presented are the most common and basic functions. You can view how an existing page is made by going to "view source" after clicking "+ options" which is located in the bottom of each page.
For a full course on how to use the wiki to the fullest, it is recommended that you view the Wikidot documentation, the Wikidot Handbook, and the various tutorials on the Wikidot Community site.
