User:BadCatMan/Quick Start Guide

The Quick Start Guide helps new editors get started on the Forgotten Realms Wiki.

Getting Started
We recommend new editors start by making minor changes: fixing a typo here or grammar error there, making a link, or later adding a little lore or a source to an existing article. This helps you get used to the editing programs, wiki code, article style, and our practices. With more experience, you might want to make a new page, but consider starting on small topics that let you focus on formatting, citations, infoboxes, and categories. With lots of experience, you'll be a regular editor already and might consider major projects, with long pages, groups of related pages, and additional features. And take it slow! We've seen too many new editors start hard and burn out or take on a huge project they can't finish, then disappear. Small steps and a slow pace are best.

Correcting or Expand an Existing Article
This is something you can do while reading articles and you see an error that needs fixing or know something that can be added. Just go to the Edit button in the top-right corner of the page. Clicking it will default to the VisualEditor (see below for the editing programs). The drop-down menu beside it will give other options:
 * Classic editor: Choose the Classic or Source editor.
 * History: The page's revision history (not covered here)
 * Rename: For moving or renaming a page (leave this for experienced editors).
 * Talk: The Talk page, for discussing issues with the page. The number in brackets is the number of messages. If you're unsure about an issue, discuss it here. This is edited just like a normal page.

In the editing window, simply make the changes and then click Save. It will then ask you to fill in the Summary. Saying what you did and why will help other editors check and follow up on your change.

If you're using the Classic/Source or Rich-Text editors, you'll find the Edit Summary on the right-hand side. You can also use Preview to see how the finished page will look on Mobile and Desktop screens; use this to see if your change works or not before you publish.

Choosing Your Editor
Fandom offers three different editing programs: If you have an account with Fandom and are logged in, you can set your preferred/default editor through Preferences, which changes the function of the Edit button.
 * VisualEditor: The default. The page appears as normal, but can be typed in and has word-processing options and other features. You can click a link to change its destination or click the infobox to fill in the entries. The VisualEditor is good for basic corrections and additions, but it does not function well with templates (e.g., citations and infoboxes). It often trips new editors up, so take care and consider using another program for complex changes. See Help:VisualEditor for details.
 * Classic/Source Editor: The original, like the one used by Wikipedia. This shows the wiki markup code used on the page. The code is simple, even simpler than forum codes, and you'll quickly see how a wiki article is formed. This is best for inserting templates. Many experienced wiki editors prefer it. See Help:Classic editor for details.
 * Classic Rich-Text Editor: Only available through Preferences. Mostly like VisualEditor, it lets you switch between Visual and Source views. However, this is even less useful for templates.

FRW admins recommend the Source Editor even for new users. It's easy to use and the best way to learn wiki code while making few errors.

New Articles
Before making a new page, look at an existing page, preferably one in good shape and similar to what you want to create. Have a look at how it is arranged and examine the wiki code to see how it works. You might even use the code as a template for your new page.