Help:Namespaces - Revision history

Mac Fife: Move table, add note on what happens if a colon is used in a page name

2010-02-01T13:22:45Z

Move table, add note on what happens if a colon is used in a page name

Mac Fife: Namespace moved to Help:Namespaces: Improve structuring

2010-02-01T12:53:13Z

Namespace moved to Help:Namespaces: Improve structuring

Mac Fife: Add page categories

2010-02-01T09:37:42Z

Add page categories

Mac Fife: New page - description of namespaces

2010-02-01T09:36:31Z

New page - description of namespaces

New page

{{help}}
The concept of "namespaces" can be confusing to new wiki users. However, the good news is that for the most part you can ignore them! The following description is an attempt to explain namespaces for those with an interest or with a particular need to know more about them.

You can consider namespaces to be a way of differentiating between "types" of article withing the wiki. Pages or articles can have a specific role or purpose, and namespaces are a way of showing that. By default, a wiki defines a list of basic namespaces:

{|style="clear:both; width:80%; margin-left:20px" border=1
|-
!Name, linked to list of all such pages
!Notes
|-
|"{{ns:-2}}"
|pseudo-namespace for images and other files themselves, as opposed to the image description pages; see also below
|-
|"{{ns:-1}}"
|pseudo-namespace for special pages (list: [[Special:SpecialPages]])
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=0}} main]
|main namespace, no prefix, or optionally a colon (this is needed when using the page as a template)
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=1}} {{ns:1}}]
|see [[Using Discussion|Talk page]] for this and the following odd-numbered namespaces
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=2}} {{ns:2}}]
|registered users (list: [[Special:ListUsers]]) have a user homepage User:''username'' (linked to by the system from user names in lists of edits, e.g. on page histories, and from signatures on talk pages); this and subpages of it can be used to present oneself, for project-related bookmarks, and for drafts, tests, and other working material. One can put here material to give oneself one-step access to it from any page in the same project, and one can put here links to give oneself two-step access to the link targets from any page in the same project as the user page.
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=3}} {{ns:3}}]
| 
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=4}} {{ns:4}}]
|the project namespace for matters ''about'' the project, such as guidelines and discussions; see also the Help namespace
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=5}} {{ns:5}}]
| 
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=6}} {{ns:6}}]
|images and other uploaded files, with image description pages (list: [[Special:ImageList]])
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=7}} {{ns:7}}]
| 
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=8}} {{ns:8}}]
|system messages (list: [[Special:AllMessages]]), editable by users, or if protected, by sysops
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=9}} {{ns:9}}]
| 
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=10}} {{ns:10}}]
|the default namespace for [[Page_Creation_Tools#Templates|template]]s: the wikitext code <nowiki>{{</nowiki>''name'' }} refers to and includes the page Template:''name''
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=11}} {{ns:11}}]
| 
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=12}} {{ns:12}}]
|typically used for the MediaWiki User's Guide.
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=13}} {{ns:13}}]
| 
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=14}} {{ns:14}}]
|each page (list: [[Special:Categories]]) represents a [[Page Categories|category]] of pages, with each category page displaying a list of pages in that category and optional additional text.
|-
|[{{fullurl:Special:Allpages|namespace=15}} {{ns:15}}]
| 
|}

Most user created articles will go in the default "Main" namespace, so no special action needs to be taken when creating or referencing the page. Referencing a page in a specific non-default namespace such as the main [[Help:Contents|Help Contents page]] for the wiki requires the namespace to be stated followed by a colon then the page name:
<code><nowiki>Help:Contents</nowiki></code>. Because a colon is used to delimit between a namespace and the page title, it is best to avoid [[Page Titling|using colons in page titles]].

If you need to create a page in a specific namespace, such as adding to the "help" files for the site, then you need to specify the namespace; you can either place a link in another page to your new page, such as <code><nowiki>[[Help:My New Page|More help]]</nowiki></code> and then follow the link to add the content, or you can enter <code>Help:My New Page</code> in the Search box in the wiki's navigation panel (left side of page) then follow the red link at the very top of the search results page.

It is important not to confuse namespaces with [[Page Categories|categories]]: A page will '''always''' exist within '''one single namespace''', but it may belong to '''any number of categories'''. Namespaces are defined within the wiki software configuration, while categories may be defined and added by the users.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 The concept of "namespaces" can be confusing to new wiki users. However, the good news is that for the most part you can ignore them! The following description is an attempt to explain namespaces for those with an interest or with a particular need to know more about them.
-You can consider namespaces to be a way of differentiating between "types" of article withing the wiki. Pages or articles can have a specific role or purpose, and namespaces are a way of showing that. By default, a wiki defines a list of basic namespaces:
+You can consider namespaces to be a way of differentiating between "types" of article withing the wiki. Pages or articles can have a specific role or purpose, and namespaces are a way of showing that. By default, a wiki defines a list of basic namespaces, which are listed at the bottom of this item.
@@ Line 66: / Line 78: @@
 <!-- Categories go here -->
 [[Category:Help]]
 [[Category:Documentation]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:37, 1 February 2010
Line 72:		Line 72:

	It is important not to confuse namespaces with [[Page Categories\|categories]]: A page will '''always''' exist within '''one single namespace''', but it may belong to '''any number of categories'''. Namespaces are defined within the wiki software configuration, while categories may be defined and added by the users.		It is important not to confuse namespaces with [[Page Categories\|categories]]: A page will '''always''' exist within '''one single namespace''', but it may belong to '''any number of categories'''. Namespaces are defined within the wiki software configuration, while categories may be defined and added by the users.
		+	<!-- Categories go here -->
		+	[[Category:Help]]
		+	[[Category:Documentation]]

← Older revision	Revision as of 12:53, 1 February 2010
(No difference)