Project:Support desk/Sections/Formatting

__NEWSECTIONLINK__ = Formatting Support =

(RESOLVED) Including Wiki article inside the Sidebar

 * MediaWiki version: 1.13.2
 * PHP version: 5.2.5 (apache2handler)
 * MySQL version: 4.1.20
 * URL: http://www.reunionblues.com/tourguide/index.php/

We want to be able to include a wiki article in the sidebar but I can't seem to find the answer to how we can do it. I created a custom namespace and want to include as { { :Item:Products } } but it will not translate to the wiki article. I tried installing DynamiSkin thinking we can use a normal wiki article as the sidebar, but it appears to have a similar problem with including a seperate wiki article. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

—Cognizance 23:16, 3 November 2008 (UTC)


 * See Manual:Interface/Sidebar for how to add new links to the sidebar. -- :bdk: 04:40, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

(RESOLVED) Importing templates
I am looking to import templates from wikipedia because I like certian articles on there. In order to use them, I obviously need some of these templates, or there are massive formatting issues. I don't understand how to copy templates, or to use templates from wikipedia and put them in my wiki.
 * MediaWiki version: 1.5.8
 * PHP version: 5.2.6 (apache2handler)
 * MySQL version: 5.0.51b-community-nt
 * URL:

I don't have an address to give because it is for an intranet. Any help on how to do this would work.

For example, I am trying to get the wiki page on Fallout 3 from wikipedia into my mediawiki wiki. If I were to just copy and paste, I got major formatting issues.

Any help would be awesome. Thanks

—Tallysaturdaynightspecial 02:28, 11 November 2008 (UTC) Guessswho


 * The article Fallout 3 uses several templates. If you want the copied text being displayed exactly the same as on Wikipedia, you have to copy all the templates, you have to copy relevant parts from en:MediaWiki:Common.css, and you have to install Extension:ParserFunctions to make some of the templates work at all (if you haven't done that yet). There might be other issues too, but those are the basics. -- :bdk: 04:40, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

(RESOLVED) Backlink not highlighted using note template

 * MediaWiki version: 1.6.8
 * PHP version: 5.2.6 (apache2handler)
 * MySQL version: 5.0.67-log
 * URL: Intranet

I'm trying to use ref - note templates on our Wiki. It works fine however I've noticed that in english Wikipedia the backlink is highlighted. It doesn't work for me. Additionally I've made a test in polish Wikipedia and it doesn't work there either. What is missing there?

Below I'm providing a short test and it looks that it doesn't work also here - the backlink is not highlighted.

test1

Footnotes:

^ test

—Tomdzio 21:15, 12 November 2008 (UTC)


 * You have to copy the needed styles from en:MediaWiki:Common.css first (search for Highlight clicked reference in blue to help navigation there). -- :bdk: 04:40, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

How can i change the width of the texarea input fields used for editing pages?

 * MediaWiki 1.13.2
 * PHP 5.2.0-8+etch13.1 (cgi-fcgi)
 * MySQL 5.0.32-Debian_7etch8-log
 * URL:

Its currently breaking my style. The default width is col=80, can i change that somehow, or should i use the stylesheet to change it?

—84.114.140.251 11:04, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

(RESOLVED) Infoboxes

 * MediaWiki version: 1.13.2
 * PHP version: 5.2.5 (cgi)
 * MySQL version: 5.0.67-community
 * URL: www.wiki.unholy-drilidan.com

When i add the following code;

It just says Template:Infobox how exactly do i make it show a infobox?

—92.19.132.212 20:35, 19 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Did you copy the Template:Infobox itself and the needed infobox CSS from en:MediaWiki:Common.css? (I guess you simply copied an article text from Wikipedia to your wiki.) -- :bdk: 04:40, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

Tables not aligned and not using formatting from common.css

 * MediaWiki version: 1.12.0
 * PHP version: 5.2.6
 * MySQL version: 5.0.51
 * URL: http://www.lingwiki.com

I was working on my site as normal last night, and everything was displaying just fine. I came back this morning and suddenly the infoboxes are not aligning on the right like they're supposed to, and only explicitly stated table code is doing anything, as can be seen here. The last time my wiki went from working perfectly one moment to absolutely screwing up the next was when I last updated the Wiki software back in May; worked fine for two days, then I tried to continue where I left off before going to work when I got back and suddenly it refused to connect to the database, costing me 2 years and 20,000 pages worth of stuff to date at the time. Things are finally starting to gel again, but now...more randomness? I've checked the log to see if anyone has edited Common.css or any of the box templates recently, which they haven't. I've resaved Common.css to reassert it, nothing. I've cleared the cache, nothing. I'm out of options and feeling just a slight bit paranoid at the moment...

—71.198.127.97 15:03, 26 November 2008 (UTC)

Template help

 * MediaWiki version: 1.11.2
 * PHP version: 5.1.6
 * MySQL version: 5.0.45
 * URL: http://dubyapedia.wiki-site.com/index.php/Main_Page

I just made a Wiki on wiki-site.org. I'm trying to use source from Wikipedia itself and I am having a problem with the template. How can I can go about installing the template on my site?

—Daniel Musto 01:31, 1 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Please be more accurate. What kind of "problem" do you have? Which Wikipedia template are you talking about? -- :bdk: 04:40, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

Need help on adjusting the portlets to the top on monobook template

 * MediaWiki version: 1.13.2
 * PHP version: 5.2.5
 * MySQL version: 5.0.51
 * URL: on localhost so no url

Im using the monobook template and i want to customize it a little. What ive done in first place is to change the logo. My new logo is only 60px in height. Ive changed the logo img entry and the logo href entry in the main.css and adjusted the height there from 155px (default) to 60px. I expected that the portlets will come up a bit then, nearer to the top of the page. But nothing happens. The portlets are not moving to the top. Ive searched the css then for a option that may be necessary to change, but ive found nothing.

So my question: What should i do if i want the first portlet in my list to begin e.g. 20 px below the logo image?

Thanks in advance,

Martin —217.5.181.251 15:15, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

Templates, Where are files located and what do contents look like, e.g. language used?

 * MediaWiki version: 1.13.1
 * PHP version: 5.2.5 (cgi)
 * MySQL version: 5.0.45
 * URL: http://www.jefferson-wiki.com/wiki/

I am trying to customize an installation of MediaWiki and have run into problems. I can not find where I should place template files and what the contents of template files are to create custom pages. Essentially, I want to create a scaffold to help avoid the problems that can happen when there are blank pages. I want to give users a format for the material I want them to enter. For example, I want them to enter their topic, a brief summary of the topic, have a large edit box for them to enter their article text, have the ability to enter a list of examples, enter a list of related topics and finally to enter references or links to further reading. How can I create a template to do this and where does it go in the directory structure? What language do I use for the template text? Any examples would be very helpful!

Thank you, Steve

—Duffsb 15:44, 16 December 2008 (UTC)

How Do I change the link on successful login to another page other than main?

 * MediaWiki version: 1.13.1
 * PHP version: 5.2.6 (apache2handler)
 * MySQL version: 5.0.67-community-nt
 * URL: private wiki on a usb key

I've installed the Mowes mediawiki package to test/learn and play with it.

What I want to be able to do is have a main page and after successful login instead of the link pointing back to the main page have it point to another page. I understand that Special pages are not editable like the rest.

Thanks Alan

—Dragos 21:28, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Changing the red format color for 'new' links to a different color-

 * MediaWiki version: 1.13.2
 * PHP version: 5.2.6 (cgi-fcgi)
 * MySQL version: 5.0.67-log
 * URL: http://www.queencitywiki.com/

How do you change the default color of red for links to pages that are new or have not been created yet? Ive managed to edit CSS files to change the color and formatting to other links to how I want them, but I have been through about 4-5 CSS files and cannot seem to find the correct spot (or spots) to change the formatting of red to another color. Is this possible?

—74.132.72.29 21:38, 20 December 2008 (UTC)