Help:Introduction to editing with Wiki Markup/1

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Wikipedia is formatted using its own language called wiki markup, also called wikitext. It's pretty easy to learn the basics.

You have a choice of using one of two editing tools; the "Source Editor" uses wiki markup.

Alternatively, you can use VisualEditor, a secondary editing interface that works more like a WYSIWYG word processor. VisualEditor is somewhat simpler to use, but Source Editor is more effective for some tasks, and is the only one able to be used on Talk Pages. Elsewhere, you can easily switch between the two editing tools, as shown at right.

File:Edit Button.ogv To view and edit a page using wiki markup, click Edit source at the top of any page. This will allow you to type text that you want to add, using wiki markup to format the text and to add other elements like images and tables that are explained later in this tutorial.

Wiki markup can initially seem intimidating (especially references) but it actually requires only a few rules to understand and use. These rules are listed under Template:Menu icon at the top of the Source Editor, and you'll quickly get used to them! You can always test new techniques in your personal "sandbox" page.

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