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This is the discussion topic for the wiki article: Main Page

This is a talk page for our wiki's main page - it was created automatically when I clicked "Discussion" at the top of the main wiki page. Neat, eh?

Anyways. I couldn't figure out how to make wiki tables look good, and I want this page to have the same look/feel as the sample code posted by AEM. I'll repaste it here:

(NOTE: The order of the links here is incorrect, but the layout is great)

I like the "shape" of the content here, but I'd rearrange the links a bit.

Can anyone come up with this shape in wikicode?

--TE

EDIT: Okay so looks like it auto-appends if someone else beats you to the punch!

badpazzword wrote:QUOTE (badpazzword @ Aug 29 2007, 03:05 PM) To achieve a column-like layout with Wiki formatting looks impossible, but it isn't.

This is the source code to our Wiki homepage:

Code: Select all

__NOTOC__  __NOEDITSECTION__
<div align="center">[[Special:Search|'''Search the {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} articles''']] | [[Special:Random|I'm feeling lucky]]</div>
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center" 
|style="width:25%" valign="top"| {{Main Page Left}}
|style="width:40%" valign="top"| {{Main Page Center}}
|style="width:25%" valign="top"| {{Main Page Right}}
|}

<div align="center">'''[[Special:RecentChanges|Recent edits]]''' | [[Special:Popularpages|Hot pages]] | [[Special:Newpages|New pages]] | [[Special:WantedPages|Wanted pages]]</div>

Notice the table: the actual content is placed in three templates (Template:Main_Page_Left, Template:Main_Page_Center and Template:Main_Page_Right). This allows for a very simple but effective page.

In English:

1. Create Template:Main_Page_Left
2. Put there the contents of the left hand column: Allegiance Wiki, etc.
3. Create Template:Main_Page_Right
4. Put there the contents of the left hand column: Zones, Squads, etc.
5. Place the following in Main Page:

I'm working on something right now for the Main Page. I *should* have it up by tonight.

TB

There, I put something up. I need to change the colors for sections 5 and 6 as well as do some other small edits. I'll be back in 3-4 hrs to fix it up.

TB

I like it.

The colours need sorting but apart from that it functions well enough. It's hard to tell without much content.

One question, the Alleg Wiki box has a line of "Newly... edited articles, created articles, uploaded images" is there any way we could get one for each section?

I don't think this is what TE wanted. Check the Wiki Skeleton thread pinned at the top of the forum. He changed the layout of the front page from what I posted. I do admit I find a few issues/things missing with TE's Skeleton that I would like to address, but I won't have the time to for another 5-6 hours. The skeleton I posted also needs to be reorganized if it were to be used anyway. It was just a rough draft and never finalized. I was working on a reorganization which including moving the Wiki section to the bottom and About Allegiance to the top among other things and was going to post a more polished version. If the main page I posted is used, hold off for awhile as I will post the more polished version later.

Looks good though.

A note: there's two boxes for Education, 1 box for Documentation, one for Squads, half a box for Development, half a box for Troubleshooting; none for Events and Enforcement. Doesn't really seem like balanced.

Anyhow, here's more edit proposals that will go unheard.

Allegiance Wiki

About – Information about this wiki. --> About this wiki
Policy – Text --> Wiki policies
Moderators – People to contact --> Wiki Moderators (Unnecessary)
What's New – (This will be the link to the longer list) --> What's hot
Add: [[Special:PopularPages|What's hot]]

Newly... edited articles, created articles, uploaded images --> Latest pages | edits | images

Zones

Purpose – Why we have Zones --> [[Zone System|Introduction]]
Remove: About – (should point to the same page really)
Remove: Who do I contact about /insert topic here/ – List of people to contact. (should point to the same page really)
Remove: Zone Profiles – I have no idea what this is supposed to be, but this is its description. (Neither do I)

About the game

Overview – Game description
Screenshots – Pictures taken in game. (Only useful if an adequately large portion of the community can upload them by themselves. A gallery fits very well for this. Otherwise, there's http://www.freeallegiance.org/screenshots)
Awards – The honors given to Allegiance. --> History and Awards
Remove: History – How we got here today. (merged)

Squads

Remove: Joining – How to apply. (It is discussed in each squad's page. Each squad recruits its own way.)
Squad Profiles – BS GB PK RT SRM SF SYSX ACE XT --> The squads: ACE | BS | GB | PK | RT | SRM | SF | SysX | XT (yes, the '|' make the looks SO much better).
Starting – How to make your own. (move to the bottom)

Getting Started (swap with Squads)

Community – More text --> Community Survival Guide
GettingStarted – Link w/e you want --> Crash Course (the Academy's one)
Add: @Cadet
Add: ACS
Remove: TechnicalSupport – Page describing where they can get help? (moved to Misc)

Misc --> Technical

TechnicalSupport – Page describing where they can get help? --> Troubleshooting
Remove: InformationalTools – Text (what would that be?)
Add below "Running a Server": [[Development]] -- [[FAZ 4]]

Links --> Move outside the boxes. Maybe make one just for them below all.

EDIT: This edit probably messed up with the coding. Dunno why.

badpazzword wrote:QUOTE (badpazzword @ Aug 30 2007, 02:05 PM) A note: there's two boxes for Education, 1 box for Documentation, one for Squads, half a box for Development, half a box for Troubleshooting; none for Events and Enforcement. Doesn't really seem like balanced.

I think you are looking into this wrong. I don't have the time to look at what you suggested as I'm in class but..

All of the Zone stuff is to be contained in the Zone Profiles. They were meant to be controlled by the respective ZL's or an appointee. The Documentatoin Box, the Wiki stuff is mostly unavoidable on the main page..I mean it is a Wiki. The Getting Started Box is really meant to be a mix of many zones in that it introduces a player to just about everything, but only provides the info they need to get Allegiance and start playing.

There is one troubleshooting link which contains no actual content, just links to the Tech Support zone which is contained in that zone profile and it makes the most sense in a getting started section. Enforcement does indeed deserve some kind of link in Getting Started. A Community Events link could be placed in About Allegiance.

As I said my original post was a very rough draft.

badpazzword wrote:QUOTE (badpazzword @ Aug 30 2007, 11:05 AM) ~snip~

Okay, I took some of the changes. Some changed the basic formatting of the guide that TE wants, so I didn't add those. I'll be messing with it more tonight, so feel free to post more /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

TB