View source for Fightorder:WikiEtiquette

==About this wiki==
This page is about editing the springrts.com wiki so that we can all together make it nicer and useful. â™¥

Any contributions you make to this Wiki are in the public domain.

==Anybody can contribute==
The Spring project is very dependent on its community of users to help new players and developers.

There is no need to worry about messing up if you use the preview function. Even if you "accidently the whole page" it can be reverted.
Log in with your forum account but keep in mind that some account names do not work because of [http://www.springrts.com/mantis/view.php?id=1592 this bug.]
Just make a new/second account.

==Editing Guidelines==
*Write in '''English'''.
*Use the '''preview''' function. 
*Do not abuse the ''"save page"'' button as preview: It clutters the [[Special:RecentChanges|Recent Changes]] page.
*When saving, fill out the '''Summary''' field.
* Use '''Templates''' when possible, instead of e.g. colouring everything "by hand".
* Generally a page should be '''reachable by links''' from other "high level" pages.
* Links to non-existent pages are bad. Avoid unless you plan to add them. Same with pages that are only a "skeleton" with no content.
* <code>Category</code> tag goes to bottom of page, not hidden somewhere in middle. Use [[Special:Categories|existing categories]] when possible.
* Pages should ideally belong to only 1 category - though exceptions do happen, e.g. [[Building Spring on Linux]] belongs to both [[:Category:Compiling]] (as it is about compiling) and [[:Category:Linux]] (as it is about installation on Linux). Pages should never belong to 2 categories where one is the parent (or further antecedent) of the other.
* Please no pages that try to explain everything at once. For example if you wrote a howto create a map, don't explain each tool you used on that page, create a dedicated page for each tool you used so it can be used on other pages too.
* Use consistent [[Spring:PageNamingConventions|naming scheme for pages.]]
* Most information will fall into one of two styles:
:# Reference - These pages should deal with facts only and strictly be devoid of opinion and 'personality'. Writing in the 1st person is a big no-no. e.g. [[Lua_Scripting|Lua API pages]], [[Gamedev:UnitDefs]], [[:Category:Gamedata]] pages.
:# Tutorial - These can be much more relaxed, engaging and friendly. Reflect the writers' opinion (but make it clear as such) and personality, including the use of the 1st person. Tips and advice should be included within. e.g. [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Simple]], [[Chili:Tutorial_Hello_World]], [[3DModels:Wings3DTutorial]]

==Valid Topics==
*Content Creation: games, maps, scripting
*Engine development
*Trouble shooting/Help for problems with the engine
*Other development: Lobbies, download systems, various tools

==Invalid Topics==
*Please '''no game specific articles.''' On the respective games' webpages that is welcome though :)
*Projects that do only exist as vague plans

==Pages about games/projects==
If you made a game, you can (should!) create a page about it. Please keep it to one page though:  The wiki is still cluttered with subpages from projects that have died years ago. If that is too restrictive, get real webspace which nowadays you can get for free on the interweb.

==Forum <-> Wiki==
The next time you are writing a long post or chat to explain something, consider of adding to the wiki and then link to it. You are writing the stuff anyway: So why not make it easier for others to find it again later or improve it?

==To Do==
Some to-do list can be found here: [[Spring:WikiToDo]]

==Help on wiki synthax==
See here: [[Help:Editing]]

==Files, images==
Avoid using third party image/file hosters. Use the "upload file" function of the wiki or one of the "official" spring content sites. Otherwise the link '''will''' die.

[[Category:Spring]]