Nomaz

''In qwkzit pages are edited as plain text. This text can be "marked up" in various ways to determine how it will be displayed after you save it. This page explains the mark-up "syntax" - in other words, how you can control the look of qwkzit pages.''

Styles

Default styles for paragraphs, tables etc. are defined in a style sheet in the standard version of qwkzit. Another style sheet affects layout. Both may be changed and supplemented as required by a site administrator but the defaults are assumed in the descriptions below.

Definitions

These terms are used in describing marked up text:

'''Newline character''' refers to the (normally invisible) marker inserted in a document when the "Enter" or "Return" key is pressed. To keep the descriptions below as simple as possible the presence of newline characters should be assumed at the start and end of a page of marked-up text.

The term '''line of text''' is used to mean any of

the text between a newline character and another newline character
the text between a table related markup (see below) and a newline character
the text between a newline character and a table-related markup
the text within a table cell (i.e. between table-related markups) where no newline character is present.

The term '''start of a line''' refers to beginning of a line of text.

Help for editors

So as to make the marked-up text in its "raw" form as readable as possible, an "additional" newline character may be inserted before certain mark-up sequences but will be ignored on display. Check below for details.

Flowing text (where you don't press Enter) will be word-wrapped as you type to fit the viewing window. Only press Enter when you really mean it.

Basic text formatting

Paragraphs

To specify the default paragraph style start a line of text with '''==''' (no space following unless you want one). A small vertical space will be created after a paragraph. If there are two or more newline characters before the '''==''', the last will be ignored on rendering.
To specify a different paragraph style, insert a valid style name between the two equals signs, thus: '''=stylename=''' e.g. (newline)=fancy=This is some fancy text.
If you enter a line of text without any markup at the start it will be rendered without a vertical space following the newline character at the end.

Emphasis

Generally, multiple spaces like these are retained within text.
To make text appear in ''italics'', put two single quote marks both before and after it, like this: ''italics''.
To make text appear '''bold''', put three single quote marks both before and after it, like this: '''bold'''.
Starting a line with exclamation marks (e.g. '''!!''') shows it as a heading. The more the bigger - up to four. If there are two or more newline characters before the line, the last will be ignored on rendering. Follow the last '''!''' with '''=stylename=''' to define a non-default style.
Bulleted lists (like this list) can be created by prefixing each line with an asterisk ('''*''') or - as has been done with this line - with '''*=stylename=''' to define a non-default style.
Numbered lists are similar but start with a hash ('''#''') or with '''#=stylename=''' to define a non-default style.
Changes in font etc. within text can be made using pre-defined styles and the markup ''''=stylename=some text='''' where each ''''''' ''is'' part of the markup.
Four dashes ('''----''') alone on a line yield a horizontal "ruler" line

Links to other pages

When rendered in a web page. links are underlined.
Wiki links - links to pages within the Wiki - are created using double square brackets, thus: '''[[A page name]]'''. Page names may include letters, numerals, spaces and the special symbols commonly permitted in file names. Case is important - If the Web host is running Linux (as many are) then '''A''' will not equal '''a''' in page names.
A locally stored image may form a link to a local page using the extended form '''[[destination page%image file name]]'''
A extension to this provides for a second image to be shown when the mouse "rolls over" the image. The markup is:'''[[destination page%normal image filename%roll-over image filename%a unique alpha-numeric string - you might start with Button1]]'''
If the target of a clicked Wiki link does not exist a page containing an information message will be created and displayed. The system may delete such pages at times though a clicked link will re-create one.

Links to non-Wiki documents etc.

Links can be included to websites, text documents, picture files, etc.

To create a link to a non-Wiki file stored with the Wiki use '''[|Description|file name|]'''. The description is displayed as a link. The file must be supplied to the administrator for uploading.
To create a link to another website or to a file stored elsewhere on the Internet, use '''[!Description|URL!]'''. The description is displayed as a link followed by the '''⤴''' character. The URL, which may contain spaces, must be complete (e.g. http://www.... not just www....).
To do the same but forcing the referenced page to appear in a new window or tab, use '''[!Description!URL!]''' - this has an exclamation point rather than a vertical bar separating the description and URL. The link will be followed by the '''⤻''' character.

Images to be displayed within the Wiki

If the image is stored with the Wiki use '''[%Description|image file name%]'''. The image file must be supplied to the administrator for uploading.
If the image file is elsewhere on the Internet use '''[%Description|URL%]''' where the URL must commence with http:// or https://

The descriptions are used to provide alternative text, e.g. for use by text only browsers.

Tables

Tables are defined using various combinations of curly brackets, vertical bars and (to define styles) equals signs.

Simple tables

These use the following markup sequences

To start the table: '''{|||'''
To separate rows: '''|||'''
To separate cells: '''||'''
To end the table: '''|||}''' '''Don't forget to end a table!'''

For convenience when editing these may be placed within a line of text (as defined above) '''or''' at the start of a new line. The effect will be the same. A blank line just before the start of table markup will be ignored.

Table attributes

The '''{''' of '''{|||''' may be followed by '''=xxxx''' where '''xxxx''' is a table style.
The first '''|''' of '''{|||''' or '''|||''' may be followed by '''=yyyy''' where '''yyyy''' is a row style.
The final vertical bar in the first three commands may be preceded (''not'' followed) by '''=zzzz''' where '''zzzz''' is a cell style.

Examples:

use of '''{||=rg|''' might set the first first cell of a table (not the table itself) to have red text on a green background.
use of '''{=b0||=b0|''' together with '''||=b0|''' and '''|=b0|''' might set the table and all cells as borderless.

More about tables

Hard line breaks and other normal markup within cell contents will be applied.
Paragraphs, headings and list items may occur within table cells. The introductory =, !, * or # may occur immediately following the markup sequence introducing a cell.
Cells may contain images, links etc.
Styles for tables, rows and cells may be followed by other "HTML" attributes. For example, a cell could be defined using '''|=red align=center bgcolor=pink rowspan=2 colspan=4|''' to show the text in the following cell in style 'red', horizontally centred in a pink "oversize" cell two normal rows deep and four normal columns wide.
Tables may be nested.

Other markups

A character (the "ignore-character", usually the backward single quote) can be used in the marked up text to make it easier to follow. The ignore character is removed when the text is rendered.
The sequence "three opening curly brackets, any character sequence, three closing curly brackets" allow the inclusion of comments which are not displayed.
The sequence "two opening curly brackets, any character sequence, two closing curly brackets" displays the exact layout of the character sequence in a monospace font. Avoid including other page markup sequences and if another markup follows, interpose a space or other non-markup character.
The ignore character is removed after other markup has been processed. It can therefore be used for splitting up sequences that the Wiki would otherwise treat as markup commands.
Avoid unusual two-character sequences in text (such as |!) as they may be mis-interpreted. If necessary split them as described by the item above.