Wikka Formatting Guide

General Guidelines

If a markup sequence is not in these guidelines, then it is not officially supported. Use caution when implementing markup that is not officially supported by this document, as undocumented functionality may change with version updates.

Unless otherwise stated in these guidelines, all markup is line based, that is, a newline character should not intervene. These are identified as 'inline' markup.

Escaping Markup

Anything between 2 sets of double-quotes is not formatted. This is the equivalent of escaping a character(s):

**two bold ""**"" stars**

two bold ** stars

In this case, the second set of ** (escaped) stars will be ignored, i.e., will not terminate the bold markup.

You can also use double-quote escaping to avoid linking of CamelCase words, e.g.

""WikiWord"" is not parsed as a link

WikiWord is not parsed as a link

1. Text Formatting

**I'm bold**

I'm bold

//I'm italic text!//

I'm italic text!

__And I'm underlined!__

And I'm underlined!

##Monospace text##

Monospace text

''Highlighted text'' (using 2 single quotes)

Highlighted text

++Strike through text++

Strike through text

££Text insertion££

Text insertion

¥¥Text deletion¥¥

~~Text deletion~~

#%Press any key#%

Press any key

@@Center text@@

Center text

Elides (hides) content from displaying. Eliminates trailing whitespace so there are no unsightly gaps in output. Useful for commenting Wikka markup.

/*Elided content (eliminates trailing whitespace)*/

<--there was a comment here followed by whitespace in the markup

Elides (hides) content from displaying. Preserves trailing
whitespace (note the gap).

``Elided content (preserves trailing whitespace)``

<--there was a comment here followed by ws in the markup

2. Headers

Use between six = (for the biggest header) and two = (for the smallest header) on both sides of a text to render it as a header.

======Really big header======

Really big header

=====Rather big header=====

Rather big header

====Medium header====

Medium header

===Not-so-big header===

Not-so-big header

==Smallish header==

Smallish header

3. Horizontal separator

----

4. Forced line break

Line 1---Line 2

Line 1
Line 2

5. Lists and indents

You can indent text using a tilde (~), a tab, or four spaces (which will auto-convert into a tab).

~This text is indented ~~This text is double-indented This text is also indented

This text is indented

This text is double-indented

This text is also indented

To create bulleted/ordered lists, use the following markup (you can always use 4 spaces instead of a tilde):

Bulleted lists

~- Line one
~- Line two

Line one

Line two

Numbered lists

~1) Line one
~1) Line two

Line one

Line two

Ordered lists using uppercase characters

~A) Line one
~A) Line two

Line one

Line two

Ordered lists using lowercase characters

~a) Line one
~a) Line two

Line one

Line two

Ordered lists using uppercase Roman numerals

~I) Line one
~I) Line two

Line one

Line two

Ordered lists using lowercase Roman numerals

~i) Line one
~i) Line two

Line one

Line two

6. Inline comments

To format some text as an inline comment, use an indent (tilde, tab, or four spaces) followed by a &.

~& Comment
~~& Subcomment
~~~& Subsubcomment

Comment

Subcomment

Subsubcomment

7. Images

To place images on a Wiki page, you can use the image action.

Image links can be external or internal Wiki links. You don't need to enter a link at all, and in that case just an image will be inserted. You can use the optional classes left and right to float images left and right. You don't need to use all those attributes, only url is required while alt is recommended for accessibility.

{{image class="center" alt="DVD logo" title="An image link" url="images/dvdvideo.gif" link="RecentChanges"}}

8. Links

To create a link to a wiki page you can use any of the following options:

Type a WikiName (works only for page names with no whitespace):

FormattingRules
FormattingRules

Add a forced link surrounding the page name by [[ target URL or page | description ]] (everything after the | will be shown as description):

[[SandBox | Test your formatting skills]]
Test your formatting skills

[[SandBox | 沙箱]]
沙箱

[[http://docs.wikkawiki.org | Wikka documentation]]
Wikka documentation

[[community@wikkawiki.org | Wikka community list]]
Wikka community list

Add an image with a link (see instructions above)

To link to external pages , you can do any of the following:

Type a URL inside the page:

http://blog.wikkawiki.org
http://blog.wikkawiki.org

Add an image with a link (see instructions above)

Add an interwiki link (browse the list of available interwiki tags):

WikiPedia:WikkaWiki
WikiPedia:WikkaWiki

Google:CSS
Google:CSS

Thesaurus:Happy
Thesaurus:Happy

9. Tables

The table action has been deprecated as of Wikka version 1.2 and has been replaced with the syntax that follows. Please visit the Wikka documentation server for information about the older table action.

Tables can be created using two pipe (||) symbols. Everything in a single line is rendered as a table row.

Example:

||Cell 1||Cell 2||

Cell 1	Cell 2

Header cells can be rendered by placing an equals sign between the pipes.

Example:
|=|Header 1|=|Header 2||
||Cell 1||Cell 2||

Header 1	Header 2
Cell 1	Cell 2

Row and column spans are specified with x: and y: in parentheses just after the pipes.

Example:

|=| |=|(x:2)Columns||
|=|(y:2) Rows||Cell 1||Cell 2||
||Cell 3||Cell 4||

	Columns
Rows	Cell 1	Cell 2
Rows	Cell 3	Cell 4

Many additional features are available using table markup. A
more comprehensive table markup guide is available on this server's
TableMarkup page. A complete syntax reference is available on the document
server TableMarkupReference page.

10. Colored Text

Colored text can be created using the color action:

{{color c="blue" text="This is a test"}}

This is a test

You can also use hex values:

{{color hex="#DD0000" text="This is another test"}}

This is another test

Alternatively, you can specify a foreground and background color using the fg and bg parameters (they accept both named and hex values):

{{color fg="#FF0000" bg="#000000" text="This is colored text on colored background"}}

This is colored text on colored background

{{color fg="yellow" bg="black" text="This is colored text on colored background"}}

This is colored text on colored background

11. Floats

To create a left floated box , use two < characters before and after the block.

Example:

<< Some text in a left-floated box hanging around. << Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler.

Some text in a left-floated box hanging around.

Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler.

To create a right floated box , use two > characters before and after the block.

Example:

>> Some text in a right-floated box hanging around. >> Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler. Some more text as a filler.

Some text in a right-floated box hanging around.

Note: Use ::c:: to clear floated blocks.

12. Code formatters

You can easily embed code blocks in a wiki page using a simple markup. Anything within a code block is displayed literally. To create a generic code block you can use the following markup:

%% This is a code block %%.

 This is a code block

To create a code block with syntax highlighting , you need to specify a code formatter (see below for a list of available code formatters).

%%(php) <?php echo "Hello, World!"; ?> %%

<?php
echo "Hello, World!";
?>

You can also specify an optional starting line number.

%%(php;15) <?php echo "Hello, World!"; ?> %%

<?php
echo "Hello, World!";
?>

If you specify a filename , this will be used for downloading the code.

%%(php;15;test.php) <?php echo "Hello, World!"; ?> %%

test.php (line 15)

<?php
echo "Hello, World!";
?>

List of available code formatters
Language	Formatter	Language	Formatter	Language	Formatter
Actionscript	`actionscript`	ABAP	`abap`	ADA	`ada`
Apache Log	`apache`	AppleScript	`applescript`	ASM	`asm`
ASP	`asp`	AutoIT	`autoit`	Bash	`bash`
BlitzBasic	`blitzbasic`	Basic4GL	`basic4gl`	bnf	`bnf`
C	`c`	C for Macs	`c_mac`	C#	`csharp`
C++	`cpp`	C++ (+QT)	`cpp-qt`	CAD DCL	`caddcl`
CadLisp	`cadlisp`	CFDG	`cfdg`	ColdFusion	`cfm`
CSS	`css`	D	`d`	Delphi	`delphi`
Diff-Output	`diff`	DIV	`div`	DOS	`dos`
Dot	`dot`	Eiffel	`eiffel`	Fortran	`fortran`
FreeBasic	`freebasic`	FOURJ's Genero 4GL	`genero`	GML	`gml`
Groovy	`groovy`	Haskell	`haskell`	HTML	`html4strict`
INI	`ini`	Inno Script	`inno`	Io	`io`
Java 5	`java5`	Java	`java`	Javascript	`javascript`
LaTeX	`latex`	Lisp	`lisp`	Lua	`lua`
Matlab	`matlab`	mIRC Scripting	`mirc`	Microchip Assembler	`mpasm`
Microsoft Registry	`reg`	Motorola 68k Assembler	`m68k`	MySQL	`mysql`
NSIS	`nsis`	Objective C	`objc`	OpenOffice BASIC	`oobas`
Objective Caml	`ocaml`	Objective Caml (brief)	`ocaml-brief`	Oracle 8	`oracle8`
Pascal	`pascal`	Per (FOURJ's Genero 4GL)	`per`	Perl	`perl`
PHP	`php`	PHP (brief)	`php-brief`	PL/SQL	`plsql`
Python	`phyton`	Q(uick)BASIC	`qbasic`	robots.txt	`robots`
Ruby on Rails	`rails`	Ruby	`ruby`	SAS	`sas`
Scheme	`scheme`	sdlBasic	`sdlbasic`	Smarty	`smarty`
SQL	`sql`	TCL/iTCL	`tcl`	T-SQL	`tsql`
Text	`text`	thinBasic	`thinbasic`	Unoidl	`idl`
VB.NET	`vbnet`	VHDL	`vhdl`	Visual BASIC	`vb`
Visual Fox Pro	`visualfoxpro`	WinBatch	`winbatch`	XML	`xml`
X++	`xpp`	ZiLOG Z80 Assembler	`z80`

13. Mindmaps

Wikka has native support for mindmaps. There are two options for embedding a mindmap in a wiki page.

Option 1: Upload a FreeMind file to a webserver, and then place a link to it on a wikka page: http://yourdomain.com/freemind/freemind.mm No special formatting is necessary.

Option 2: Paste the FreeMind data directly into a wikka page:

Open a FreeMind file with a text editor.

Select all, and copy the data.

Browse to your Wikka site and paste the Freemind data into a page.

14. Embedded HTML

You can easily paste HTML in a wiki page by wrapping it into two sets of doublequotes.

""[html code]""

""y = x<sup>n+1</sup>""

y = xⁿ⁺¹

""<acronym title="Cascade Style Sheet">CSS</acronym>""

CSS

By default, some HTML tags are removed by the SafeHTML parser to protect against potentially dangerous code. The list of tags that are stripped can be found on the Wikka:SafeHTML page.

It is possible to allow all HTML tags to be used, see Wikka:UsingHTML for more information.

CategoryWiki

Comments

Comment by NilsLindenberg

2004-12-07 18:09:29

I would like to make the following changes:

1) a page called TextFormatting with, well, you the text-formatting up to the table code. This would be for beginners.

2) make this page a compact "list" for experienced users.

Because this page is imho in the middle and serves so no of the two purposes. Anybody an other idea?

Comment by DarTar

2004-12-07 20:51:52

Good idea, I was also thinking that we need a more structured presentation of WikkaSyntax, possibly divided in sections. I'd be happy to see more pages for different topics (like, for example, basic text formatting, link formatting, code formatting, lists) and then a general summary somewhere.

Comment by DarTar

2004-12-07 21:04:04

Ah, and what about creating a link from HelpInfo to a page with all FAQs categorized by topic?

Comment by JavaWoman

2004-12-09 20:10:22

Instead of including the (long) list of code formatters here, why not simply link to the SyntaxHighlighter page, and just give the general format for a code block?

Comment by DarTar

2004-12-09 20:15:58

I find the Wacko presentation of formatting rules, organized on two columns much clearer:
http://wackowiki.com/WackoDocumentation/WackoFormatting?v=ec6

Or maybe we should add a table?

Comment by JavaWoman

2004-12-09 20:18:07

Ideal case for a table - maybe when we have new table markup? :^)

Comment by DarTar

2004-12-09 20:25:02

I agree - I will never do again the effort of writing something like this:

http://wikka.jsnx.com/WikkaSkins/showcode

:-/

Comment by NilsLindenberg

2004-12-14 19:05:33

"Instead of including the (long) list of code formatters here, why not simply link to the SyntaxHighlighter page, and just give the general format for a code block?"

My thought was a page where you have everything, but without further explanations. but I can also copy the table and put in a link instead

Comment by DarTar

2004-12-14 23:19:57

Nils, why did you remove the header examples? :-(

Comment by NilsLindenberg

2004-12-15 19:18:49

They are to find under TextFormatting. As i said I wanted to make only a compact list, without examples. You disagree?

Comment by DarTar

2004-12-15 22:44:24

Actually, I don't find the different treatment for text formatting and header formatting really convincing. The output produced by different headers should be displayed here much as the output produced by different text options. I was thinking of this page as a scheme containing a quick list of //all// the formatting rules. When I'm testing skins and need to take a quick look at //all// the formatted output I use to open this page. Now I can't do this any more... See what I mean? ;-)

Comment by JavaWoman

2004-12-16 11:25:36

I agree we should see an example of all formatting rules. In addition, headings are the most important page structuring elements - they should be listed first of all.
A note about blank lines resulting in (quasi) paragraphs should be added as well.

Comment by JavaWoman

2004-12-16 11:27:44

Also missing is how to *nest* lists - this gave me trouble when I first started here: I couldn't even tell whether nesting lists was supported or not. There should be an example.

Comment by JavaWoman

2004-12-16 11:48:21

OK, headers back - now put them at the top! (really)

Comment by TimoK

2005-03-15 20:40:07

Is there any reason why <q> and <blockquote> are not supported at all?
(I just added them on my main wikka installation on ranta.info, using `` for <q> and §§ for <blockquote>, but this is just a quick solution in a single-user-environment, I am not happy with those choices, especially the one for blockquotes.)

Comment by DarTar

2005-03-15 21:35:21

TimoK, we are currently discussing possible extensions of the markup used in Wikka. Feedback and suggestions are welcome here:

http://wikka.jsnx.com/WantedFormatters
http://wikka.jsnx.com/WikkaExtensibleMarkup
http://wikka.jsnx.com/PseudoFormatters
http://wikka.jsnx.com/PreFormatter

Comment by 4.130.74.186

2006-04-17 21:46:25

Hello: i've arrived here from a different wakka wikki. perusing here and there in a search for how to keep a camelcase type word from showing up as a link. i found my answer in a comment here (i think it was in suggestions) and realized that the answer was right there at the top of the formatting rules page all along but, being new to the wiki scene, it went flying right by me. At the other wiki, where i'm
registered and can edit, i added it to the top of the list of double double-quote examples: ""CamelCase"" CamelCase. i don't want to register here just so i can add it so, maybe one of yous could do it. it might just help some other noob like me catch it as it went by. Thanks :)

Comment by BrianKoontz

2006-04-17 22:48:32

That's interesting, because double-quotes are also used to delineate raw HTML...

Comment by NilsLindenberg

2006-04-18 10:06:34

yes, they are. There already exists a ticket about it:

http://wush.net/trac/wikka/ticket/70

Comment by SharathAV

2006-10-09 09:05:40

How do we create a link to a location within page? I have a long page and want to create links to below sections.

Comment by BrianKoontz

2006-10-09 12:57:09

SharathAV: You might want to check out anchor actions (http://wikkawiki.org/AnchorAction).

Comment by DarTar

2006-10-09 13:51:35

Note for devs - this is something that Marjolein's advanced formatter already takes care of, see GenerateUniqueId and AdvancedFormatter.

Comment by MasinAlDujaili

2006-10-09 14:33:28

DarTar, this advanced formatter is the formatter in the upcoming Wikka v1.1.7.0 which we will be happy to receive in the next weeks? ;-)

Comment by DarTar

2006-10-12 03:35:23

GenerateUniqueId and AdvancedFormatter are not currently scheduled for 1.1.7, but since they are already coded if we find time we could try to include them in the release.

Comment by LightMan

2007-10-16 19:07:15

The example above "To open a web page in a new copy of your browser" is not displayed accurately. The reference href=&quothttp://google.com" should be href="http://google.com".

I see the issue, but not the solution, the &quot is intended to display as ", but does not. I was not able to edit the page to display the proper syntax.

Comment by DarTar

2007-10-16 20:00:36

fixed, thanks

Wikka : FormattingRules