Diff — Wiki Help

# How to edit

The ALB wiki is written by its readers — **anyone can edit any page, no account needed**. Click the **Edit** tab on any article, change the text, write a short summary, and hit **Save page**. Your change is live immediately and kept in the page's history forever.

> Be bold. If you see something wrong or missing, fix it — you can't break anything, every old revision is kept.

## Markup

The wiki uses Markdown plus wiki-style `[[links]]`:

| What you want | What you type |

| --- | --- |

| Headings | `# Title`, `## Section`, `### Part` |

| Bold / italic | `**bold**`, `*italic*` |

| Inline code | `\`PRINT\`` |

| Code block | a fenced block starting and ending with `\`\`\`` |

| Bullet list | `- item` or `* item` |

| Numbered list | `1. item` |

| Quote | `> words` |

| Internal link | `[[Page name]]` or `[[Page name|shown text]]` |

| Section link | `[[Page#Section]]` or `[[Page#Section|text]]` |

| Same-page jump | `[[#Section|text]]` |

| Category | `[[Category:Name]]` anywhere in the page |

| Category link | `[[:Category:Name]]` — links it without filing the page |

| Special page | `[[Special:AllPages]]` |

| External link | `[label](https://example.org)` |

| Horizontal rule | `---` on its own line |

| Table | rows separated by `|` (see below) |

| Image | `[[File:name.png|caption|right|300px]]` |

| Infobox | `{{infobox … }}` (see below) |

| Redirect | `#REDIRECT [[Page name]]` as the whole page |

## Callout boxes and flow frames

Fenced blocks get a second life: give the opening fence a **type** and the block becomes a styled callout box instead of code. Anything after the type on the fence line becomes the box's title � and titles may contain [[links]].

```

```note Optional title

Text, *markup*, and [[links]] all work inside.

```

```

| Type | Look | Use |

| --- | --- | --- |

| ```note | navy | Asides, clarifications |

| ```fact | gold | Did-you-know nuggets |

| ```tip | green | Helpful advice |

| ```warn | red | Cautions, corrections |

| ```quote | brown | Pull quotes |

| ```alb | gold + brown | The signature ALB box � for ALB-related notes on any page |

| ```frame or ```box | gold | A bordered frame for excerpts and examples |

| ```flow | navy | ASCII flowcharts and diagrams � text stays monospace |

Custom colors: ```box:gold, ```box:red, ```box:navy, ```box:brown, ```box:green, ```box:cyan � or any hex like ```box:#ff6600.

For ```flow, draw the diagram in plain ASCII � it renders verbatim inside a branded frame:

```flow Edit cycle

idea -> edit -> preview -> save -> published

```

## Links

Internal links are the wiki's connective tissue. Type `[[Getting Started]]` and the wiki links it automatically:

- **Blue links** go to pages that exist.

- **Red links** go to pages that *don't* exist yet — click one to create it. Red links are invitations, not errors.

- Use `[[AdaLogic BASIC|the language]]` to show different text than the page name.

- **Links work inside headings too** — `### [[Jacquard Loom|The Jacquard loom (1801–1804)]]` makes the whole heading a link, which is how section titles point to their own articles.

## Tables

Tables use pipe rows:

```

| Name | Born | Known for |

| --- | --- | --- |

| [[Ada Lovelace]] | 1815 | The first published program |

| [[Alan Turing]] | 1912 | The universal machine |

```

The `---` row under the header separates it from the body. Links work inside cells.

## Redirects

If a page is just another name for an article, make its entire content:

```

#REDIRECT [[Real page name]]

```

Readers hitting it are forwarded automatically. `?redirect=no` in the URL shows the stub itself so it can be edited. Use redirects for aliases, alternate spellings, and common short names — like `ENIAC six` → `[[The first programmers]]`.

## Contents boxes and section links

Every heading gets an anchor automatically — a `## Controversy` section can be linked as `[[Page name#Controversy]]`. Pages with three or more headings get a floating **Contents** box generated automatically; nothing to type.

## Images and infoboxes

`[[File:portrait.png|caption text|right|250px]]` embeds an image — the file must already exist under `/media/wiki/` on the site. Optional parameters: `right` / `left` / `center` alignment and a pixel width like `250px`; the remaining parameter is the caption, and links work inside it. Markdown-style `![alt](/media/…)` images also work for files anywhere under `/media/`.

For a fact card at the top of an article — the box of dates and names on a biography — use an infobox:

```

{{infobox

| title = Ada Lovelace

| born = 10 December 1815

| died = 27 November 1852

| known_for = First published program

}}

```

It floats right with a title row and key/value rows. Add `image` and `caption` keys to embed a `/media/wiki/` file inside the box. Links work inside values.

## Categories

Put `[[Category:History]]` anywhere in a page's text to file it. The category box appears at the bottom, and the page shows up automatically on that category's listing. Categories are created just by being used — no setup needed. To *link* a category page without filing the current one, write `[[:Category:History]]`.

Current categories include `Language`, `History`, `People`, `Hardware`, `Languages`, `Companies`, `Mathematics`, `Reference`, `Wiki`, and `Help` — but anyone can start a new one.

## History, diffs, and reverting

- The **History** tab lists every revision ever made — who, when, and the summary.

- Click **diff** next to any revision to see exactly what changed, line by line.

- Click **revert** to restore an older revision. A revert is itself a new revision — history is never destroyed, and vandalism can be undone by anyone in seconds.

## Finding pages

- **Search** (top of every wiki page) finds text in titles and bodies.

- **Special:AllPages** lists every article alphabetically.

- **Special:RecentChanges** shows the latest edits across the whole wiki.

- **Special:WhatLinksHere/Page name** lists every page that links to it — also reachable from the "What links here" link in each article's footer.

- **Special:LonelyPages** lists pages nothing links to — orphans waiting for a mention.

- **Special:DeadendPages** lists pages that link nowhere — add `[[links]]` and the web grows.

## Good pages to write

This wiki has two growing halves, and both want new pages:

**The ALB reference** — language documentation:

- One page per statement, function, or keyword

- Tutorials and worked examples

- Patterns and idioms — how to structure an ALB program

- Gotchas, pitfalls, frequently asked questions

- Glossary pages for terms beginners meet

**The history encyclopedia** — the story of programming, already underway:

- People: [[Ada Lovelace]], [[Alan Turing]], [[John von Neumann]], [[Herman Hollerith]], [[Joseph-Marie Jacquard]], the [[The first programmers|ENIAC six]]

- Machines and documents: [[Jacquard Loom]], [[Analytical Engine]], [[EDVAC report]], [[Manchester Baby]], [[EDSAC]], [[IBM]]

- Languages: [[FORTRAN]], [[LISP]], [[ALGOL]]

- Red links everywhere are the to-do list — pick one and write it.

## Style notes

* **Keep it family-friendly** — this is a learning site.

* Write plainly and factually; teach, don't advertise.

* Prefer short sections with headings over one wall of text.

* Link generously — every proper name, machine, and language in a sentence deserves a `[[link]]`, even if it's red.

* Code examples should be real, working ALB.

* Always fill in the **summary** line — it makes Recent Changes and History readable.

## House rules

* Edits are public immediately — don't post private information.

* Pages can be protected and edits logged; spam and vandalism get reverted quickly.

* Anonymous edits are attributed "Anonymous"; signed-in members get credited by username.

[[Category:Wiki]]

[[Category:Help]]