Link Reference in the Wiki - Revision history

DErik at 18:36, 26 January 2024

2024-01-26T18:36:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:36, 26 January 2024
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	[[Category:Works In Progress]]		[[Category:Works In Progress]]
	[[Category:Wiki Article Development‏‎]]		[[Category:Wiki Article Development‏‎]]
	One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.<span style="color:red;"><br>This article is ~~constantly~~ being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))<br></span>		One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.<span style="color:red;"><br>This article is being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))<br></span>
	----		----
	For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of		For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of
Line 32:		Line 32:
	Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.		Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.
	----		----
	I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. If you have any comments or questions regarding this, just click on the this: [[Talk:Link_Reference_in_the_Wiki\|"discussion"]], or on the "discussion" tab at the top of this article. You can also "talk" to me about anything by clicking the link behind my name below and put your comments and questions in there. I'll get notified and answer as soon and as best as I can.<br>Have fun.		I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. For more details on links in the wiki, see https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links. If you have any comments or questions regarding this, just click on the this: [[Talk:Link_Reference_in_the_Wiki\|"discussion"]], or on the "discussion" tab at the top of this article. You can also "talk" to me about anything by clicking the link behind my name below and put your comments and questions in there. I'll get notified and answer as soon and as best as I can.<br>Have fun.

	--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)		--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)

DErik at 21:05, 20 May 2023

2023-05-20T21:05:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 20 May 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Category:Works In Progress]]		[[Category:Works In Progress]]
	[[Category:~~RCGRS~~ Wiki ~~Help~~]]		[[Category:Wiki Article Development‏‎]]
	One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.<span style="color:red;"><br>This article is constantly being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))<br></span>		One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.<span style="color:red;"><br>This article is constantly being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))<br></span>
	----		----

DErik at 17:58, 7 May 2023

2023-05-07T17:58:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:58, 7 May 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Category:Works In Progress]]		[[Category:Works In Progress]]
	[[Category:RCGRS Wiki Help]]		[[Category:RCGRS Wiki Help]]
	~~<span style="color:red;">This is a new article being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))</span>~~		One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.<span style="color:red;"><br>This article is constantly being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))<br></span>
	One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.
	----		----
	For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of		For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of

DErik at 23:13, 4 May 2023

2023-05-04T23:13:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:13, 4 May 2023
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	Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.		Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.
	----		----
	I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. If you have any comments or questions regarding this, just click on the "talk" link behind my name below and put your comments and questions in there. I'll get notified and answer as soon and as best as I can.<br>Have fun.		I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. If you have any comments or questions regarding this, just click on the this: [[Talk:Link_Reference_in_the_Wiki\|"discussion"]], or on the "discussion" tab at the top of this article. You can also "talk" to me about anything by clicking the link behind my name below and put your comments and questions in there. I'll get notified and answer as soon and as best as I can.<br>Have fun.

	--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)		--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)

DErik at 08:06, 3 May 2023

2023-05-03T08:06:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:06, 3 May 2023
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	For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of		For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of
	:<code><nowiki>https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages</nowiki></code> ⟹ https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages		:<code><nowiki>https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages</nowiki></code> ⟹ https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages
	and it can be included in any page just that way. It can also be referenced with single ~~or double~~ brackets around it like so:		and it can be included in any page just that way. It can also be referenced with single brackets around it like so:
	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]
	or		Note that the last example just provides the reference link as a number. Not very useful or informative as to what is being referenced. To fix that, it could include text that provides some sensible indication as to what the reference links to. (This is called "link text" in some of the help files.) Here are examples with "link text":
	~~:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]~~
	~~But note~~ that ~~using double brackets kind of ignores~~ the ~~second set, taking it as additional text around~~ the reference~~.<br>Also, note that the last two examples are just numbers~~. Not very useful or informative as to what is being referenced. To fix that, ~~those last two examples~~ could include text that provides some sensible ~~text~~ to ~~indicate~~ what the reference links to. (This is called "link text" in some of the help files.) Here are examples with "link text":
	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]
	~~:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]~~		Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links, and that is why the syntax above is just one set of square brackets or none at all, and why the "link text" is delimited from the "reference text" by a space character. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. This is the "domain" of the page, followed by any directories the reference resides within, and optional arguments that tell the HTML processor more about what should be included in the displayed reference. (''Don't worry if you don't understand that part. Just think of it as the "reference text" as a whole.'') The part that specifies the domain, <code>rcgrs.com</code>, is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, and delimiting the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") character, like so:
	Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. This is the "domain" of the page, followed by any directories the reference resides within, and optional arguments that tell the HTML processor more about what should be included in the displayed reference. (''Don't worry if you don't understand that part. Just think of it as the "reference text" as a whole.'') The part that specifies the domain, <code>rcgrs.com</code>, is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:
	:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]
	:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]
	When trying to reference an '''''internal''''' page with just one set of square brackets, this happens:		The reason there are differences in the syntax between '''''internal''''' and '''''external''''' links is beyond the scope of this article. Just accept it. When trying to reference an '''''internal''''' page with just one set of square brackets, and changing the "link text" syntax, this happens:
	:<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages]		:<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages]
	:<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages\|List all pages]		:<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages List all pages]
	Well that just doesn't work at all. It doesn't even recognize it as a link.		Well that just doesn't work at all. It doesn't even recognize it as a link. Let's try doing the last form to access an '''''external''''' page, like the MediaWiki main help file:
			:<code><nowiki>[Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]
	Let's try doing the last form to ~~reference the MediaWiki main help file, which is~~ '''''external''''':		It again doesn't even recognize it as a link. The problem here is that the single brackets indicate to the MediaWiki application that the reference should be to an '''''external''''' page, and an '''''external''''' page requires the communications protocol (''at least a double slash ("//"), I think MediaWiki assumes the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere'') and domain to be included. So wrap it in another set of square brackets (and change "link text" delimiter), to make it think it is an '''''internal''''' page:
	:<code><nowiki>[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]
	It again doesn't even recognize it as a link.

	So wrap it in another set of square brackets, ~~since~~ it is an '''''~~external~~''''' page:
	:<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
	At least it is recognized as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it ~~needs the protocol (~~''~~at least a double slash ("//"), I think MediaWiki assumes the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere~~''~~) and domain specified~~. ~~Let~~'s try it again with ~~that~~ added:		At least it is recognized as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it really isn't an '''''internal''''' page. So let's try it again with protocol and domain added:
	:<code><nowiki>[~~https:~~//www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [~~https:~~//www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]		:<code><nowiki>[//www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [//www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]
	Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the reference text:		Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the reference text:
	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]

DErik at 07:17, 3 May 2023

2023-05-03T07:17:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:17, 3 May 2023
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	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]
	:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]
	Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. This is the "domain" of the page, followed by any directories the reference resides within, and ~~option~~ arguments that tell the HTML processor more about what should be included in the displayed reference. (''Don't worry if you don't understand that part. Just think of it as the "reference text" as a whole.'') The part that specifies the domain, <code>rcgrs.com</code>, is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:		Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. This is the "domain" of the page, followed by any directories the reference resides within, and optional arguments that tell the HTML processor more about what should be included in the displayed reference. (''Don't worry if you don't understand that part. Just think of it as the "reference text" as a whole.'') The part that specifies the domain, <code>rcgrs.com</code>, is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:
	:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]
	:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]

DErik: Minor tweaking to improve clarity and completeness.

2023-05-03T07:14:18Z

Minor tweaking to improve clarity and completeness.

DErik: Cosmetic changes

2023-05-03T06:47:17Z

Cosmetic changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:47, 2 May 2023
Line 2:		Line 2:
	[[Category:RCGRS Wiki Help]]		[[Category:RCGRS Wiki Help]]
	<span style="color:red;">This is a new article being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))</span>		<span style="color:red;">This is a new article being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))</span>
	One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution. For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of		One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution.
			----
	<code><nowiki>https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages</nowiki></code> ⟹ https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages		For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of
			:<code><nowiki>https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages</nowiki></code> ⟹ https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages
	and it can be included in any page just that way. It can also be referenced with single or double brackets around it like so:		and it can be included in any page just that way. It can also be referenced with single or double brackets around it like so:
			:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]		or
			:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]
	<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]		But note that using double brackets kind of ignores the second set, taking it as additional text around the reference.<br>Also, those last two examples could include text that replaces the reference text. (This is called "link text" in some of the help files.) Here are examples with "link text":
			:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]
	But note that using double brackets kind of ignores the second set, taking it as additional text around the reference.<br>Also, those last two examples could include text that replaces the reference text. This is called "link text" in some of the help files). Here are examples with "link text":		:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]
			Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. The part that specifies this is the <code>rcgrs.com</code> domain is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]
			:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]
	<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]		When trying to reference an '''''internal''''' page with just one set of square brackets, this happens:
			:<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages]
	Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of ~~the~~ it. The part that specifies this is the <code>rcgrs.com</code> domain is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:		:<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages\|List all pages]
			Well that just doesn't work at all. It doesn't even recognize it as a link.
	<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]

	<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]

	~~But~~ trying to reference an '''''internal''''' page with just one set of square brackets, ~~here's what~~ happens:

	<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages]

	<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages\|List all pages]

	Well that ~~didn~~'t work at all. It doesn't even recognize it as a link.

	Let's try doing the last form to reference the MediaWiki main help file, which is '''''external''''':		Let's try doing the last form to reference the MediaWiki main help file, which is '''''external''''':
			:<code><nowiki>[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]
			It again doesn't even recognize it as a link.

	~~<code><nowiki>[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]~~		So wrap it in another set of square brackets, since it is an '''''external''''' page:
			:<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
	~~It again doesn't even recognize it as a link.~~ So wrap it in another set of square brackets, since it is an '''''external''''' page:		At least it is recognized as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it needs the protocol (''at least a double slash ("//"), I think they assume the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere'') and domain specified. Let's try it again with that added:
			:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]
	<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]

	~~It at~~ least recognized it as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it needs the protocol (at least a double slash ("//"), I think they assume the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere) and domain specified. Let's try it again with that added:

	<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]

	Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the link text:		Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the link text:
			:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]

	How did I know it was in that '''wiki''' directory? I had looked up help via some other link and took note of the actual URL. Also, when I got the "404 Not found" error, the page asked if I really meant '''wiki/Help:Contents'''. That was nice of them.		How did I know it was in that '''wiki''' directory? I had looked up help via some other link and took note of the actual URL. Also, when I got the "404 Not found" error, the page asked if I really meant '''wiki/Help:Contents'''. That was nice of them.
			----
	Now recall my mention of "mediawikiwiki:"? Let's try substituting that for the protocol and MediaWiki domain specification in a reference to their help file. First the full reference as it would normally be done:		Now recall my mention of "'''mediawikiwiki:'''"? Let's try substituting that for the protocol and MediaWiki domain specification in a reference to their help file.<br>
			First the full reference as it would normally be done:
	<code><nowiki>[http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]		:<code><nowiki>[http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]

	Now the revised reference:		Now the revised reference:
			:<code><nowiki>[[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
			Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.

	~~<code><nowiki>[[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt~~ to ~~display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]~~		I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. Have fun.

	~~Note that reference is now wrapped in double square brackets and the "link text" is delimited with a pipe~~ ("\|") ~~rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference~~, ~~and must therefore follow that syntax.~~		--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)

	~~I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. Have fun.~~

DErik at 05:06, 3 May 2023

2023-05-03T05:06:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:06, 2 May 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Category:Works In Progress]]		[[Category:Works In Progress]]
			[[Category:RCGRS Wiki Help]]
	<span style="color:red;">This is a new article being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))</span>		<span style="color:red;">This is a new article being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))</span>
	One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution. For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of		One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution. For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of

DErik at 01:20, 3 May 2023

2023-05-03T01:20:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:20, 2 May 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~One of the confusing things about creating links to pages~~ is ~~that the syntax~~ of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution. For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of~~<br>~~		[[Category:Works In Progress]]
	<code><nowiki>https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages</nowiki></code> ⟹ https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages~~<br>~~		<span style="color:red;">This is a new article being developed by Don Erikstrup ([[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 18:20, 2 May 2023 (PDT))</span>
	and it can be included in any page just that way. It can also be referenced with single or double brackets around it like so:~~<br>~~		One of the confusing things about creating links to pages is that the syntax of the link reference is dependent on the "domain" of the page, which may be this instance of MediaWiki, or some other instance like Wikipedia, or MediaWiki itself (which really is its own instance of the MediaWiki application). In some instances, the full URL is needed, in others, the substitution of <code>"mediawikiwiki:"</code> for <code><nowiki>"https://MediaWiki.org/"</nowiki></code> works, and others do not require either the full URL or the substitution. For example: the "Special" page that lists all the pages in this instance of MediaWiki (i.e., the RCGRS.com version) has the full URL of
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages</nowiki></code> ⟹ https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages
	But note that using double brackets kind of ignores the second set, taking it as additional text around the reference.<br>Also, those last two examples could include text that replaces the reference text. This is called "link text" in some of the help files). Here are examples with "link text":~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]~~<br>~~		and it can be included in any page just that way. It can also be referenced with single or double brackets around it like so:
	<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]~~<br>~~
	Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of the it. The part that specifies this is the <code>rcgrs.com</code> domain is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]
	<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]
	But trying to reference an '''''internal''''' page with just one set of square brackets, here's what happens:~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages]~~<br>~~		But note that using double brackets kind of ignores the second set, taking it as additional text around the reference.<br>Also, those last two examples could include text that replaces the reference text. This is called "link text" in some of the help files). Here are examples with "link text":
	<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages\|List all pages]~~<br>~~
	Well that didn't work at all. It doesn't even recognize it as a link.~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]
	Let's try doing the last form to reference the MediaWiki main help file, which is '''''external''''':~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]
	It again doesn't even recognize it as a link. So wrap it in another set of square brackets, since it is an '''''external''''' page:~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]~~<br>~~		Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of the it. The part that specifies this is the <code>rcgrs.com</code> domain is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:
	It at least recognized it as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it needs the protocol (at least a double slash ("//"), I think they assume the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere) and domain specified. Let's try it again with that added:~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]
	Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the link text:~~<br>~~
	<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [~~https~~:~~//www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents~~ Attempt to display MediaWiki help]~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]
	How did I know it was in that '''wiki''' directory? I had looked up help via some other link and took note of the actual URL. Also, when I got the "404 Not found" error, the page asked if I really meant '''wiki/Help:Contents'''. That was nice of them.~~<br>~~
	Now recall my mention of "mediawikiwiki:"? Let's try substituting that for the protocol and MediaWiki domain specification in a reference to their help file. First the full reference as it would normally be done:~~<br>~~		But trying to reference an '''''internal''''' page with just one set of square brackets, here's what happens:
	<code><nowiki>[http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]~~<br>~~
	Now the revised reference:~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages]
	<code><nowiki>[[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]~~<br>~~
	Note that reference is now wrapped in double square brackets and the "link text" is delimited with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered ~~and~~ '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.~~<br>~~		<code><nowiki>[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Special:AllPages\|List all pages]

			Well that didn't work at all. It doesn't even recognize it as a link.

			Let's try doing the last form to reference the MediaWiki main help file, which is '''''external''''':

			<code><nowiki>[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]

			It again doesn't even recognize it as a link. So wrap it in another set of square brackets, since it is an '''''external''''' page:

			<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]

			It at least recognized it as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it needs the protocol (at least a double slash ("//"), I think they assume the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere) and domain specified. Let's try it again with that added:

			<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]

			Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the link text:

			<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]

			How did I know it was in that '''wiki''' directory? I had looked up help via some other link and took note of the actual URL. Also, when I got the "404 Not found" error, the page asked if I really meant '''wiki/Help:Contents'''. That was nice of them.

			Now recall my mention of "mediawikiwiki:"? Let's try substituting that for the protocol and MediaWiki domain specification in a reference to their help file. First the full reference as it would normally be done:

			<code><nowiki>[http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [http://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]

			Now the revised reference:

			<code><nowiki>[[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]

			Note that reference is now wrapped in double square brackets and the "link text" is delimited with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.

	I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. Have fun.		I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. Have fun.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:14, 3 May 2023
Line 10:		Line 10:
	or		or
	:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages]]
	But note that using double brackets kind of ignores the second set, taking it as additional text around the reference.<br>Also, those last two examples could include text that ~~replaces~~ the reference ~~text~~. (This is called "link text" in some of the help files.) Here are examples with "link text":		But note that using double brackets kind of ignores the second set, taking it as additional text around the reference.<br>Also, note that the last two examples are just numbers. Not very useful or informative as to what is being referenced. To fix that, those last two examples could include text that provides some sensible text to indicate what the reference links to. (This is called "link text" in some of the help files.) Here are examples with "link text":
	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]
	:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[https://www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=Special:AllPages List all pages]]
	Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. The part that specifies ~~this is~~ the <code>rcgrs.com</code> ~~domain~~ is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:		Now, because these are full URLs (they include the communications protocol specification of <code>https://</code>) they are treated as '''''external''''' links. But the "Special" pages are typically '''''internal''''' pages. That is, they are specific to this instance of the MediaWiki installation. Note that the URL has <code>www.rcgrs.com/mrtwiki/index.php?title=</code> as part of it. This is the "domain" of the page, followed by any directories the reference resides within, and option arguments that tell the HTML processor more about what should be included in the displayed reference. (''Don't worry if you don't understand that part. Just think of it as the "reference text" as a whole.'') The part that specifies the domain, <code>rcgrs.com</code>, is how we know it is really specific to this MediaWiki installation instance; other instances have different domains. So, since it is '''''internal''''', it can be referenced with just the page title, with or without additional text, wrapped in double square brackets, like so:
	:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages]]
	:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Special:AllPages\|List all pages]]
Line 27:		Line 27:
	So wrap it in another set of square brackets, since it is an '''''external''''' page:		So wrap it in another set of square brackets, since it is an '''''external''''' page:
	:<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]		:<code><nowiki>[[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
	At least it is recognized as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it needs the protocol (''at least a double slash ("//"), I think ~~they assume~~ the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere'') and domain specified. Let's try it again with that added:		At least it is recognized as a link, but note that the reference is in red letters. This indicates the page could not be found by MediaWiki. Why? Because it needs the protocol (''at least a double slash ("//"), I think MediaWiki assumes the "http:" or "https:" if just the "//" is present - I recall reading that somewhere'') and domain specified. Let's try it again with that added:
	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [https://www.MediaWiki.org/Help:Contents Attempt to display MediaWiki help]
	Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the ~~link~~ text:		Well, that recognized it as a link reference, but the link doesn't work (not found error). Why? Because MediaWiki actually puts this stuff in a directory called '''wiki'''. So we need to include that in the reference text:
	:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]		:<code><nowiki>[https://www.MediaWiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[mediawikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
	How did I know it was in that '''wiki''' directory? I had looked up help via some other link and took note of the actual URL. Also, when I got the "404 Not found" error, the page asked if I really meant '''wiki/Help:Contents'''. That was nice of them.		OK, that works. How did I know it was in that '''wiki''' directory? Well, I had looked up help via some other link and took note of the actual URL. Also, when I got the "404 Not found" error, the page asked if I really meant '''wiki/Help:Contents'''. That was nice of them.
	----		----
	Now recall my mention of "'''mediawikiwiki:'''"? Let's try substituting that for the protocol and MediaWiki domain specification in a reference to their help file.<br>		Now recall my mention of "'''mediawikiwiki:'''"? Let's try substituting that for the protocol and MediaWiki domain specification in a reference to their help file.<br>
Line 39:		Line 39:
	:<code><nowiki>[[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]		:<code><nowiki>[[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]</nowiki></code> ⟹ [[MediaWikiwiki:Help:Contents\|Attempt to display MediaWiki help]]
	Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.		Note that I have now wrapped the reference in double square brackets and delimited the "link text" with a pipe ("\|") rather than a space. This is because it is now considered an '''''internal''''' reference, and must therefore follow that syntax.
			----
	I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. Have fun.		I hope that helps you when you are trying to figure out why your links aren't working. If you have any comments or questions regarding this, just click on the "talk" link behind my name below and put your comments and questions in there. I'll get notified and answer as soon and as best as I can.<br>Have fun.

	--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)		--[[User:DErik\|DErik]] ([[User talk:DErik\|talk]]) 23:47, 2 May 2023 (PDT)