View source for User:Pedentic/Mentor

{{User:Pedentic/nav}}

=You requested a mentor?=
Ask away! --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 04:11, 21 May 2007 (BST)

==Alignment==
Hmmm...firstly, how does one go about changing the location of text and such on a page (ie align left or right or center)?
:No problem. As an example, by typing in 
<nowiki>
{| align="right"
|Impressive, no?
|}
</nowiki>
:One may obtain:
{| align="right"
|Impressive, no?
|}<BR><BR>
:Just substitute the "right" for either left or center, depending on the situation. Well that one was easy. What else? --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 23:07, 21 May 2007 (BST)
::Another question relating to this topic: does that same code work for templates also? Thanks. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:05, 8 June 2007 (BST)
:::Absolutely. Lets take this simple pillbox for instance:
:::<nowiki>
{{pillbox|image=Pmlogo.png|color=white|text=Shiny!}}
</nowiki>
:::{{pillbox|image=Pmlogo.png|color=white|text=Shiny!}}
:::And the alignment:
:::<nowiki>
{| align="right"
|{{pillbox|image=Pmlogo.png|color=white|text=Shiny!}}
|}
</nowiki>
:::Makes:
{| align="right"
|{{pillbox|image=Pmlogo.png|color=white|text=Shiny!}}
|}
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
:::Yay! Fun with editing. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 04:32, 8 June 2007 (BST)
::::This is odd. The code I'm using to center-align templates on my user page doesn't do anything except left-align the template and put a "|}" below it. Any ideas? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:53, 8 June 2007 (BST)
:::::I didn't see any such code, so I assume you removed it. Either one of these will center your templates:
<BR>
{| align="center"
|{{Grammar}}
|{{Mallinfofan}}
|}
<BR>
:::::Or
<BR>
{| align="center"
|{{Grammar}}
|-
|{{Mallinfofan}}
|}
<BR>
:::::Make sure to copy/paste the code. Signed. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 13:40, 8 June 2007 (BST)
::::::Hmmmm...it works when you do it...most interesting.... I find that strange, because that's exactly what code I used. Perhaps the wiki simply likes you better. :) Also, in the second example above, what does the "|-" signify? Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 17:09, 8 June 2007 (BST)
:::::::What does it signify? Hmm... I hadn't considered that question. I suppose it merely allows for items to be organized in sequence in a fashion of which one is above another. Merely by removing "-", the lower alignment forces the templates to become side-by-side, rather than one on top of the other. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 15:44, 10 June 2007 (BST)

==Deletion==
I'm kind of confused about page deletions. Specifically, I would like to have [[user:pedentic/Medics of Malton|this page]] removed. It was a prototype group page, but I'm now done with it. Do I simply put it up on the speedy deletions page? Thanks. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:56, 23 May 2007 (BST)
:Ah, another easy one. Just go to the [[UDWiki:Administration/Deletions|deletions request page]] and write in your request under [[UDWiki:Administration/Deletions#Deletion Queue|deletion queue]]. As this is a user subpage, and you are the original author, you may request a speedy deletion under [[UDWiki:Administration/Deletions#Speedy Deletion Eligibility|criterion 8]] if so desired, which will hasten the deletion process. It isn't necessary, but if you want it gone sooner rather than later, the option is available. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 03:44, 23 May 2007 (BST)

==Help Pages==
Are there specific guidelines for the creation of help pages? I came across a red link the other day, and would be interested in making the associated page. Thanky much.--{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 12:09, 25 May 2007 (BST)
:Creating a help page you say? Hmm... I find no policy that forbids a regular wiki user from creating such a page, but just to be safe, you'd better ask an admin. If it's fine, go right ahead, but make sure to write the page in a highly professional manner. If you should need help with any nuances that you are attempting, feel free to ask me for help. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 18:34, 25 May 2007 (BST)
::Sadly, however, I seem to have forgotten which page I was going to create, and I cannot find the aforementioned red link. I'll keep looking, though. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:10, 26 May 2007 (BST)

==Playing with fonts==
I've noticed that your signature is not of the standard wiki font. How does one go about meddling with fonts, specifically in regards to signatures?  I've tried copying your sig code, but found myself rather confused by all the wikicode. Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 21:05, 28 May 2007 (BST)
:Wiki code stealer! Nah, just messing with ya, no shame in it. I kinda do that at times to learn nuances about the wiki. Anyway, on to the question. To change the font of your type, just place <nowiki><font face="''your font here''">'''Your Text Here'''</font face></nowiki> . By doing so, you can use different fonts, as long as they are supported by the wiki, which probably most are. For the fonts, I usually just open up WordPad, go to "Format", "Font", then pick the one you want to use. Right now, I'm using Futura Bk, as an example. If you were to, say, want to use "Frosty", your sig would look like this:
<BR>
:<nowiki><font face="Frosty">[[User:Pedentic|{{c|DarkTurquoise|Pedentic}}]]<sup>[[User talk:Pedentic|{{c|DarkGoldenrod|''T!''}}]] [[Mall Information Center|{{c|LimeGreen|''MIC''}}]] [[Medics of Malton|{{c|DarkViolet|''MM''}}]]</sup></font face></nowiki>
<BR>
:You'll get this:
:<font face="Frosty">[[User:Pedentic|{{c|DarkTurquoise|Pedentic}}]]<sup>[[User talk:Pedentic|{{c|DarkGoldenrod|''T!''}}]] [[Mall Information Center|{{c|LimeGreen|''MIC''}}]] [[Medics of Malton|{{c|DarkViolet|''MM''}}]]</sup></font face>
<BR>
:Just use whatever you feel like. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 23:16, 29 May 2007 (BST)
::Oh. That is not nearly so bad as I was expecting. Thanky much, kind sir. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 12:00, 30 May 2007 (BST)
:::Not a problem. Anything else, just ask. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 16:13, 30 May 2007 (BST)

==Line Breaks==
Is there some arcane method of having text display on multiple lines, instead of all mashed together on one line?
Check out the formatting I've used in this message to see what I'm talking about.
Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 12:29, 31 May 2007 (BST)
:Come on, give me a challenge! Alright, look at the following line of text (it's just a copy of what you wrote):
<BR>
:Is there some arcane method of having text display on multiple lines, instead of all mashed together on one line?<br>
:Check out the formatting I've used in this message to see what I'm talking about.<br>
:Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 12:29, 31 May 2007 (BST)
<BR>
:There we are, line breaks. Just use <nowiki><br></nowiki> to have your text wrap around. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 18:28, 31 May 2007 (BST)

==Templates==
You requested a challenge? So it is spoken, so shall it be! How might I go about creating a template for my group? It needn't be in-depth at this point, merely the basic foundation of template-making. Does that suffice? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 21:19, 31 May 2007 (BST)
:If you want the basic of the basic, you'll want to use a [[Template:Flagbox|Flagbox]]. It'll provide an ''extremely'' simple start to the world of template making. Here is an example:
<BR>
:<nowiki>{{flagbox|#FF66FF|Redcross.jpg|[[Medics of Malton]]|This user is a member of the<br> [[Medics of Malton]].}}</nowiki>
<BR>
:Makes:
<BR>
{{flagbox|#FF66FF|Redcross.jpg|[[Medics of Malton]]|This user is a member of the<br>[[Medics of Malton]].}}
<BR>
:This is the very beginning. To make a complicated template from scratch takes time, and continues to provide opportunities for learning for myself. I'm a member of [[The Template Junkies]], so I'm not terrible at it, but there is still much to be learned. Hopefully this will provide a start for you. If you need further help, I could make you if you wish, per your specifications. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 05:09, 1 June 2007 (BST)
::I'll delve deeper into this particular subject later. Thanks!--{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 13:30, 1 June 2007 (BST)

===Navigation Bar===
How might I go about making a cool navigation bar like the one you've got across your user and subpages? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 13:30, 1 June 2007 (BST)
:A nav bar is pretty much a simple template, so it's not too difficult. However, with the multitude of ways in which one may be created and altered, you're probably going to have to do a little searching around on your own. You can change many different things, and they can, of course, look different, but I'll show you how to make one that looks like mine. Here is some sample coding:
:<nowiki>{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width:100%; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}</nowiki>
:Makes:
{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 500px; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
:This can be altered to make something completely different. This is just a sample. If you would like further help, just let me know, and I'll cook something up. If you wish to incorporate it into your page design, that's a whole different story. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 14:30, 1 June 2007 (BST)
::If it's not too much trouble, could you explain the individual bits of the above code? While I appreciate your offers to templatize for me, I would prefer knowing the background so I can eventually do these things myself. Thanks in advance for the time I fear this may take. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:52, 2 June 2007 (BST)
:::Alrighty, lets begin. Here are the bits that change the above template:
<BR>
:::align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width:100%; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
:::| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
<BR>
:::Let me explain them. The "align=center" portion dictates on where on the screen the template will reside. As an example, replacing "center" with "right" will yield this template:
<BR>
{| align=right style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 500px; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
<BR>
<BR>
:::As you can see, the template has shifted over. As for "style=border: 1px solid black", this, obviously, changes the border. As an example, changing it to something like "style=border: 4px solid red" will yield this template:
<BR>
{| align=center style="border: 4px solid red; width: 500px; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
<BR>
:::The "px" or "pixels" dictates the thickness of the border. You may also write the color as either a word or in HTML. As for width, that dictates the left to right length of the template. It can be expressed in either pixels or percentages. As an example, replace "width: 500px" with "width: 80%" to obtain the following:
<BR>
{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 80%; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
<BR>
:::The percentage will change the size of the template depending on the size of the screen it is being displayed on. For 80%, it would stretch across 80% of the screen. "Border-spacing: 0px" dictates the amount of space between the words or pictures within the template and the border. For example, replacing "border-spacing: 0px " with "border-spacing: 50px" would yield this template:
<BR>
{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 500px; border-spacing: 50px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
<BR>
:::As far as I know, percentages may not be used for this portion. For "clear: both", ummm... frankly, I still haven't figured that out. When I know what it's for, you'll know. For "margin-bottom: 0px", that dictates the amount of space between the bottom of the template and the rest of the page. You could also use "margin-top", "margin-left", and "margin-right" if you wished, but for this exercise, we're keeping it simple. Lets substitute "margin-bottom: 0px" for "margin-bottom: 50p": 
<BR>
{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 500px; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 50px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
:::Neat, huh? Moving on... "style=background: White" dictates the color of the background. Lets substitute "style=background: White" with "style=background: #99CCCC":
<BR>
{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 500px; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: #99CCCC; text-align: center;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
<BR>
:::As with the border, you may use either words or HTML. To find the codes for the different colors, I usually use [http://www.hitmill.com/html/color_safe.html this site]. It's very simple to understand. Lastly, "text-align: center" dictates where in the template the text will be. Lets substitute "text-align: center" for "text-align: left":
<BR>
{| align=center style="border: 1px solid Black; width: 500px; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"
| style="background: White; text-align: left;" |
'''''[[User:Pedentic|Main]] • [[User talk:Pedentic|Talk]] • [[Medics of Malton]] • [[Mall Information Center]]'''''
|}
<BR>
:::So... that about sums it up. I'm still trying to figure that "clear" thing out. Anyway, if you need anything else, let me know. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 03:56, 2 June 2007 (BST)
::::<nowiki>*Whistles*</nowiki> Wow. You should look into getting a job writing help pages. Also, I've found that it doesn't matter what word follows the "clear:", nor does it matter if that bit is in there at all. Go figure...anyhow, thank you so very much! <br>--{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:02, 4 June 2007 (BST)
:::::Not a problem. I really don't know all that much about the nuances of editing, but this is just some basic stuff I've picked up along the way. I do not have near the experience to create help pages, but thanks for the compliment. If there's anything else, let me know. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 02:27, 4 June 2007 (BST)
::::::Hey, technical knowledge is of much value, as it's what makes things on this wiki shiny. Moving on, earlier in this sub-topic you said, "If you wish to incorporate it [the navigation bar] into your page design, that's a whole different story." How different of a story do you mean? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:46, 4 June 2007 (BST)
:::::::I meant if you wished to create complex backgrounds and formatting and the like, such as [[User:Dux Ducis|Dux Ducis']] page. As in, changing up the style and colors of it. What I've shown you thus far is mostly quite plain. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 04:18, 4 June 2007 (BST)
::::::::Cripes! Methinks I'll keep to the basics and plainess at this point. More questions pending... --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:44, 4 June 2007 (BST)
<br>
{| align="center"
|'''Continuation'''
|}
<br>
After making a [[user:pedentic/nav|cool navigation box]], how do I get it to display on one line, instead of [[user:pedentic|what it looks like now]]? Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 17:09, 8 June 2007 (BST)
:: Also, let me look at your nav box. I'll see what I can do. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 17:40, 8 June 2007 (BST)
::Eh, you already took care of it. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 17:42, 8 June 2007 (BST)
::I thought you did... anyway, done. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 17:44, 8 June 2007 (BST)
:::Thanks, sir. What exactly was the issue, and is it possible to make the nav bar longer without it wrapping lines? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:40, 10 June 2007 (BST)
::::I ''think'' it had something to do with you using percentages instead of pixels to dictate its length, but I'm no entirely sure. If you wish to make it longer, just increase the pixel count. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 15:41, 10 June 2007 (BST)
:::::I've made a [[Medics of Malton/Nav|navigation bar]] for my group pages, but I can't call it. I've tried <nowiki>{{Medics of Malton/Nav}}</nowiki>, but that didn't work. Do I have to put it in the template namespace? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 01:19, 19 August 2007 (BST)
::::::I did what I could, couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I took [[Template:MoM Nav|the easy way out]]. Yes, it works, I tested it. A different path, but the same result. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 03:31, 19 August 2007 (BST)
:::::::Thanks! Also, is there a way to do external links without the little box to the right of them? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:28, 20 August 2007 (BST)
::::::::I'm afraid not, at least I don't know of one. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 02:54, 20 August 2007 (BST)

===Pictures Within===
How would I go about making a navigation bar, but with images in it? Specifically, I'm trying to make a navigation bar for [[mom|my group's]] pages, but I'd like to have our image at both ends. How might this be done?--{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:23, 6 August 2007 (BST)
:I'm so out of practice with templates... Alright, I'll give it a try. I've got something here. It's not pretty, and I doubt it'll work. I've never tried anything like this before. Just take a look:
<br>
<nowiki>
{| style="border:solid black 3px; width:400px; font-family:Arial;"
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Image:Redcross.jpg|80px]] || style="background:white; color:blue; font-size: 100%" width=400px; align="right"| [[Image:Redcross.jpg|80px]]
|-
|}
</nowiki>
<br>
{| style="border:solid black 3px; width:400px; font-family:Arial;"
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Image:Redcross.jpg|80px]] || style="background:white; color:blue; font-size: 100%" width=400px; align="right"| [[Image:Redcross.jpg|80px]]
|-
|}

Changing one color without the other destroys it, and I can't center any text. But, I did get two images on either side. I guess that's something. Sorry I wasn't more help, but this is beyond my abilities. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 00:25, 7 August 2007 (BST)
:What is the purpose of "rowspan" and the double pipe? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 13:29, 7 August 2007 (BST)
::I'm not HTML expert, I just use whatever is necessary. Rowspan, in a typical template, allows for the placement of text (or, perhaps, images) within a "head" or "body" of a template. In this case, it's just a leftover and is not necessary. As for the double pipe, it really just holds the whole thing together (try removing one of them and see what happens). Anyway, I've still got nothin'. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 18:32, 7 August 2007 (BST)

<br>
Ok. I've got the whole two picture thing [[user:Pedentic/MM|to work]]. Now, there are a few more questions that this raises:
*How do I select a custom font size? I tried <fontsize=X></fontsize> to no avail.
*Can I make the text in the middle go onto two lines so that '''The Medics''' is above '''of Malton'''?
Feel more than welcome to play with it if you want. Just don't save changes if you can avoid it. Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:10, 17 August 2007 (BST)
:Fantastic work on getting the template to work. For a custom font size, try using the [[Template:Z|Z template]], although I don't know if it'll work within another template. As for your second question, kinda don't have time right now, I'll be able to work on it tomorrow. I hope I was of some help. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 04:25, 17 August 2007 (BST)

==Float==
I have seen "float" followed by an alignment signifier (left, right, etc.) in some code that I've looked at. What is the purpose of such a formatting command? Is it relevant? Is it useful? Does it eat spaghetti for supper on Thursdays? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:54, 10 June 2007 (BST)
:Could you show me an example? --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 15:43, 10 June 2007 (BST)
::No problem. The following snippet was pulled from {{usr|Dux Ducis}}'s main page:
<nowiki>{| style="border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 0; float: right; font-size: 90%; margin: 0em 0.5em; width: 35%"</nowiki>
<br>
::--{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 16:04, 11 June 2007 (BST)
:::Oh, right. The float code is quite similar to the alignment code. In fact, I'd say that they're just about the same in practice. Let me show you an example using a picture. Look at this pic:
:::[[Image:Dead.gif|100px]]
:::I'm sure you recognize the UrbanDead logo. One can float it by adding a little bit of code to it. You merely change this:
:::<nowiki>[[Image:Dead.gif|100px]]</nowiki>
:::To:
:::<nowiki>[[Image:Dead.gif|100px|right]]</nowiki>
:::Which makes:
[[Image:Dead.gif|100px|right]]
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
:::Now, using the alignment template, you basically obtain the same effect. This:
:::<nowiki>{| align="right"
|[[Image:Dead.gif|100px]]
|}</nowiki>
:::Makes:
{| align="right"
|[[Image:Dead.gif|100px]]
|}
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
:::Pretty much the same thing. It seems like the float makes the pic move a little farther right, but it's not by much. I'm sure there's some other minor nuance between them, not to mention using float within a large template would be simpler than alignment, but, for the most part, no difference. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 18:28, 11 June 2007 (BST)
::::Oh, ok. So it's mainly for use within more complex strings of wikicode? That seems to make sense. Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:44, 12 June 2007 (BST)

==Dots==
This may seem silly, but how does one go about making those little dots (like the ones separating links in [[user:pedentic/nav|my nav bar]]? Up to this point, I've just copied and pasted them. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 15:14, 15 June 2007 (BST)
:Look at the "Del" button on the number pad on the right side of your keyboard. There it is! --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 15:36, 15 June 2007 (BST)
::Huh...never noticed that before. Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 05:13, 16 June 2007 (BST)

==Archives==
Is there a standard for archive pages? Particularly: If I wanted, say, to make an archive for my [[user talk:Pedentic|talk page]] should it be a subpage of the talk page itself, or a subpage of my main user page? Does it even matter? I guess I'm just asking if there's a ''right'' way of doing it. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 05:17, 16 June 2007 (BST)
:I suppose there is no ''right'' way, but generally it is a subpage of your main page. That way if you store anything other than old discussion topics it won't seem strange. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 05:26, 16 June 2007 (BST)
::My you're fast! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 05:35, 16 June 2007 (BST)

==Web links==
This is not a wiki question persay, but do you happen to know how to do a piped link for a webpage in the game settings? All mine says is "{{c|HotPink|link}}", and that is kind of annoying. Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:33, 21 June 2007 (BST)
:Good, an easy one. [http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/7360/pipedlinkbq2.png Click here.] --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 03:59, 21 June 2007 (BST)
::Easy indeed! Thanks! More questions pending... --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:29, 21 June 2007 (BST)

==Slowdown==
In case you haven't noticed, I've not posted here for about a week. It's not that I've mastered everything (far from it!), but rather that I've become very busy with life in general. I will still post here, but probably not very often for a while. At this point I am very much trying to keep [[mom|my group's page]] up to date, as we're getting a new member just about every day! Also, sorry if my basic plagiarism of a template offends you. I <s>stole copied used</s> ''borrowed'' it for my own talk page/sanity. Anyhow, thanks for all the help you've been! There will be more questions, just not for a while probably. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:04, 30 June 2007 (BST)
:That's fine. If you haven't seen my user page, I'll be less active until the 25<sup>th</sup> of July anyway. Anytime you have a question, I'll still be here to answer it. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 16:28, 30 June 2007 (BST)

==Backgrounds==
I'm back. Woohoo. Anyhow...how does one go about making a background color for one's user page? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 02:42, 23 July 2007 (BST)
:Wow, been a while. Anyway, for a simple background color, simply place the following where you would like your background color to begin and <nowiki></div span></nowiki> where you would like it to end:
:<nowiki>
<div style="background-color:black; border:0px black; padding:1px; color:#000000">
</div span>
</nowiki>
:Which makes this (just highlight):
<div style="background-color:black; border:0px black; padding:1px; color:#000000>
:Nice, eh?
</div span>
:I've also added options for padding and border changes, like in templates. Anything else I can do for you? --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 16:34, 23 July 2007 (BST)
::Not at the moment. I've got to go try it out on my user and subpages. Thanks much, sir. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 18:46, 23 July 2007 (BST)
:::Ummm...when I try to put a background to my userpage using the code you included, it looks awfully odd. Suddenly some text keeps its white background, and the character box gains some white edging. Any ideas? I've left the page looking weird. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 12:21, 24 July 2007 (BST)
::::Ach, using templates within templates can make some weird results. Try as I might, I couldn't get either border to go away, but the white border around the text will leave if you remove the center template you're using. If I had the time, I ''might'' think of something, but it's simply not there. Sorry, but perhaps someone with a bit more experience will be able to help you. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 16:50, 24 July 2007 (BST)
:::::I'm such an idiot. I couldn't believe that I hadn't forgotten about the most simplistic way of centering text using <nowiki><center></center></nowiki>. Well, at least your text is fine, but I don't know what to do about your character box. Sorry about going ahead and editing your page, I just got a little excited figuring out a way to fix the text... --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 16:39, 25 July 2007 (BST)
::::::Hey, I have no problem with you making my page work properly. This time....Nah, it's fine. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 22:58, 26 July 2007 (BST)

==Order of Operations==
I should like to fix [[Special:DoubleRedirects|these pages]] but do not know how to best go about it. Here's what I was thinking:
:1) Change the first redirect to point to the end page
:2) Put the second (now bypassed) redirect up for deletion
However, the second redirects have better page titles (in my opinion). So should I:
:1) Edit the pages that link to the first redirect to link to the second
:2) Put up the first redirect for deletion
What do you think? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 22:58, 26 July 2007 (BST)
:I think you should have all pages that link to the first redirect changed to the second redirect and put the first up for deletion. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 20:59, 27 July 2007 (BST)

==Pictures as links==
Is it somehow possible to use a picture as a link?  Specifically, I'm thinking about replacing the ''MM'' in my signature with a mini version of my group logo. In short, I'ml trying to make a picture into a link. How might this be done? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 23:18, 7 August 2007 (BST)
:Sure, just use a redirect, as is the case with [[User:Zombie slay3r|Zombie slay3r's]] [http://wiki.urbandead.com/index.php?title=Image:ZombieSlay3rSig.png&redirect=no sig]. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 02:19, 8 August 2007 (BST)

==<nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki> and Such==
I am trying to update my group's [[recruitment]] ad to comply with the new rules, and came across [[Ackland Mall Security/Recruitment|the AMS']] ad. What is the purpose of the <nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki> in the middle? Does it denote a user-defined value in a template? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 22:46, 22 August 2007 (BST)
:That's just for the timestamp. Fancy.--{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 22:56, 22 August 2007 (BST)
::A timestemp? How does <nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki> denote a timestamp? Also, how would I go about allowing for user input when making a template? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:24, 23 August 2007 (BST)
:::Ach, you gave me an edit conflict :P Anyway, the {{{1}}} doesn't denote a timestamp, it's just a place to put it. Frankly, anything could go there, but as that is for recruitment, a time stamp is obviously the best choice. When making a template, adding {{{1}}}, {{{2}}}, and so forth merely makes a section for individual user input, depending on who is making use of the template. If you were going to call a template that had a {{{1}}} and {{{2}}} in the template, one would do so like this:
:::<nowiki>{{TemplateName|SomethingHere|SomethingElse}}</nowiki>
:::When you saved (or previewed) you would find that "SomethingHere" and "SomethingElse" would appear verbatim in the template. Easy. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 03:33, 23 August 2007 (BST)
::::Edit conflict? Ha! I'd do it again if I had the chance....or not. Anyhow, I must admit: I was expecting user input to be a lot more complicated. However, why does the reason in the [[template:cookie]] need "reason=" to work? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:51, 23 August 2007 (BST)
:::::Interesting... it seems as if I've just learned something new. One may substitute the numbers for words, such as {{{reason}}}, as an alternate form of user input. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 05:55, 23 August 2007 (BST)
::::::Yay! New knowledge has been found! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 11:51, 23 August 2007 (BST)

==[[Recruitment]] Ads==
In the interests of recruiting for my group, do you know if I am allowed to put a timestamp in our ad in such a way that it will update itself whenever the page is loaded? I'm thinking along the lines of <nowiki>{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}</nowiki> and the like. Would this be unethical or prohibited? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 21:37, 5 September 2007 (BST)
:Sorry, I highly doubt that would be allowed. As an example, if you did that and your group for some reason became defunct, we would not be able to remove it under the current rules. Also, yeah, I'm thinking pretty unethical as well. Just make a note to update it every once in a while. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 21:48, 5 September 2007 (BST)
::Yeah, I kind of guessed. Anyhow, thanks for the input. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:55, 7 September 2007 (BST)
:::What might <nowiki>{{subst:}}</nowiki> be used for? The [[help:Magic Words|help page]] in that regard is lacking a detailed explanation. Thanks! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:50, 8 September 2007 (BST)
::::Yikes, I don't think I'll be dealing with this too much. If it helps, I've located a rather detailed explanation [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Subst here]. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 06:11, 8 September 2007 (BST)
:::::Wow. That is possibly the most complicated thing I've ever read. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:12, 9 September 2007 (BST)

==Making a Template==
I am trying to make a template the incorporates the suburb danger colors as a graphic. My preliminary work can be found in [[user:Pedentic/Sandbox|my sandbox]]. However, is there some way of making the colored boxes square? The code used to make the boxes I simply copied from [[:Category:Danger Reports]]. Any ideas? --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:10, 20 September 2007 (BST)
:I'm a little confused. You wish to create a template, which I can certainly help you with, but the boxes with color are already square, while the white are rectangles. Could you possibly be more specific? --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 02:29, 21 September 2007 (BST)
::The colored boxes appear rectangular on my screen...anyhow, here's what I envision for the rest of the template: I would like to make the first row span all three columns (I think I figured that bit out), but also have the text aligned to the right. Also, I would like the third column to span the bottom two rows and am having trouble in that respect. I've been going a lot off the [[Help:Tables]] page, but am still getting confused. Your suggestions are appreciated. --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:14, 21 September 2007 (BST)
:::[http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2089/templatemk4.png Is this what you're looking for?] Probably not, but it's the only idea that came to me. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 04:01, 21 September 2007 (BST)
::::That's close. The only difference is that the only text would be at the top and in the third column. Also, I see square boxes in that pictures. On my screen, the ones in the table are rectangular, but the one underneath is square. Perhaps I should switch to Firefox... --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 03:58, 22 September 2007 (BST)

==Notice of Slowdown==
With the assumption that you haven't noticed, I've not used this page for quite some time (roughly 2 months). That is because I feel that I now know enough to handle myself and my self-appointed duties on the wiki. I thank you, as your aid has been invaluable. Be assured that I will contact you should a new question ever arise. Again, thank you. Have a wonderful day! --{{User:Pedentic/Sig}} 04:56, 1 December 2007 (UTC)
:But of course. If you ever need anything, my talk page is always open. --{{User:The Surgeon General/sig}} 05:54, 1 December 2007 (UTC)