Help:How to fix your signature: Difference between revisions

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{{Shortcut|WP:SIGHELP|WP:FIXSIG}}

Recent changes on the version of the [[MediaWiki]] software running Wikipedia altered the way signatures work. If your signature is not working now (but was working previously), check the following:

RecentChanges changesmade in November 2005 onto the version of the [[MediaWiki]] software running Wikipedia altered the way [[WP:SIG|signatures]] work. If your signature is not working now (but was working previously), checkyou thewill followingneed to make some changes to your [[Special:Preferences|Preferences]] page.

===You are not using "raw signatures"===

===YouIf you are not using "raw signatures"===

You probably were using the following trick:

MediaWiki makes the creation of simple, straightforward signatures relatively easy. For example, if User:Example wants a signature that displays as [[User:Example|Example]], he would simply have to enter "Example" in the Signature field in [[Special:Preferences|Preferences]]. The software automatically places "Example" in <nowiki>[[User:Example|</nowiki>''here''<nowiki>]]</nowiki>, to form <nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]]</nowiki>. When saved in a page, this markup displays as "[[User:Example|Example]]". [[WP:HEP#Wiki_markup|Wiki markup]] and [[HTML element|HTML markup]] ''do not'' function in the Signature field, ''unless'' the "'''Treat the above as [[wiki markup]]'''" option is checked in [[Special:Preferences|Preferences]].

For example, placing the following in the default Signature field

<code>:<nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] : [[User talk:Example|Talk]]</nowiki></code>

will result in a signature that looks like

:[[User:Example|<nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] : [[User talk:Example|Talk]]</nowiki>]] ([[User talk:Example|talk]])

instead of

:[[User:Example|Example]] : [[User talk:Example|Talk]]

This will not work anymore,is sincebecause wikiWiki markup (and HTML markup) isare notnow allowedescaped onas "simple"HTML signaturesentities (itwhen isplaced escapedin asthe HTMLdefault entitiesSignature field, e.g. <nowiki>&amp;#91; instead of <nowiki>[.</nowiki>).

If you would like a signature that requires markup within the Signature field, please check the "Treat the above as wiki markup" option and enter the ''full'' signature string into the field.

To fix it, add the code which was automatically added (<code><nowiki>[[User:Example|</nowiki></code> to the beginning and <code><nowiki>]]</nowiki></code> to the end) and turn on "raw signatures".

For instance, to produce the signature

===You are using "raw signatures"===

:[[User:Example|Example]] : [[User talk:Example|Talk]]

place

:<nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] : [[User talk:Example|Talk]]</nowiki>

within the Signature field and check the "Treat the above as wiki markup" option.

===YouIf you are using "raw signatures"===

You will probably be seeing the following message when looking at your preferences:

If you have been using "raw signatures" all along but find that your signature is now not working, you may find the following message displayed in your [[Special:Preferences|preferences]]:

:''<span style="color:red;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:larger;">Invalid raw signature; check HTML tags.''</span>

This means you are using invalid markup on your signature. Some possible causes with their corresponding solutions:

;Unclosed tags :If you are opening a tag without the corresponding closing tag (for instance: <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<fontspan colorstyle="color:white">Example]]</nowiki>),<br/code>), you should close the tag (for instance: <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<fontspan colorstyle="color:white">Example</fontspan>]]</nowiki>).<br/code>). It's also a good idea to put the tags outside the link if possible (for instance: <code><nowiki><fontspan colorstyle="whitefont-family: serif">[[User:Example|Example]]</fontspan></nowiki></code>).

;Mismatched or incorrectly nested tags :If the tags are mismatched (for instance: <code><nowiki><s><u>hi</s></u></nowiki></code>), fix them (for instance: <code><nowiki><s><u>hi</u></s></nowiki></code>).

;Unquoted attributes :It's also recommended to use quotes on all attributes (for.<br/>For instance, use <code><nowiki><fontspan colorstyle="color:white"></fontspan></nowiki></code> instead of <code><nowiki><fontspan colorstyle=color:white></fontspan></nowiki></code>).

;Unclosed entities :If you have aan [[HTML entity]] which is lacking the final <codenowiki>;</codenowiki>, you need to add it; if you have a bare <codenowiki>&amp;</codenowiki>, it must be replaced by <codenowiki>&amp;amp;</codenowiki> (a bare <codenowiki>&amp;</codenowiki> is always a mistake in either HTML or wikicode).

;Unescaped special characters :If you are using one of <nowiki>&amp;</nowiki>, <nowiki>&lt;</nowiki> or <nowiki>&gt;</nowiki> and want it shown as text, it must be escaped as <nowiki>&amp;amp;</nowiki>, <nowiki>&amp;lt;</nowiki> or <nowiki>&amp;gt;</nowiki> respectively.

* Do not use a table. A table causes the signature to display on more than one line. Use span instead.

==Wikilink behavior==

Remember that ''all'' wikilinks show up as [[{{FULLPAGENAME}}|bold black text]] on the page they link to. So if you are testing your signature on your userpage/talk page and the user/talk part of it doesn't show up as a link, that may be why.

==A note on long signatures==

The markup for your signature is visible in the edit window; if it is too long, it makes editing the page harder. Try to keep the markup length below about one line of text. Also, the signature length is, since 13 June 2006, restricted to 255 [[byte]]s ([[phab:T10458|T10458]], [[rev:22960|r22960]]), later changed to 255 [[codepoint|character]]s ([[phab:T12338|T12338]], [[rev:23389|r23389]]).

[[Category:Wikipedia how-to|Signature]]