Help:How to fix your signature: Difference between revisions

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

Changes made 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), you will need to make some changes to your "[[Special:Preferences|my preferencesPreferences]]" page.

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

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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

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

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 is because Wiki markup (and HTML markup) are now escaped as HTML entities when placed in the default Signature field, e.g. <nowiki>&amp;#91; instead of [.</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.

For instance, to produce the signature

:[[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.

==If you are using "raw signatures"==

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==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 ([[bugzillaphab:8458T10458|bug #8458T10458]], [[rev:22960|r22960]]), later changed to 255 [[codepoint|character]]s ([[bugzillaphab:10338T12338|bug #10338T12338]], [[rev:23389|r23389]]).

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