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"==

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 <code>"Example</code>" in the Signature field in [[Special:Preferences|my preferencesPreferences]]. The software automatically places <code>"Example" in <nowiki>[[User:Example|</nowiki>''here''</code> in front of and <codenowiki>]]</codenowiki> behind the entry, to form <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]]</nowiki></code>;. When saved in a page, this escapesmarkup 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 <code>"'''Treat the above as [[wiki markup.</code>]]'''" option is checked in [[Special:Preferences|preferencesPreferences]].

For example, placing the following in the default Signature field

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

will result in a signature that looks like

:[[User:Example|<nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] &#124;: &#91;&#91;User_talk[[User talk:Example&#124;|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. <codenowiki>&amp;#91;</code> instead of <code><nowiki>[.</nowiki></code>.

If you would like a signature that requires markup within the Signature field, please check the <code>Sign"Treat mythe name exactlyabove as shown</code>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

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

within the NicknameSignature field and check <code>the "Treat the above as wiki markup</code>" option.

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

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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:<br /> <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<span style="color:white">Example]]</nowiki>),<br/code>), you should close the tag (for instance: <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<span style="color:white">Example</span>]]</nowiki>).<br/code>). It's also a good idea to put the tags outside the link if possible (for instance: <code><nowiki><span style="font-family: serif">[[User:Example|Example]]</span></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><span style="color:white"></span></nowiki></code> instead of<br /> <code><nowiki><span style=color:white></span></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 <codenowiki>&amp;</codenowiki>, <codenowiki>&lt;</codenowiki>, or <codenowiki>&gt;</codenowiki>, and want it shown as text, it must be escaped as <codenowiki>&amp;amp;</codenowiki>, <codenowiki>&amp;lt;</codenowiki>, or <codenowiki>&amp;gt;</codenowiki>, 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 [[Wp:How to fix your signature{{FULLPAGENAME}}|bold black text]] on the page they link to,. soSo 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 2007-06-13 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]]

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