Wikipedia:About the sandbox: Difference between revisions

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The '''Wikipedia Sandbox''' (which can be found at [[Wikipedia:Sandbox]]) is a [[Wikipedia:Project namespace|Wikipedia namespace]] page designed for testing and experimentation with the [[Wikipedia:How to edit a page|Wiki syntax]]. Sandboxes in other languages can be found in a list on the [[Wikipedia:Sandbox|English Sandbox]], and the [[Wikipedia:Meta|Meta-Wikipedia]] has a Sandbox at [[m:Meta:Sandbox]]. Also, since a Sandbox cannot be used for all forms of testing, there is an entire [http://test.wikipedia.org test Wikipedia] available for use.

{{Information page|WP:ABOUTSAND|H:SANDBOX}}

<!---------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: This page is not the Sandbox! This is a page that

explains what the sandbox is used for. If you want to

practice editing, please do not do so in this edit box.

You can find the actual sandbox by typing WP:SB in the

search bar.

---------------------------------------------------------->

[[File:Wikipedia Sandbox 2020.png|thumb|Image of the sandbox in the Wikipedia namespace showing the page title and sandbox header]]

Sandboxes, such as a user's sandbox or the more frequently edited [[Wikipedia:Sandbox]], are pages designed for testing and experimenting with [[Help:wiki markup|wiki syntax]] and the [[WP:VE|VisualEditor]].

Different Wikipedias (and their Sandboxes) use different forms of [[character encoding]]. For example, the [http://meta.wikipedia.org meta] and the [http://fr.wikipedia.org French Wikipedia] use [[UTF-8]], while the [[Main Page|English Wikipedia]] uses [[ISO 8859-1]]. As a result, the English Sandbox can be used by those who work in a UTF-8 environment to display the multi-character code of [[Help:Special characters|special characters]]. However, while using Sandboxes in other languages may be useful on certain occasions, it is important to keep in mind that, unless [[Wikipedia:Interlanguage links|interwiki links]] are used, each Sandbox can only access the links, images, and templates on that particular Wikipedia.

TheThey Sandboxwere was created as a place with fewer rules and policies than other pages on Wikipedia. For example, thereyou isdon't no needhave to follow the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]] or reach community [[wikipedia:consensus|consensus]] before making a major change. However, itthey [[Wikipedia:Misuse of the sandbox|must not be used for malicious purposes, such as [[Google bomb|googlebombing]], and rulespolicies such as [[Wikipedia:no personal attacks|no personal attacks]], and avoiding direct links to [[shock siteWikipedia:civility|civility]]s, whichand are[[Wikipedia:Copyrights|copyrights]] never(such neededas for[[Wikipedia:non-free testing,content still apply. Also, please do not place offensivecriteria|non-free content incriteria]]) thestill sandboxapply.

If you have an [[wikipedia:Why create an account?|account]], you can create your own sandbox in your [[Wikipedia:userpage|userspace]]. You can find your user sandbox [{{fullurl:Special:Mypage/sandbox|action=edit&preload=Template:User_Sandbox/preload}} here]. If you don't have an account, you can create your sandbox [{{fullurl:Special:Mytalk/sandbox|action=edit&preload=Template:User_Sandbox/preload}} here]. (And if it doesn't exist yet, feel free to create it!) For easy access, there is a link labeled "Sandbox" at the top right of every page on either a user icon menu [[File:OOjs UI icon userAvatar.svg|15px|alt=Image of menu]] or between the "Talk" and "Preferences" links. You can also put {{tl|My sandbox}} on your userpage.

If you are a registered member, you can create your own sandbox in your [[Wikipedia:userpage|userspace]]. For example, if your username was JohnDoe, you could have your very own sandbox at [[User:JohnDoe/sandbox]].

==Creating more sandboxes in your User namespace==

The term "[[Sandbox]]" is an [[Americanism]] for "Sandpit", and is the traditional name for free testing areas in Wiki projects and the like.

To create another sandbox, first make a [[Wikipedia:Subpages|subpage]] to your [[Wikipedia:User pages|user page]] in your [[Wikipedia:User namespace|User namespace]]:

#Decide on a name for the subpage, for example: <code>sandbox2</code>

#Enter the following in the Search box, using your actual username: <code>User:Your username/sandbox2</code>

#Then click on the reply, "Start the User:Your name/sandbox2 page."

#Once the page is created, adding the {{tl|user sandbox}} template onto the subpage designates that page as another sandbox. Unlike your primary sandbox, Wikipedia does not automatically keep a way to link to these, so be sure either to bookmark it or add a link to it on your userpage; you can also use the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:PrefixIndex?&namespace=2 Special:PrefixIndex] special page to display all the subpages of your user page, including sandboxes.

== List of sandboxes ==

=== Wikipedia namespace ===

* [[Wikipedia:Sandbox]]

=== Draft namespace ===

* [[Draft:Sandbox]], for testing with [[WP:VE|VisualEditor]]. It can be activated with VisualEditor by following [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Sandbox&veaction=edit this link].

=== Talk namespace ===

* [[Wikipedia talk:Sandbox]], and the talk pages of all other sandboxes, for testing talk page techniques.

=== User namespace ===

* [[User:Sandbox]], for testing in the user space.

* [[Special:Mypage/sandbox|Your user sandbox]], a personal place to test your editing skills in your own userspace.

=== User talk namespace ===

* [[User talk:Sandbox for user warnings]], for testing semi-automatic user warning tools, such as [[WP:Twinkle|Twinkle]], [[WP:Huggle|Huggle]], and [[WP:RedWarn|RedWarn]].

* [[User talk:192.0.2.16]]: A place to test gadgets on an [[IPv4|IPv4 address]].

* [[User talk:2001:DB8:10:0:0:0:0:1]]: A place to test gadgets on an [[IPv6|IPv6 address]].

=== Template namespace ===

* {{tl|Template sandbox}} and {{tl|X1}} through {{tl|X20}} exist for testing Template-space techniques.

* {{tl|TemplateStyles sandbox}}, for creating and testing pages with the {{mxt|sanitized-css}} content model, which can only be created in the template namespace.

=== Module namespace ===

* Sub-pages of [[Module:Sandbox]], for creating and testing pages with the {{mxt|scribunto}} content model, which can only be created in the module namespace.

=== Category namespace ===

* [[:Category:X1]] to [[:Category:X9]], for testing category techniques.

=== File namespace ===

* [[:File:Image page sandbox.png]], [[:File:Image page sandbox2.png]] to [[:File:Image page sandbox8.png]], and [[:File:Image page sandbox.jpeg]] for testing editing on file description pages.

=== Portal namespace ===

* [[Portal:Sandbox]] and its subpages, such as [[Portal:Sandbox/1]]

=== Other ===

* [[Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/Sandbox]], for testing [[Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser|AutoWikiBrowser]]

* Sandboxes in other languages can be found in a list on the lower left of the [[Wikipedia:Sandbox|English Wikipedia Sandbox]]. Although using sandboxes in other languages may be useful on certain occasions, it is important to keep in mind that, unless [[Help:Interlanguage links|interwiki links]] are used, each Sandbox can only access the links, images, and templates on the Wikipedia in which it is located.

== Bots ==

Some sandboxes are set up to be automatically cleaned by [[User:Cyberbot I|Cyberbot I]], while some automatically have the sandbox header template re-added by [[User:Hazard-Bot|Hazard-Bot]].

== See also ==

* [[Help:My sandbox]]

* [[Wikipedia:Sandbox/Archive]] – contains earlier history of the main Wikipedia sandbox (along with relevant links)

* [[Wikipedia:Template sandbox and test cases]] – usage of sandboxes in testing of template changes

* [[testwiki:|Testwiki]], a test version of Wikipedia on which significant code in JavaScript and CSS can be tested

[[Category:Wikipedia edit window help|Sandbox, About the]]

[[Category:Wikipedia editor help]]

{{Sandbox heading/Navigation|state=expanded}}