Help:How to fix your signature: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:55, 16 November 2005

Revision as of 01:00, 16 November 2005

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{{shortcut|[[WP:SIGHELP]]}}

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), checkyou themake followingneed to make some changes to your "[[Special:Preferences|my preferences]]" page.

===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 Nickname field in [[Special:Preferences|my preferences]]. The software automatically places <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|</nowiki></code> in front of and <code>]]</code> behind the entry, to form <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]]</nowiki></code>; this escapes as [[User:Example|Example]].

With recent changes to the software, more complex signatures cannot be set this way. [[WP:HEP#Wiki_markup|Wiki markup]] and [[HTML element|HTML markup]] ''do not'' function in the Nickname field any longer, ''unless'' the <code>Raw signatures</code> option is checked in [[Special:Preferences|preferences]].

You probably were using the following trick:

For example, placing the following in the Nickname field (without checking raw signatures)

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

will result in a signature that looks like

:[[User:Example|Example]] &#124; &#91;&#91;User_talk:Example&#124;Talk]]

instead of

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

This will not work anymore,is sincebecause wikiWiki markup (and HTML markup) isare not allowedrecognised onin "simple"the signaturesdefault (itNickname isfield any longer, and are escaped as HTML entities, e.g. <code>&amp;#91;</code> instead of <code><nowiki>[</nowiki></code>). If you would like a signature that requires markup within the Nickname field, please check the <code>Raw signatures</code> option and enter the ''full'' signature string into the field. For instance, to produce the signature

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

place

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".

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

within the Nickname field and check <code>Raw signatures</code>.

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

YouIf willyou probablyhave bebeen seeingusing "raw signatures" all along, you may see the following message when looking at your [[Special:Preferences|preferences]]:

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

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

:''Invalid raw signature; check HTML tags.''

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|<font color="white">Example]]</nowiki></code>), you should close the tag (for instance: <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<font color="white">Example</font>]]</nowiki></code>). It's also a good idea to put the tags outside the link if possible (for instance: <code><nowiki><font color="white">[[User:Example|Example]]</font></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 instance, use <code><nowiki><font color="white"></font></nowiki></code> instead of <code><nowiki><font color=white></font></nowiki></code>).

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