Problems creating wiki categories that actually do any thing (from Talk:Page Creation Information)

[Matt Larkin (author)]

For a look at a simple but well-done side menu, check out Eclipse's Oververse template (the member Eclipse, not my setting).

You can copy his code and just fill in the specific names you want with Panisadore stuff.

Understanding is overrated ;)

[Snargash Moonclaw]

Thanks for the explanation - that gives me material to work with - without of a manual I *can* get quite a lot out of a primer if derived from a reasonably expansive Rosetta Stone. . . Templates and tables will both be useful - as can be seen from how I've been brute forcing the individual Deities entries to get


 [blockquote[This raw entry]4 Renosha

Title: Associated Phenomenon: The twin comets Alignment: LN Rank: Demigod Race: Human Gender: F Symbol: A red rose with prominent thorns held in eagle's talons Weapon: Wakazashi Totem: Portfolio: Family, Home, Marriage, (Familial) Property Domains: Home, Law, Community, Healing Associated Orders: The Bright Suns Description: Renosha represents the ideals and virtues associated with the spouse of a samurai, who manages the family and household, as well as the property granted by the lord whom her spouse serves. It should be noted that the two roles are considered equal and not exclusive to either gender, being the complimentary functions of a proper, married couple. [/blockquote]


 [blockquote[to look like this when formatted]1 Dashin

Title: Mother of the Myriad Things
Associated Phenomenon: Nature
Alignment: N(G)
Rank: Greater        
Race: All                    
Gender: F
Symbol: Golden beehive on a green disk            
Weapon: Sickle              
Totem: Bee
Portfolio: Nature    
Domains: Animal, Plant, Protection, Healing, Destruction, Repose
Associated Orders: Druid Groves, Turners of the Wheel, (Wild Hunt)

Description: While often anthropomorphized, she is generally considered by her worshipers as a much more abstract being; perceived as the source of all that exists. In conjunction with her husband, Wu Jai, she is viewed as the receptive yin principle giving form to the energizing yang principle which he represents. While nature is essentially neutral, most view her as good, particularly in light of her opposition to her sister Gaurashiage. [/blockquote]


(the forum editor is suppressing the wiki markup bolding of field names in both examples) I've had to use a space after each <return> (at start of each next line) to get each line to remain discrete, and as a result the tabular field section at the start of each entry now shows up in a box the wiki automatically produces, however the original word processor text has multiple fields on each line using <tab>s to spread it out. Current form in the wiki is quite legible, placing multiple fields on a single line via a table will simple reduce page length and help entries with longer descriptive text remain within a single window frame when read. (Took months for me to even find out how to get it to look like it does now!) Some other entries do have material originally presented in a table format proper though that I've had a hell of a time getting to look even vaguely understandable
 
[blockquote[partial Orders and Societies entry]8 Lyricists, (a.k.a., 'Those Damn Poets' in regions where they are particularly active), Formally: Trinitarians

Symbol: spiral triskelion of red, blue and green on a white disk Churches: Hebnaritath, Thelema Membership: R, L . . .

. . .Lyric clerics are divided among four Cantos, each of which is represented by a distinct color. Each Canto has a specific set of Domains and an associated weapon as follows:

Canto Strophe (Shalireah) Antistrophe (Hebnaritath) Epode (Thelema) Weapon


Orange Creation Destruction Force Staff


Yellow Sun Darkness Balance Unarmed


Black Healing Death Fate Fencing blade


Purple Renewal Time Liberation Chain

[/blockquote]

has been the best I could do with it.

Again - thanks, now I can play with the pieces and see what I can do with them.

[Wensleydale]

Is there a template similar to the side menu seen above, but with details that can be entered elsewhere from the code? I take for an example (and this is a reasonable idea of what I'm looking for) the 'Part of a series on...' in actual wikipedia (see //www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism for an example). If I was capable of coding it I would, but I'm just wondering whether there's one already floating about.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

No, you would need to make a new template that you could just put on every page.  Phoenix' suggestion of just copying the Oververse code and replacing things with your links is probably the best way to go.

[Wensleydale]

No, you would need to make a new template that you could just put on every page.  Phoenix' suggestion of just copying the Oververse code and replacing things with your links is probably the best way to go.

Okay, I'll do that. Thanks, Ishy.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Snargash, if you want me to look into creating a banner/menu for you let me know. I'm not as up on formatting as Ish or sparkle, but I think I can get the basics going.

[Snargash Moonclaw]

That would be helpful - thanks. I really just need something simple and clear along the same lines as the categories I've been trying to use which can be easily modified as more are added or changed. I can then copy it to deeper pages to produce sub-menus on them with links to more specific topics they encompass. The Intro (main) page will probably get trimmed and portions now in it moved a layer deeper as "General Info & Background" or the like. Including a "Page Index" link in all versions of the menu going to the Panisadore Category page and one in subsequent menus going to the designated (sub)category pages as indexes of relevant pages should make it easy to navigate. I can put "See Also" topics along with "References" & "External Links" as needed at the bottoms of any pages as in Wikipedia to navigate to pages in parallel category (e.g. Races/Cultures across to pertinent Geographical Regions/Nations/Locations, etc.)

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Well, I was thinking of trying a simple right-side menu like Oververse.

But for what you're talking about, I think maybe the same kind of plan I had for Eschaton might work better: A top main menu for each broad category.

Then a separate template for a submenu in each category (I'd set up one to show you how).

The other option is a main menu which leads to portals, the way Ish has Memory Fading set up.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

SM, I created the page "Template:Panisadore." I don't know enough about your setting to know what image to use, so I made generic stone-like text.

As far as your links, I've included a couple of types to show how it could work.

This section: [quote="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"
|- valign="middle" align="center"
| width="100%" style="border: 0px; color: #000; font-size:85%; background-color: #FFFFFF; vertical-align: top; padding: 0em;" |
[[Introduction to Panisadore|Main Page]] ~
[[:Category:Regions (Panisadore)|Regions]] ~
{{L|Races}} ~
{{L|Panisadore Power Groups|Power Groups}}
|}[/quote]
creates the menu.

The first link goes to your main page so it should be good (I'd always call your main page just the name of your setting but it's your choice if you rename it--if you do, just change the link).

The second link shows you how to link directly to a category, which I think is what you wanted.

The {{L|Races}} is how it should work. But for this to work, you need to actually create a page called Panisadore (Races), not just a category (then add Category:Races at the bottom so it works syncs up with the rest of the wiki).

I'd suggest making each of your main menu categories as broad as possible while still specific enough to have a page for them.

For this to work, add {{Panisadore}} to the top of every page (you can replace {{Setting|Panisadore}} with this text since the Panisadore template applies the setting template. It also adds Category:Panisadore to all pages it's applied to, so you don't need to type that on every page.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

You might also consider having no table of contents added to the template, since you're creating your own menus.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I created a very simple right floating submenu {{PanisadoreSociology}} with links to calendar and languages. That should show you how to create other such submenus for whatever broad categories you want to create. I didn't know if you actually wanted a Sociology category, but if you do, you can add a sociology page with links to the main menu.

My experience is that simpler is better when possible. I found with Eclipse, for example, I didn't need submenus.

Edit: Check it out on the Calendar page.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Ish personally likes his wiki pages having a unique look to them, so let's go with the Oververse method ;)

(Not to be a grouch or anything, but I (and others on the wiki) are trying to distinguish my wiki look from others).

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Ish personally likes his wiki pages having a unique look to them, so let's go with the Oververse method ;)

(Not to be a grouch or anything, but I (and others on the wiki) are trying to distinguish my wiki look from others).

You mean you want me to change everything to a right menu, or use a right menu over portals for his submenu idea (which is slightly problematic in a wiki anyway).

[Lmns Crn]

Ish personally likes his wiki pages having a unique look to them,

It's been a while since I checked the Memory Fading wiki pages, but {expletive deleted}, they are gorgeous!

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I was waiting for the conversion to finish before really looking them over. Different than the Shadowfell look?