Help:Wiki University--Sandbox





<< Previous Chapter Next Chapter >>

Uses of Sandbox pages



 * A user's sandbox page can be used for notes, practice wikitext, develop new material, etc.
 * Nothing you create affects any page in the Wiki.
 * Users may create as many sandbox pages as they need.
 * You can download pages from the Wiki into your sandbox pages, make changes or experiment without affecting the original page.

Getting help

 * If you are having trouble with some of the coding, you can have others look at your sandbox page to see if they can spot the problem and help you. [[file:helping.jpg|right|200px]]

The real value of sandbox pages

 * Suppose you have been asked to look at a page and it is all messed up and you can't see right a way what the problem is?
 * You can copy and paste the entire code of the page into a sandbox page and work with it without changing anything on the original page itself.
 * Another great use is to copy and paste material from other sources to make edits which you can then insert in pages in the Wiki.
 * Ideal place to practice coding, try out new ideas and experiment with different ways to code material.

Select a name for the sandbox page
There are two ways to select a name:
 * Personal Sandbox
 * Click on the "Personal Sandbox" link under the heading Volunteer and Helper or under the heading Tools in the left sidebar.
 * You will then see "User:your user name/Sandbox"
 * After the word "Sandbox" type a / and the title for the page you want to create.


 * How to access your sandbox from the search box
 * Enter the following into the Wiki search box on the right side of the page: "user:your user name/sandbox/name of page you want" (do not include quotation marks).
 * Note: you must enter a slash (/) before and after the word sandbox. For example: User:Johnsmith/Sandbox/wiki missionary homework.

Create the sandbox page

 * After you have typed in the name you want for your sandbox practice page, hit the enter key.
 * If a page already exists by that name, that existing page will be brought to your screen.
 * If a page does not yet exist by that name, a page will appear with the name of the sandbox page and the following words: "There is currently no text in this page. You can search for this page title in other pages, search the related logs, or create this page." (See below for a sample page screen shot.)
 * Click on "create this page" and a blank edit box will appear with the name of the sandbox page displayed at the top.

Save the sandbox page

 * Scroll to the bottom of the blank edit box until you find the Summary box.
 * Enter the phrase: "Create new sandbox", then press the Save page button.
 * Once saved, the page becomes permanent and can only be deleted by someone with the authority to delete pages.

Edit the sandbox page

 * Edit the newly created sandbox page by pressing the Edit source tab at the top of the page.
 * An edit box will again appear in which you can add or modify words, sentences, and images.
 * To preview your changes, click on the Show preview button to the right of the Save page button.
 * To cancel out of the page without changing anything, click on the word Cancel.
 * Note: a simple description of what you changed into the Summary box is a desirable practice when working on Wiki pages, so you might want to get into the habit of doing so.

What else should I know?

 * You can create as many sandbox pages as you want. However, if you get to many, you will probably forget what they were created for.
 * This will be the place to save your homework to refresh your memory when needed from time to time.


 * Just to reiterate, you can experiment in these sandbox pages without fear of messing up the Wiki in general. You can copy the coding from an existing page into your sandbox and edit it to your hearts content, then save it.  Your edits will NOT show up on the actual 'copy-from' page.  Sandbox pages are a common way to learn to edit and be creative without fear.

Try these out
 Quick Quiz
 * Sandboxes are personal pages designed to be used for:


 * A. Personal biography
 * B. Genealogy research
 * C. Practice on the Wiki
 * D. All of the above
 * E. A and B
 * F. B and C

Check your answers

<< Previous Chapter Next Chapter >>