Star Trek Expanded Universe:FAQs

This page attempts to answer frequently asked questions new editors may have regarding editing, formatting, and policies. If your question isn't answered here, feel free to leave a message on Hailing Frequencies, our forum, and someone will be more than willing to help you out.

How do I...?

Images

How do I upload an image?

On the left sidebar, there should be a section with the name "toolbox" (located directly under the "search" box). The third option in that section is "upload file". Click on that and follow the directions on the screen.

Note that the upload feature is available only to registered users.

How do I link to images?

To link to an image, the following format is used: [[Image:(image name).(image extention)]]. You can also set the size in pixels and whether the image appears on the left or right side of the screen (see example below).

You can link to an image in thumbnail format or non-thumbnail format. Usually, the only time non-thumbnails are used are in the lead infobox template.

For example, here we use a picture of the United Federation of Planets to illustrate the difference between thumbnail and non-thumbnail pictures.

Example 1 (non-thumbnail): [[Image:UFP Flag.jpg|150px|left]]

Example 2 (thumbnail picture): [[Image:UFP Flag.jpg|150px|right|Thumbnail picture of UFP emblem]]

File:UFP Flag.jpg

File:UFP Flag.jpg

Thumbnail picture of UFP emblem

How do I link to an image without including it in the page?

Simply add a colon to the beginning of the internal link.

For instance:
[[:Image:UFP Flag.jpg]]

produces this:
Image:UFP Flag.jpg

How do I make an image gallery?

To make an image gallery, use the <gallery> tag, then list the images (one on each line) that you want to display.

• Example (starship gallery):

<gallery>
Image:Akira Class.jpg|USS Akira
Image:Constellation Class.jpg|USS Constellation
Image:Miranda Class.jpg|USS Miranda
Image:Norway Class.jpg|USS Norway
Image:Oberth Class.jpg|USS Oberth
</gallery>

turns into this:

USS Akira

USS Constellation

USS Miranda

USS Norway

USS Oberth

Note: Don't forget to put ship names in italics, like so: USS Enterprise.

Signatures

How do I sign my name at the end of my posts?

To sign your name at the end of your posts, type four tildes.

• Example: ~~~~ should produce STEU User's name

How do I make a totally nifty custom signature?

To make a custom signature, first make a subpage to your userpage (see below if you don't know how) called User:(Your username)/sig. On that page, add a link to your userpage, and edit your username as you want it to appear in your signature, maybe adding color, a picture or a link to your talk page.

After you've fixed up your custom sig to your liking, you now (quite obviously) want to display it. To do so, save your creation, then go to your preferences screen in the upper right hand corner. In the "Nickname" field (right under your email address), add {{SUBST:User:(yourname)/sig}}, make sure that "Raw signature" is checked, and save. Now when you sign your name, your sig should be replaced by your custom sig.

• Example: Take a look at others' signatures for an example of code to use. If you find one you like, you can take a look at the source by adding "/sig" at the end of the user in question's user page.

Templates

How do I create a template?

If you need assistance in creating a template, you can ask Kevin W., Sasoriza or Sneg.

How do I use a template?

Most templates can be found here. Several templates have talk pages explaining how to use them. Once again if you need help ask the admins or other users here at STEU.

Userboxes

How do I create a userbox?

See Template:User infobox and Template:Userbox container.

Userpages

How do I create my userpage?

To create your userpage, you first have to sign up for an account. After you have signed up and logged in, you should see your account name in the upper right hand corner (assuming you are using the default skin). Click on it and you will be taken to a blank page.

Once you are on the blank page, click on the "edit" tab and edit to your heart's content.

How do I make a subpage for my userpage?

To make a subpage for your userpage, add a slash after your username, then add the name of the page you want to create.

• Example: To create a user subpage called FUBAR, on your userpage, you would type: [[User:STEU User's Name/FUBAR]], then preview (or save) the page. Once the page is previewed/saved, click on the subpage link just created, and edit it.

Where can I...?

Where can I find userbox templates for my userpage?

A list of community-approved userbox templates can found here.