Help:Testing
Before commiting to a change, one should test it first.
Changes to a page[edit]
There is a "Show preview" button near the submit button. One should check to make sure that the links are correct and the spelling is correct. Substitution can also be checked using "Show changes".
Spelling[edit]
linuxquestions.org appears to have a spelling checker in their modified version of MediaWiki. Also, one can use Firefox, Konqueror, Internet Explorer or Opera with a spelling check extension to check spelling within the browser window.
Testing features of existing software on one of the regular projects[edit]
This applies anyway for tests that depend on settings which are different per project, such as:
- interlanguage links (software feature)
- case-sensitivity of the first character
- character encoding
- enabling of embedding images in other projects and images outside Wikimedia
- MediaWiki:Monobook.css, etc.
- tests depending on other content, such as templates, images
- tests depending on project-specific variables such as namespace prefixes
It can be done:
- in special pages such as Meta:Sandbox
- on user pages and subpages
- using Preview - this can not be used to test how a change in a page affects another page, such as when changing a template; to test automatic conversion of wikitext, the new wikitext can be seen pressing Show changes. Automatic conversion of special characters to their decimal numeric codes is seen in the edit box.
A test involving variable {{PAGENAME}}, e.g. a link to an image or another page with a name containing {{PAGENAME}}, can be done on the Talk page, since the value of the variable is the same on that page.
Sysops testing the available links and how things work for ordinary logged-in users can log in under another name, or in a project for which they are not a sysop.
Test wiki[edit]
An advantage is that is does not interfere with, or clutter, the regular projects. The project may be reset, or history may otherwise be lost, so one has to save elsewhere what one wants to keep.
See also[edit]
Links to other help pages[edit]
- Help contents
- Meta · Wikinews · Wikipedia · Wikiquote · Wiktionary · Commons: · Wikidata · MediaWiki · Wikibooks · Wikisource · MediaWiki: Manual · Google
- Versions of this help page (for other languages see further)
- What links here on Meta or from Meta · Wikipedia · MediaWiki
- Reading
- Go · Search · Stop words · Namespace · Page name · Section · Backlinks · Redirect · Category · Image page · Special pages · Printable version
- Tracking changes
- Recent changes (enhanced) | Related changes · Watching pages · Diff · Page history · Edit summary · User contributions · Minor edit · Patrolled edit
- Logging in and preferences
- Logging in · Preferences · User style
- Editing
- Starting a new page · Advanced editing · Editing FAQ · Edit toolbar · Export · Import · Shortcuts · Edit conflict · Page size
- Referencing
- Links · URL · Piped links · Interwiki linking · Footnotes
- Style and formatting
- Wikitext examples · CSS · Reference card · HTML in wikitext · Formula · List · Table · Sorting · Colors · Images and file uploads
- Fixing mistakes
- Show preview · Testing · Reverting edits
- Advanced functioning
- Expansion · Template · Advanced templates · Parser function · Parameter default · Variable · System message · Substitution · Array · Calculation · Embed page
- Others
- Special characters · Renaming (moving) a page · Preparing a page for translation · Talk page · Signatures · Sandbox · Legal issues for editors