This page exemplifies trickier Wikipedia syntax you might need to use. Feel free to edit source and copy it as needed.
Permanent links and diffs
editEvery time you save/publish a page, you create a new version in its history -- designated by the oldid number seen in the page's URL/addressbar.
In Wikipedia discussion, you often need to reference versions ("permalink") of a page and the differences ("diffs") between them using the oldid. There's a few ways to do this. I like to use Special:Permalink and Special:Diff, you can also use an external link (placing a complete URL in single brackets, which shows the external icon "
".) For example:
- a version ("permalink") of a page: Special:Permalink/623998644 or [1].
- the difference ("diff") between
- two versions (i.e.,
oldids): Special:Diff/623998644/927024688 or [2] . - a version and its previous: Special:Diff/623998644/prev or [3] .
- a version and the current version: Special:Diff/623998644/cur or [4] .
- two versions (i.e.,
And you can, of course, use a nicer name for any of these links.
Citations
editAs I describe elsewhere, I prefer the {{sfn}} template for citations. If you are using the VisualEditor or {{cite}} template, you'll have to do the following.
Citing with a page number
editThe brontosaurus is thin at the head.[1]: 5 Then it becomes much thicker in the middle.[1]: 7 Then thin again at the tail[1]: 9
- ^ a b c Elk, Anne (November 16, 1972). Anne Elk's Theory on Brontosauruses.
Indirect citation
editThe Ultrasaurus has a long neck.[1]: 43
- ^ Dilinger (1968) as cited in Elk, Anne (November 16, 1972). Anne Elk's Theory on Brontosauruses.
[In this case, we read in Elk (on page 5) claimed that Dilinger (1968) reported that the Ultrasaurus had a long neck.]