Help:Main page

This is for help with editing the XBMC Wiki. For help with XBMC Media Center, please see XBMC Online Manual.

1 Wiki editing 101

Here's some wiki editing 101 links from MediaWiki.org and Wikipedia. Most things that work on Wikipedia should also work on the XBMC Wiki. If you see a feature or template on Wikipedia that you would like to use here then let us know on the XBMC help forum for website issues or Talk:Main Page.

• mw:Help:Editing pages
• w:Help:Contents/Editing Wikipedia
• w:Wikipedia:FAQ/Editing
• w:Wikipedia:Cheatsheet
• mw:Help:Starting a new page
• mw:Help:Images

2 Tools

• Category:Templates- formatting and message templates that you can use on pages for various things.
• Gadgets- Go to the top of any page and click on "My preferences -> Gadgets" and check out some of the additional editing tools there, especially the wikEd option
• Special:SpecialPages contains a number of tools and reports to help with editing.
• Some additional functions on this wiki are documented via links at Special:Version.
• YouTube- To embed youtube videos (XBMC related videos only!) use {{youtube|ID}} where id= is the YouTube ID from the URL. For example, {{youtube|4NR57ELY28s}}. You can also define |height= and |width= (default is 569x320).
• Like/PlusOne- Add a Facebook Like or a Google PlusOne to a specific wiki page, ether in reference to the page itself or the topic the page is about. The tags are: {{Like}}, {{Recommend}}, {{PlusOne}}. Click on their links for more info.

3 Types of pages

Think of this as a basic idea/guideline and not really anything strict

• General topics (main namespace)- Anything that is a general overview of a topic. This can be main manual pages, a page for a remote control, a page for a specific hardware part, a supplemental tool/program, or just about anything XBMC related. Some pages might be a manual-type page explaining something in XBMC, or it could be something just XBMC-related and just serving as a basic info page + bookmarks.
• XBMC Manual- Core XBMC manual/help pages. Can be in several namespaces. See Category:XBMC Manual
• FAQs- Question/common topic and answers. See Category:FAQ and Template:FAQ
• HOW-TO:- How-to's some manual pages will simply be both general pages and a how-to page, or be paired with a how-to page. Pages in the HOW-TO: namespace should be just just for step-by-step how to's. For how-to's within a general topic page, just use the main namespace. Some how-to's are apart of the main manual, and others are more specific. We welcome any how-to's that people feel would be useful. See Category:How-to.
• Add-ons:- Add-ons, skins, etc. Great for Add-on developers and users alike. See Category:All add-ons. Examples of good add-on pages include: Add-on:YouTube, Add-on:BlipTV, Add-on:iPlayer, Add-on:PleXBMC, Add-on:Common plugin cache. Subpages (if needed) can be made with a slash (/) in the name.
• Development- Pages for developers or really advanced topics. Includes Skin and Add-on development. Can be in several namespaces. See Category:Development
• User:- Username space for user pages. All editors get their own User page and can make additional subpages by adding a slash (/). Great for putting down notes on what you are working on for the XBMC Wiki, or you can even use your userpage to document your own XBMC set ups.

4 Where we need help

everywhere, but here's an easy list:

• All of the FAQs, see Category:FAQ
  • An upgrading to v11 (Eden) FAQ for changes, what to expect, where to find things that moved, the file/library mode thing, etc. See Upgrading to XBMC v11 for a pre-created page.
• Improve Quick Start Guide
• Update screen shots on various pages (click on an image and then click on "upload new version")
• Screen shots uploaded for all skins in Category:Skins
  • Any other kind of manual/help info specific to skins
• Expanding Add-on pages. Great for Add-on developers and users alike. See Category:All add-ons.

Examples of good add-on pages include:

• Add-on:YouTube
• Add-on:BlipTV
• Add-on:iPlayer
• Add-on:PleXBMC
• Add-on:Common plugin cache
• Add-on:Artwork Downloader

Subpages (if needed) can be made with a slash (/) in the name.

• Pages/writeups for:
  • A list of iOS remote apps
  • Troubleshooting
• Spell checking (everywhere)
• Useful keymaps. See Category:Custom keymaps
• Spam/vandalism patrolling of unpatrolled edits. See spam? Remove it! You can use the Undo feature or find a spam-free version in the "View history" tab (click on a past version, then click on Edit, then save, to restore an older version of a page).
• Pages needing updating/cleaning up: Category:Cleanup
• Pages needing expanding: Category:Incomplete
• XBMC Wiki help pages (including this very page). Need expanding, how-to's, etc, on how to edit and use the XBMC Wiki.