Help:New page

'''&larr; Help: Contents

This page describes how to start a new OpenVistA Wiki page. For a guide about using wiki markup, see how to edit a page.

Before starting
Before you start a new page on OpenVistA Wiki, you should always:
 * Familiarize yourself with our policies. Try to get a feel for how to best write an article.  Our guidelines help ensure that the end result is useful for everyone!
 * Policies and Guidelines
 * Manual of Style
 * Copyrights
 * Search first. Make sure that someone hasn't already started a similar page using a different title.  (See Searching.)
 * Review naming conventions. Make sure that you are familiar with the procedure of choosing a name for your article.
 * Add links to your future article. Red links are links that point to an article that doesn't exist yet. (See below.)

Starting a new page
A new page may be started in one of the following ways:
 * Create a link to another page. While you are editing an existing page, and find a word or name that ought to have an article of its own, you can simply put it in double square brackets, like this .  After saving the page, that word will link to the article, or will link to a form where that article may be created.
 * Start from an existing link. As you read through OpenVistA Wiki articles, you'll come across links to pages that haven't been written yet (links that look like this).  Clicking on this page will take you to a form, which will inform you that "You have followed a link to a page that doesn't exist yet."  All you have to do is start typing in the edit box.  When you're done, click the "Show preview" button to double-check what your article will look like and to find any mistakes.  Then click the "Save" button.
 * Type out the URL. You can also go directly to a new page by adding its name to the OpenVistA Wiki URL to create an address: http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/Sample_title — You replace the string "Sample_title" with your own title.  If the article does not already exist, you will be shown a template page informing you of that fact.  Then, click on the "edit this page" link, and begin typing your new article.
 * Start in the sandbox. You may also start writing your new article in the sandbox, which is a testing area for new members. You can edit the sandbox, add your link, and then click the link to add your new page.  (Be careful!  The sandbox is occasionally erased by the administrators, so be sure to back up any important work!)

Caveat: Try not to make your new articles orphans!

Additional tips

 * It's considered good practice to run your text through a spell-checker before submitting it.