KB/Help

IGDA Knowledge Base Help

Overview

This is your one stop for how to organize and format pages on the IGDA Knowledge Base.

Standard Template

This is the template for the high-level page on any topic. It is the introduction page, and will be where all the sub-sections, major points, and other data are located and organized. The formatting is important to keep consistent, and make sure you understand how to update the "Previous Page" link, and any other aspects of the page. Look at the source

Link Structure

To assure that the entire IKB is searchable, navigable and consistent, the following link structure needs to be followed throughout the KB namespace. Think of it as you would a normal directory structure and it becomes very easy to maintain and work with, and then navigation back through the site is generated automatically.

• IGDA Knowledge Base
  • Game Design
    • Etc.
  • Production
    • Etc.
  • Help
  • Etc.
    • Etc.

So, from a link perspective, you would type:

• [[KB/Help|Help]] to create a link that would look like this: Help
• This link will be non-functional on this page, because you are ON it. The other advantage of this type of page hierarchy is it prevents you from accidentally linking to the page you're already on. For instance:
• [[KB/Concept|Concept]] to create this link, Concept, works just fine.

This structure is critical when linking and creating new pages, as it is the only way to assure auto-navigation back to the parent page or the main page, with no extra mark-up required by content creators.

Look at the top of this page, right under the header Game Production Knowledge Base/Help, to see the auto-navigation in action.

Sub-Sections

Sub-Sections are for any topic that requires enough detail that adding it to the main page would detract from the main topic's focus and make the front page too large or complex to be easily used. You should use the same template for sub-sections as used for all high level pages. As always, if you don't need a header in your topic or sub-topic, you can ignore it for now, or delete it. Leaving it is better, because someone in the future may have some information to add in.

Check List

This is a check list that will help you minimize the amount of redundant work you will have to do when generating your sub-section.

• Your topic is clearly defined
• You understand and have identified the sub-sections for your topic
• You have reviewed the high level page template and the sub section page template, and understand how to implement each of your pages using that format.
• You have looked below this to the Useful Links section and know how to format a page in Wiki
• Everyone involved in the topic has bought off on your proposal for implementing that section
• You have your coffee close at hand

Wiki Formatting

In-Site Linking

You can create a link internally on the site as long as you know it's page name, such that:

• [[KB]] will actually point to KB.

Spelling is important, so make sure that you have the name correct, otherwise you won't point to the intended page, you will create a new one.

You can link to any external website just as easily by using the following formats: [http://www.gamasutra.com http://www.gamasutra.com] will point to http://www.gamasutra.com

External Linking

External Linking always needs a mask, otherwise it will just show up with a pointer to a site but no label. [http://www.gamasutra.com Gamasutra] for instance works just as well.
You can also hide the link behind nice formatted text in both cases.
[[KB|KB Home Page]] will look like KB Home Page but still function exactly like you would expect.

Useful Links

If you are new to generating content in the wiki format, please check out the following links to better understand the markup language, general style guidelines, and best practices.

• Wikipedia Style of Guide