Howto/Subpages

Creating a subpage is as easy as adding a link to it and then editing the page. For instance, in the case of this page, Howto/Subpages I want to add a page that contains a link to the MediaWiki documentation. Please realize that this is an example, and illustrates a point only. Subpages should be created when there is too much data to fit on the main page and keep it clean.

Subpages are defined as being a part of the main page to the wiki, perhaps the best way to think of them is like directories on a computer. Using this page as an example, our main directory is Howto and within Howto we have another directory called Howto/Subpages. Much like any file system, there are shortcuts. Using a / before the name means it is a sub of the current page. So from the Howto page, the link to this page would be /Subpages. From anywhere else on the site the link would be Howto/Subpages. It is best to use the shortcuts if you expect to be renaming your pages frequently...this keeps the links current no matter what the pages are called. If you don't expect to rename the page, then it is more simple to just give the full path.

The frist step would be to edit this page and add a link to the subpage I want to create. Lets call it /Subpage Example. We could also use the link Howto/Subpages/Subpage Example, both lead to the exact same place.

[[/Subpage Example]]

which shows up as /Subpage Example when I save the page. As with any Wiki link I can clean this up by doing something like [[/Subpage Example|Example]] thus having a link of Example

Upon the first view of the link, it will be red as there is no content on the page. To add my content I simply selected that link and was presented with the edit box. In that box I added the content of:

*[http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Link#Subpage_feature MediaWiki help on Subpages]

[[Category:Howtos]]

Then saved it. My subpage has been created and is now ready for people to view.

Some examples of times when Subpages may be handy:

• Mothers who don't want to create full Character Pages for their children
• Characters with a large number of RP logs to present
• Characters that have moved to a new stage in life, eg: A Bakers daughter has a full page about her life in the bakery, then marries her Duke. Obviously a bunch of new information needs to go on the main page, so she sets up a subpage for her "Youth" and moves the current content to that page.