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How to start?

Simply double-click where you want to edit. Alternatively, click the Edit This Page link at the top of each page.

> http:base/images/docs/Browse-Header-Edit_this_page.png

How does it work?

Socialtext editing works much like your favorite word processor. Just type what you want to say. Editing tools are available from the toolbar:

> http:base/images/docs/Edit-Toolbar.png

(What each of those buttons does is detailed in the page called Simple mode.) Once you're done, you can either Save your changes, or Cancel them if you want to back out. You can also Preview your work to make sure it looks correct.

> http:base/images/docs/Edit-Save_preview_cancel.png

Writing pages is easy!

Just type! Don't worry about breaking anything – previous versions of the page are saved in the page revision history, so there's always a backup copy of the page you're working on.

> Page contention. Occasionally when two people work on a page at once, the system will notify you that another user has changed the page while you have been editing it. To avoid losing your changes, select and copy your changes from the web page, then click and edit the latest version of the page. Paste your changes into the edit window, and save.

Edit modes

There are two ways of editing the text on pages, simple mode and advanced mode. You can switch between them at any time by clicking on the Simple or Advanced links to the right of "Edit Mode:".

> http:base/images/docs/Edit-Edit_mode.png

  • Simple mode. Most of the time, for most people, you can stay in simple mode. This looks and acts like a normal word processor, and text formatting looks the same whether you're editing the page or just viewing it. Go ahead and add or change text, use copy and paste, and use the toolbar to change formatting.
    • Advanced content. Some of the elements that may appear in simple mode can only be edited in advanced mode. These elements are outlined by gray dashed boxes. Switch to advanced mode to change them.

>> http:base/images/docs/Edit-Advanced_box.png

  • Advanced mode. Some aspects of Socialtext require more detailed editing. You can only do this using the advanced formatting available in advanced mode. Text formatting is not displayed; instead you see the formatting characters. You can learn most of the advanced formatting from the Edit tips (http:index.cgi?action=refcard), which is available just above the toolbar.

> http:base/images/docs/Edit-Edit_tips.png

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