h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Clinic is the definitive reference for GuideML, but not exactly the best tool for learning it. As Writing-GuideML says, one of the best ways is to look at other pages. If you want to use guideml for writing an article for example, you should look at the guideML produced by the <./>subeditors</.> for edited entries such as one of today's frontpage entries 'Peking Crispy Duck', A963452. To view its GuideML, simply visit <./>test963452</.> (gurus: hmm, bad guideml on it?).

If you want to 'spice up your userpage', try A690518, and remember that you can be nosy and look at anyone's guideml on their space using <./>testuserpage183117</.>

spelugx

S'pe;lug:// for your help and advice.

Now all I have to do is chose a suitable style for my next entry.

JA

I knew JA was one of the people who didn't like the official Guide-ML pages. I had the advantage of already knowing HTML and _I_ don't think these help pages are very helpful either. A lot of them could do with a re-write - including correcting those errors!

JA, you can use Test###### for an A-number page and TestUserPage###### for a U-number page to look at other people's Guide-ML as the others have said. However, it is a lot easier to do this on a computer where you can cut and paste from page to page via the imaginary clipboard. On a digibox you have to write it all down and type it back in. However, you might find it very useful to keep a little notebook or loose-leaf file of your favourite bits of Guide-ML so that you can flip through and reuse them in different ways any time you want - including planning a page off-line.

If you can't type the Test address link as a URL on a digibox, then:
- make a note of the page number you want to see (A or U)
- go to your own space
- leave yourself a message saying <. />Test#</ .> (without spaces and with proper numbers instead of #)
- use the link you have just made when you read your message

Hmm... that article shouldn't have made it through... the &'s need to be replaced by &amp;'s...

Tango

I've just created a test article and all 16 syntax errors are that same problem.

RhoMuNuQ

We've got a thread going about the test engine, i'll bring this up over there.

Tango

This isn't a problem with the test parser - I wouldn't be allowed to create a Guide Entry with any syntax errorsd. However, Editors seems able to override this and create/update the entry, even if syntax errors are present. These are rightly detected by the test parser so, perhaps, when an Editor has updated a Pending article, they should use the test URL to check if there are any GuideML errors?

RhoMuNuQ

This is because the editors, rather against my recommendations, use a very old tool for editing guide entries, one which isn't as strict as the normal editor. Trouble is, this is part of the editing process that has never been updated, so some of it is still using perl scripts to do some things, and we've never been able to spend the time updating those tools (because it's not just coding time, it's also the time it would take analyzing how the editorial process has changed since the original tools were written, which is a lot).

So they should listen to you more then, Jim.
You could always take that dangerous tool away from them.

Why can't they use the same tool as the rest of us? Is there some editing that you can do that we can't?

Tango

I've posted in <./>Feedback-Editorial</.> asking for the errors to be corrected.

RhoMuNuQ

Good idea.

Tango

"Why can't they use the same tool as the rest of us? Is there some editing that you can do that we can't?"

It's because they have a whole bunch of tools they use in the final part of the editorial process (making entries approved, tracking art, scheduling the front page, emailing authors when articles are approved) and this old script is part of that. Just dropping in the normal page editor would be a fair amount of work, because we'd have to change all links everywhere they reference the old script, and frankly, I'd rather not waste time doing that unless I can also update the whole process.

Wouldn't a simpler solution to a software rewrite be to ask the Editors to use the Test URL after editing entries in this wa to check that there aren't any GuideML errors?

RhoMuNuQ

Thank you SEF I am already ordered html introductionary tutorial from the public library. Hepefully that will help me understand it as well.

When I used clipart (word so easy) there was a picture of a bunch of broccoli please will you tell me if the picture library has one.

Katrine

C809 is the h2g2 Picture Library. A426241 contains all the current Fruit and Veg pictures, but brocolli isn't there.

RhoMuNuQ

RhoMuNuQ

JA

No problem

There are plans to allow the CommunityArtists to take picture requests so, if that happens, you could ask for a Brocolli picture to be created. I'm afraid, however, that I don't know if/when this will happen.

RhoMuNuQ

The Picture Gallery list isn't actually complete. I haven't met a broccoli on the site yet though. The closest I've seen is a cabbage blob = B2624624 (see it in A848595).

Thank you SEF

JA