User blog:DEmersonJMFM/URL Queries

Hey everyone! It's been a few months since my first blog so here's another. Within this blog I am going to go over some URL additions (queries) that are useful around Wikia.

Queries are a segment of URL that start with a question mark and are comprised of a parameter and a parameter name separated by an equals sign. Multiple queries are pieced together with an ampersand (&) and frequently are placed at the end of the page's URL. If the URL has an anchor (for example, linking to a header), the query is placed before the pound or number sign (#) and before the end of the path.

http://community.wikia.com/wiki/Help%3AURL?allowuserjs=0#Next_Pages \__/  \_________________/\______________/ \___________/ \________/      |              |                |               |           |   protocol       domain             path           query       anchor

Query List
The following is not an exhausted list of queries on Wikia.
 * 1) ?action=raw - Displays the source code of the page. Most useful for viewing blogs.
 * 2) ?action=delete - Opens up the deletion screen. Most useful to delete pages that don't give a deletion option such as blog listings (the "Blog" namespace).
 * 3) ?action=edit&useeditor=code - Opens an edit session with the Classic Source Editor.
 * 4) ?veaction=edit - Opens an edit session with the new Visual Editor.
 * 5) ?useskin=monobook - View article with Monobook skin.
 * 6) ?useskin=wikiamobile - View article with Wikia mobile skin.
 * 7) ?action=render - View only content within an article (removes background, search, right rail, etc) in its HTML layout.
 * 8) ?action=purge - Purging is important to "fix" a page when a simple page refresh doesn't work. After there has been a known bug and/or something on the page is not updating, purging is the best first step before claiming something is wrong on the page.
 * 9) ?allowuserjs=0&allowusercss=0 - Sometimes there is uncertainty about whether or not a bug is really a Wikia bug and not a personal bug. This URL addition disables personal JavaScript and CSS without having to blank or comment-out these pages. They can be used individually as well by removing the ampersand or changing one of the zeros to a one.
 * 10) ?usesitejs=0&usesitecss=0 - This query is similar to the previous in that it disables the JavaScript and CSS on the wiki you are currently on. Useful in determining whether personal or site JavaScript and CSS is the problem or to see original wiki styling.
 * 11) ?uselang=qqx - This is a true shortcut in locating the name of many system messages. When added to the end of the URL, the default MediaWiki text on the page will be replaced with text within smooth brackets indicating the MediaWiki page that you need to edit.
 * 12) ?action=credits - Displays in paragraph form the date of last revision and all users who edited the page. This can be used to fulfill attribution requirements for copied material.

Additional Resources

 * Manual:Parameters to index.php

Contribute
Familiar with any additional queries that not many people know about or common queries that can be used in certain specific circumstances to be helpful? Comment below so they can be added!