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'''System messages''', also called '''MediaWiki messages''', provide a means for customizing the interface of a wiki.
[[File:HarryPotter.png|thumb|350px|{{#NewWindowLink:http://harrypotter.wikia.com|The Harry Potter Wiki}} has customized the 'new message' alert to say "You have an owl" (a method of delivery in the Harry Potter universe)]]
 
'''System messages''' (alternatively called '''MediaWiki messages''') provide a means for customising the interface of a wikia. Each system message has a predefined value that can be overridden by editing the appropriate page in the MediaWiki namespace.
 
   
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Please keep in mind that it is not always wise to tweak these messages. The default value is there because it is considered the most universally understandable terminology.
==Background==
 
When MediaWiki was first coded, the need for the interface to be heavily customizable quickly became apparent. Many communities wanted to tweak certain words to incorporate wiki-specific terms, for example using the term "Scribble" versus "Edit" on creative writing communities. Foreign language wikis needed a way to quickly translate terms from English into their native language.
 
   
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So, for example, while you might want to make the [[Help:Chat|Chat]] welcome message unique for your community, please try and make sure that new members of your community will still understand the meaning behind it.
The solution was system messages. Practically every word you see as part of the interface - from the "Edit" to the"History" buttons - is customizable.
 
 
When an extension or feature is introduced to MediaWiki, Wikia staff give each piece of its interface a pre-defined English value that can be overridden by editing the local message in the MediaWiki namespace. A list of all system messages on your wikia is available at [[:Special:AllMessages]].
 
 
While the messages are there for the purpose of customization, please keep in mind that it is not always wise to tweak these messages. The default value is there because it is considered the most universally understandable terminology. So while "edit" ''may'' make more sense to say "revise", "scribble", "tweak" or something to one wikia, "edit" in general is considered the most straightforward wording that invokes to the average user what the edit button will actually do when clicked.
 
   
 
==Step by step==
 
==Step by step==
 
[[File:Uncustomizedmessage.png|thumb|350px|If you navigate directly to a system message page for a message that has never been customized, you will see a thin bordered box surrounding text. What's inside the box is the default text.]]
 
[[File:Uncustomizedmessage.png|thumb|350px|If you navigate directly to a system message page for a message that has never been customized, you will see a thin bordered box surrounding text. What's inside the box is the default text.]]
Because the messages are stored in the MediaWiki namespace, only admins of a wikia have the necessary permissions to be able to make changes to the system messages.
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As the messages are stored in the MediaWiki namespace, only admins of a community have the necessary permissions to be able to make changes to the system messages.
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Note: for security reasons, not all MediaWiki messages are freely editable. You can see the editable list here: '''[[Help:System messages/whitelist]]'''. If you want to edit a message not listed there, you must contact [[Special:Contact|Fandom Staff]].
   
 
===Using Special:AllMessages===
 
===Using Special:AllMessages===
#Go to [[:Special:AllMessages]] and select the "all" radio button. Search the default text and locate the message you would like to change. Click the message in question.
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# Go to [[Special:AllMessages]] and select the "all" radio button. Search for the text that you want to replace and click the message that uses it.
#If the message has never been edited before, you will see the editor prefill with the default message value. This will help confirm you are editing the correct message.
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# If the message has never been edited before, you will see the default message value in the editor. This will help confirm that you are editing the correct message.
#Edit the page just like a normal page, putting in the message text.<br />''Tip'': Pay very careful attention to anything with a "$" in the message. This designates a system variable that will fill in with extra text when the message is actually being invoked. It is best to seek outside help from the {{#NewWindowLink:http://community.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special:Forum|Community Central Forums}} if you are unclear what these variables represent.
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# Edit the page just like a normal page, putting in the message text.<br />Pay careful attention to anything with a "$" in the message. This is a 'variable' that will be replaced when the message is actually being used. You may want to ask for help on the [[w:Special:Forum|Community Central Forums]] if you don't know what these variables represent.
#Save the message and verify the message has properly changed.<br />''Tip:'' Clear your browser cache (Ctrl + F5) if you do not immediately see the change.
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# Save the message and verify that the message has changed.<br />Clear your browser cache (Ctrl + F5) if you do not immediately see the change.
   
 
===Using the special language code trick===
 
===Using the special language code trick===
In many cases you can use a special 'language' code to find out a message name more quickly. This can be done by appending '''<tt>?uselang=qqx</tt>''' to the URL (see {{#NewWindowLink:http://community.wikia.com/index.php?title=Help:System_messages&uselang=qqx|this page}} as an example). All the messages on that page will then be replaced by their message keys, which are the names of the pages in the MediaWiki namespace.
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In many cases you can use a special 'language' code to find out a message name more quickly. This can be done by appending '''<code>?uselang=qqx</code>''' to the URL (see [{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|uselang=qqx}} this page] as an example). All the messages on that page will then be replaced by the names of the pages in the MediaWiki namespace.
   
 
==Notable system messages==
 
==Notable system messages==
* MediaWiki:Wikia.css - Controls the custom [[Help:CSS|CSS]] for the wikia
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* MediaWiki:Common.css - controls custom community [[Help:CSS|CSS]]
* MediaWiki:Common.js - Controls the custom [[Help:JavaScript|JavaScript]] for the wikia
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* MediaWiki:Common.js - controls custom community [[Help:JavaScript|JavaScript]]
* MediaWiki:Mainpage - Controls the landing page when a user goes directly to the wikia's main URL in their address bar (such as 'community.wikia.com')
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* MediaWiki:Mainpage - controls the landing page when a visitor goes directly to the community's main URL in their address bar (such as '{{SERVERNAME}}')
* MediaWiki:Licenses - Defines the options users see for image copyright status when uploading an image
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* MediaWiki:Licenses - defines the options users see for image copyright status when uploading an image
* MediaWiki:Edit - "Edit" by default, this message controls the text one clicks when they wish to edit a page
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* MediaWiki:Newarticletext - this is the message that you get when you follow a link to a page that doesn't exist yet
* MediaWiki:Newmessageslink - Customizes what the new messages bubble says
 
* MediaWiki:Newarticletext - This is the message that you get when you follow a link to a page that doesn't exist yet
 
   
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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* [[Help:System messages/whitelist]] - the list of pages in the MediaWiki namespace that administrators can edit. All others require a request to [[Special:Contact|Fandom Staff]]
 
* [[mediawikiwiki:Manual:System_message|System messages help on Mediawiki.org]]
 
* [[mediawikiwiki:Manual:System_message|System messages help on Mediawiki.org]]
* [[Help:Customization policy|Customization policy]] - Details about when it is and is not appropriate to customize certain parts of the Wikia interface
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* [[Help:Customization policy|Customization policy]] - details about when it is and is not appropriate to customize certain parts of the site interface
* [[Help:Description|Description]] - In-depth information about customizing system messages to help search engines understand your content
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* [[Help:Description|Description]] - in-depth information about customizing system messages to help search engines understand your content
* [[Help:Theme designer|Theme designer]] - How best to change the background and wordmark of your wiki
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* [[Help:Theme Designer|Theme designer]] - how best to change the background and wordmark of your wiki
   
 
==Further help and feedback==
 
==Further help and feedback==
 
{{Help and feedback section}}
 
{{Help and feedback section}}
 
 
 
[[de:Hilfe:Systemnachricht]]
 
[[de:Hilfe:Systemnachricht]]
 
[[es:Ayuda:Mensajes del sistema]]
 
[[es:Ayuda:Mensajes del sistema]]
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[[fi:Ohje:Järjestelmäviestit]]
 
[[fr:Aide:Messages système]]
 
[[fr:Aide:Messages système]]
 
[[it:Aiuto:Messaggi di sistema]]
 
[[it:Aiuto:Messaggi di sistema]]
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[[ja:ヘルプ:システムメッセージ]]
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[[nl:Help:Systeemberichten]]
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[[pl:Pomoc:Komunikaty MediaWiki]]
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[[pt:Ajuda:Mensagens do sistema]]
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[[ru:Справка:Системные_сообщения]]
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[[tr:Yardım:Sistem mesajları]]
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[[vi:Trợ giúp:Thông điệp hệ thống]]
 
[[zh:Help:系統訊息]]
 
[[zh:Help:系統訊息]]
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[[Category:Help]]
 
[[Category:Help|{{PAGENAME}}]]
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[[Category:Administration help]]
[[Category:Administration help|{{PAGENAME}}]]
 

Revision as of 02:51, 17 December 2019

System messages, also called MediaWiki messages, provide a means for customizing the interface of a wiki.

Please keep in mind that it is not always wise to tweak these messages. The default value is there because it is considered the most universally understandable terminology.

So, for example, while you might want to make the Chat welcome message unique for your community, please try and make sure that new members of your community will still understand the meaning behind it.

Step by step

Uncustomizedmessage

If you navigate directly to a system message page for a message that has never been customized, you will see a thin bordered box surrounding text. What's inside the box is the default text.

As the messages are stored in the MediaWiki namespace, only admins of a community have the necessary permissions to be able to make changes to the system messages.

Note: for security reasons, not all MediaWiki messages are freely editable. You can see the editable list here: Help:System messages/whitelist. If you want to edit a message not listed there, you must contact Fandom Staff.

Using Special:AllMessages

  1. Go to Special:AllMessages and select the "all" radio button. Search for the text that you want to replace and click the message that uses it.
  2. If the message has never been edited before, you will see the default message value in the editor. This will help confirm that you are editing the correct message.
  3. Edit the page just like a normal page, putting in the message text.
    Pay careful attention to anything with a "$" in the message. This is a 'variable' that will be replaced when the message is actually being used. You may want to ask for help on the Community Central Forums if you don't know what these variables represent.
  4. Save the message and verify that the message has changed.
    Clear your browser cache (Ctrl + F5) if you do not immediately see the change.

Using the special language code trick

In many cases you can use a special 'language' code to find out a message name more quickly. This can be done by appending ?uselang=qqx to the URL (see this page as an example). All the messages on that page will then be replaced by the names of the pages in the MediaWiki namespace.

Notable system messages

  • MediaWiki:Common.css - controls custom community CSS
  • MediaWiki:Common.js - controls custom community JavaScript
  • MediaWiki:Mainpage - controls the landing page when a visitor goes directly to the community's main URL in their address bar (such as 'community.fandom.com')
  • MediaWiki:Licenses - defines the options users see for image copyright status when uploading an image
  • MediaWiki:Newarticletext - this is the message that you get when you follow a link to a page that doesn't exist yet

See also

Further help and feedback