Wikitext as it is used in Wikipedia

Wikitext language or wiki markup is a lightweight markup language used to write pages in wiki websites, such as Wikipedia, and is a simplified alternative/intermediate to HTML. Its ultimate purpose is to be converted by wiki software into HTML, which in turn is served to web browsers.

There is no commonly accepted standard wikitext language. The grammar, structure, justification, keywords and so on depend on the particular wiki software used on the particular website. For example, all wikitext markup languages have a simple way of hyperlinking to other pages within the site, but there are several different syntax conventions for these links. Many wikis, especially the earlier ones, used CamelCase to mark words that should be automatically linked. In Wikipedia and other MediaWiki-based wikis this convention was abandoned in favor of explicit link-markup with [[…]], which Wikipedia calls "free links"^[1].

Many Wiki programs allow optional, extensive or select, use of HTML elements within wikitext, and still others no HTML at all. In some cases, restrictions on HTML may be wisely determined by each wiki site that uses the program.

MediaWiki, the software that runs Wikipedia, has a wiki markup language that allows many common HTML tags. Its syntax is simpler and easier to use than HTML.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Standardization

Creole is an effort for a "common wiki markup language to be used across different Wikis".^[2] There are several wiki engines that have implemented Creole.^[3] Version 1.0 of the specification was released in July 2007.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Meta has related information at: Wikitext standard

• What you see is Wiki - Questioning WYSIWYG in the Internet Age
• Media Wiki alternative parsers
• Discussions about MediaWiki alternative parsers

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