%META:TOPICINFO{author="MikeMannix" date="1007364180" format="1.0" version="1.12"}%
---# <nop>TWikiShorthand Basics

If you can enter text, you're ready for TWiki. With a few simple, intuitive TWikiShorthand rules, you'll be able to use plain text to create well-styled postings, instantly. Here's a fast-track guide to shorthand basics...

	* Separate each *paragraph* with a blank line.

	* To display a word or phrase in *bold type*, put it in asterisks: =*bold type*=.

	* To display a word or phrase in _italic_, put it in underscores: =_italic_=.

	* To display a word or phrase in __bold italic__, put it in _double_ underscores: =__bold italic__=.

	* To link to another Wiki topic, type the WikiWord for that topic. To link to a Wiki topic in another web, type the name of the web, and a dot, first: =Test.<nop>%HOMETOPIC%=.

	* If you enter a WikiWord for a topic that doesn't exist, it'll appear highlighted, with question mark at the end, prompting you (or someone else) to start off the new topic by clicking the *?* - NewTopic (click the *?*, but don't save, to preserve the example!).
	
	* When entering <nop>WikiName signatures - like, %USERNAME% - include the %MAINWEB% as a prefix, since all TWiki member pages are in the %MAINWEB% web: =Main.YourName=.

	* For an external link, type the full URL: =http://twiki.org=.

	* To prevent a <nop>WikiWord from becoming a link, type =&lt;nop&gt;= first, ==&lt;nop&gt;NoLinkPlease==.

	* To indent with a bullet, enter =[space][space][space][asterisk][space]=.
		* Use multiples of 3 spaces to start *nested bullets*.
			* That's 3-6-9-...
	1 Start items in a *numbered list* with =[space][space][space][1][space]=.
	1 The "1" (or *any number*) will be replaced by the correct number, in order.

	* Start *counting spaces* for bullets from the beginning of a new line.

	* To include an image, type its URL. You also can Attach an image to the page and display it with text <br />=%<nop>ATTACHURL%/yourimagefilename.jpg=.

	* To display a word or phrase in =MONOSPACED TYPE=, put it in equal signs: =<nop>=like this==. <br />Use =<nop>=<nop>=two=== for bold: ==bold mono==.

	* Use ==&lt;pre&gt;== to enclose code excerpts, filenames, and other unformatted text, with the opening and closing tags on their own separate lines:
<blockquote style="background-color:#f5f5f5">
<pre>
<b>&lt;pre&gt;</b>
unformatted text!
<b>&lt;/pre&gt;</b>
</pre>
</blockquote>

	* Three (or more) consecutive *hyphens* expand into a horizontal rule: =---=
---

	* See TWikiShorthand for the complete set of formatting rules.