Extension:VisualEditor/FAQ


 * What is VisualEditor?
 * VisualEditor is a software development initiative by the Wikimedia Foundation that will display text being edited as if it were already saved.


 * How do I enable VisualEditor?
 * VisualEditor is available alongside the original wikitext editor if you opt-in, by changing your preferences. Please note that it is currently not available to unregistered users.


 * Why is this change being made?
 * The wikimarkup text in the old editing window is so complex that some people who could become productive, experienced members of the community if the editing system were simpler are turned off upon attempting their first edit. This is an attempt to make wiki editing more accessible to beginner users.


 * Where do I go to learn more about how to use VisualEditor?
 * Please see the VisualEditor User guide on the MediaWiki wiki.


 * Does VisualEditor make automatic fixes to pages?
 * In most cases, VisualEditor will not change or reformat lines that are not being directly edited. If markup already on the page is handled incorrectly (for example, with tables that are not closed) then it may attempt to correct these.


 * Will it still be possible to edit articles using wikitext after VisualEditor becomes available?
 * Yes. While VisualEditor will become available to all users as an editing environment, a method for editing the underlying wikitext "source" will continue to exist. We will never remove the "Edit source" option or force users to use VisualEditor.


 * Why is my browser not supported?
 * Modern web technologies and standards allow for a modern editing interface for Gamepedia wikis, but some browsers don't support many of the features needed for VisualEditor. VisualEditor works well with the most recent versions of Firefox, Chrome and Safari.  Support for Internet Explorer 9 will be offered in the future. We encourage you to upgrade to a supported browser.  As of 14 August 2013, the supported ("whitelisted") browsers are Firefox 15 and up; Iceweasel 10 and up; Safari 5 and up; and Chrome 19 and up.  The unsupported ("blacklisted") browsers are all versions of Internet Explorer; Android 2 and below; Firefox 14 and below; Opera 11 and below; and all versions of BlackBerry.  Browsers not on either of these two lists, including Opera 12 and higher, may see VisualEditor as an option, but it is not known whether VisualEditor will function normally in them. The VisualEditor target browser matrix has more detailed information, though it is marked as out of date.


 * Won't this slow down reading and editing for people who have slow connections or computers?
 * VisualEditor loads the bulk of its code only when you edit a page in the VisualEditor mode. So if you keep using "Edit source" or are a reader, the effect on your user experience should be negligible (~4KB of additional JavaScript payload before you click "Edit", or about 0.5% of one typical page). Your web browser will typically cache the JavaScript, speeding up future uses even if you are on a slow connection. However, using VisualEditor as the editor may cause problems for those on slow computers or connections. The VisualEditor team are attempting to speed up VisualEditor's loading and performance to make it work better for these users.


 * Can visual editor be customized?
 * Yes, see VisualEditor/Customization, and VisualEditor gadgets for more advanced customization.


 * How do I disable VisualEditor?
 * If you have enabled the VisualEditor, simply click the "Edit source" button instead of "Edit". On section edit links, you can open the classic wikitext editor for that section by clicking "edit source" instead of the regular "edit" link.


 * If you would like to remove VisualEditor from the user interface, then you can do so. Depending on whether VisualEditor is out of beta or not:
 * If it is a beta feature: go to the Beta tab of your preferences page, untick the checkbox "Visual Editor", and click the Save button near the bottom of the page. (This is how you do it on English Wikipedia, for instance.)
 * If Visual Editor is already out of beta: go to the Editing tab of your Preferences page, untick the checkbox "Enable VisualEditor (only in the main and user namespaces)", and click the Save button near the bottom of the page.
 * Can the editors here ask the Gamepedia staff to turn this off?
 * No. VisualEditor will be a default extension for all wikis on Gamepedia. It will be deployed to existing users as an opt-in feature, so if you don't like it you never have to use it.


 * The FAQ didn't answer my question. Where may I ask it?
 * You can ask on the Community discussion page.