Help:Category

Categories are indexes towards Ekopedia's themes thanks to which articles can be thematically sorted and grouped. These indexes are not automatically created, they must be built thanks to key words within the articles.

All articles must be rationally categorized. But an article can belong to several categories. Thus Garlic can belong both to Food and to Gardening.

(See also : The list of categories)

Contents 1 How to 1.1 Creating a category 1.2 Adding an article to a category 1.3 Criteria 1.4 Creating a link towards a category 2 Sub-categories 3 List of categories 4 Use and recommandations 4.1 Naming categories 4.2 Sorting categories 4.3 Minimum / Maximum 4.4 Criteria for including articles 4.5 Organization 5 Categories Vs lists

[edit] How to

[edit] Creating a category

The easiest way of creating a category is to add a first article to it. Sub-categories can be created in the same way.

[edit] Adding an article to a category

You can add a page to a category by adding [[category:name of the category]] to the text of the article. For example to add an article entitled dye to the category clothing just edit the article and type [[category:clothing]].

A line reading Categories: Clothing will be displayed at the bottom of the article. Clicking on the names of these catgories leads to the page describing this category with the list of the articles related to it, as well as the list of the related sub-categories.

The special page Special:Uncategorizedpages shows the articles that are not related to any category.

You can also put a redirection page in a category (mind you put it on the same line as #REDIRECT).

[edit] Criteria

By default, an article's category is that of its name in alphamerical order. Thus Garlic belongs to G.

[edit] Creating a link towards a category

If you want to insert a link to a category within an article without the article belonging to this category, use this syntax[[:category:name of the category]].

[edit] Sub-categories

Category pages can be added other categories and will automatically be recognized as sub-categories. eg you can modify [[category:vegetable garden]] and add the link [[category:gardening]]. The category vegetable garden becomes a sub-category of the category gardening.

[edit] List of categories

This list is available in Newslimits, page Special:Categories.

[edit] Use and recommandations

[edit] Naming categories

1. The same rules as for articles apply. The title of an article or a category must be short and explicit ; eg Category:Garden plant is a good title for a category, whereas category:the plants that you can grow in your garden is not correct.

Respecting the following rules will harmonize articles and categories titles :

1. No article before the noun.
2. Singular form, except when a plural is required.
3. Avoid acronyms, give the category its full name.
4. Choose a pertinent title : for example, a category for articles related to alternative lifestyles mustn't be category:Lifestyle, but category:Alternative lifestyles.
5. The ideal title is as short and accurate as possible.
6. If there must be several words, only the first one will have a cap, apart from exceptions.
7. Technical restrictions: the following characters are not allowed for titles: & " # $ * + < > = ? @ [ ] \ ^ ` { } | ~.
8. If several titles sound possible, choose the most common one, even if a more technical and accurate one exists (but mention it within the article). This convention abides by the principle according to which the reader mustn't be at a loss to find an information, it must be found at the most rational place.

[edit] Sorting categories

1. When an article is related to several categories, put them in alphabetical order.

[edit] Minimum / Maximum

1. It is recommanded not to create a category as long as there aren't about ten articles to put in it.
2. It is recommanded to limit the number of articles for one category. 500 articles sounds quite a lot. Then create sub-categories and move as many articles as possible.

[edit] Criteria for including articles

1. Inclure an article in the most akin categories only ; eg instead of including the article Homeopathy in Alternative medicine and in Health and care , include it only to Alternative medicine. It is this category that will itself be included into Health and care.
2. Include an article (or a sub-category) into wider more general themes ; eg , Garden plant is a sub-category of Gardening not the other way round.

[edit] Organization

1. Link an article (or a sub-category) to a category only if there is a direct or logical link between the two notions.
2. Each category must belong to at least one wider category except for "root" categories.
3. Avoid " cycles ", ie a C category being a sub-category of a D category while D would be a sub-category of C, a category cannot be both more generale and more specific than another.
4. Give a short description of the category on top of its page.

[edit] Categories Vs lists

Some articles are in fact lists of other articles (see List of lists, eg : Garden plant), they could be self-sufficient or compete with categories. Lists and categories have distinct functions.

Categories are mere indexes, lists can have comments. Categories show articles in alphanumerical order whereas lists can display articles according to various criteria : chronology, geography, theme, size, etc.

Categories contain references to existing articles only, lists can show wanted articles. Besides, categories sort the articles by their title, lists can contain rephrased links to harmonize the page layout.

Categories can be woven according to hierachical levels (sub-categories, wider categories), for a quicker thematic navigation, this is not possible with lists except if internal links have been created.