# 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: `Sandbox.WebHome`. - 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 WikiName signatures - like, admin - include the Main as a prefix, since all TWiki member pages are in the Main web: `Main.YourName`. - For an external link, type the full URL: `http://twiki.org`. - To prevent a WikiWord from becoming a link, type `` first, **<nop>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]`. 2. 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
=%ATTACHURL%/yourimagefilename.jpg=. - To display a word or phrase in `MONOSPACED TYPE`, put it in equal signs: `=like this=`.
Use `==two==` for bold: **bold mono**. - Use **<pre>** to enclose code excerpts, filenames, and other unformatted text, with the opening and closing tags on their own separate lines: >
> <pre>
> unformatted text!
> </pre>
> 
- Three (or more) consecutive **hyphens** expand into a horizontal rule: `---` ---- - See [[TWikiShorthand]] for the complete set of formatting rules.