Josh at 09:06, 25 March 2026

2026-03-25T09:06:27Z

New page

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{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; background-color:#e8f4fa; border-radius:10px; box-shadow:0 4px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);"
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! style="font-size:200%; padding:20px; background-color:#4B9CD3; color:white; text-align:center;" | '''Editing Tools'''
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| style="font-size:120%; padding:10px; text-align:center;" | ''Tools to speed up article creation and editing on the RetroTechCollection Wiki''
|}

<div style="background-color:#f0f9ff; border-left:5px solid #4B9CD3; padding:15px; margin:20px 0;">
These tools are available to all registered editors. They help automate repetitive tasks like creating infoboxes, importing specifications, and managing categories. For general editing help, see '''[[Help:Editing]]'''.
</div>

== 🧰 Available Tools ==

=== Infobox Generator ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:15%; background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Access
| '''[[Special:BlankPage/InfoboxGenerator|Open Infobox Generator]]''' — also available via the toolbar button when editing an article
|-
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Purpose
| Generate properly formatted infobox wikitext for '''computers''' and '''peripherals/accessories'''
|}

'''Features:'''
* Switch between '''Computer''' and '''Peripheral''' infobox types
* Form fields for all infobox parameters — only filled fields appear in the output
* Auto-links predecessor and successor fields (e.g. type "Macintosh IIcx" → outputs <code><nowiki>[[Macintosh IIcx]]</nowiki></code>)
* Formats image filenames correctly (adds <code><nowiki>[[File:...|250px]]</nowiki></code> wrapper)
* Live preview shows how the infobox will render
* One-click copy to clipboard
* "Insert into Editor" button when used from the article editor

'''How to use:'''
# Open the [[Special:BlankPage/InfoboxGenerator|Infobox Generator]]
# Select the infobox type (Computer or Peripheral)
# Fill in the fields you need — leave unwanted fields blank
# Click "Generate Infobox"
# Copy the wikitext and paste it as the '''first line''' of your article

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=== Spec Sheet Importer ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:15%; background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Access
| '''[[Special:BlankPage/SpecImporter|Open Spec Importer]]'''
|-
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Purpose
| Import technical specifications from [https://everymac.com EveryMac.com] and auto-generate infobox wikitext
|-
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Data source
| [https://everymac.com EveryMac.com] — comprehensive Macintosh specifications database
|}

'''Features:'''
* Search EveryMac by model name
* Quick-select dropdown for common Macintosh models
* Fetches full specs and maps them to RTC Wiki infobox fields:
** CPU (processor type + speed)
** Memory (standard + maximum)
** Storage (HDD, floppy, optical)
** Display (built-in + resolution)
** Dimensions and weight
** OS support range
** Pricing and model numbers
* All mapped fields are editable before generating wikitext
* Side-by-side view: mapped infobox fields + full EveryMac spec sheet for reference
* Results are cached for 24 hours (fast repeat lookups)

'''How to use:'''
# Open the [[Special:BlankPage/SpecImporter|Spec Importer]]
# Search for a model or use the quick-select dropdown
# Review the auto-mapped infobox fields on the left
# Reference the full EveryMac data on the right for anything the auto-mapper missed
# Edit any fields that need adjustment
# Click "Generate Infobox Wikitext" to get the finished wikitext

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=== Twinkle ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:15%; background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Access
| Toolbar buttons appear automatically on every page (TW menu)
|-
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Purpose
| Maintenance tagging, page protection, speedy deletion, and batch operations
|}

25 maintenance templates available, including 5 RTC-specific:
* {{tl|Missing specs}} — Article needs technical specifications
* {{tl|Missing photos}} — Article needs product photographs
* {{tl|Needs teardown}} — Device needs internal photography/documentation
* {{tl|Verify model}} — Model information needs verification
* {{tl|Software list needed}} — Software compatibility list needed

Enable in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets|Preferences → Gadgets → Twinkle]]. Documentation: [[RetroTechCollection:TW]].

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=== HotCat ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:15%; background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Access
| Category links at the bottom of any page get (+) (−) (±) buttons
|-
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Purpose
| Click-based category management — add, remove, or change categories without editing the source
|}

Enable in [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets|Preferences → Gadgets → HotCat]].

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=== Pywikibot ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:15%; background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Access
| Server-side only (command line)
|-
! style="background-color:#f2f2f2;" | Purpose
| Batch operations — bulk edits, category moves, template substitutions
|}

Available for admin use. Contact an administrator if you need batch operations performed.

== 📋 Recommended Workflow ==

'''Creating a new computer article:'''

# '''Import specs''' — Open the [[Special:BlankPage/SpecImporter|Spec Importer]], find your model, review the data
# '''Generate infobox''' — Click "Generate Infobox Wikitext", copy to clipboard
# '''Create article''' — Paste the infobox as the first line
# '''Write content''' — Follow the [[Help:Editing|editing guide]] and style guides
# '''Add categories''' — Use HotCat for quick category assignment
# '''Tag if incomplete''' — Use Twinkle to add maintenance tags for missing sections

== 📖 Related Pages ==

* [[Help:Editing]] — Comprehensive editing guide
* [[RetroTechCollection:TW]] — Twinkle documentation
* [[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets|Gadget Preferences]] — Enable/disable optional tools

[[Category:RetroTechCollection Wiki]]

RetroTechCollection:Tools - Revision history

Josh at 09:06, 25 March 2026