RetroTechCollection:Tools
| Editing Tools |
|---|
| Tools to speed up article creation and editing on the RetroTechCollection Wiki |
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.
🧰 Available tools
Infobox generator
| Access | Open Infobox Generator; also available from the toolbar button when editing an article |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Generate infobox wikitext for computers and for peripherals and accessories |
Features:
- Switch between the Computer and Peripheral infobox types
- Form fields for all infobox parameters; only filled fields appear in the output
- Links predecessor and successor fields automatically (typing "Macintosh IIcx" outputs
[[Macintosh IIcx]]) - Formats image filenames (adds
[[File:...|250px]]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 Infobox Generator
- Select the infobox type (Computer or Peripheral)
- Fill in the fields you need and leave the rest blank
- Click "Generate Infobox"
- Copy the wikitext and paste it as the first line of your article
Spec sheet importer
| Access | Open Spec Importer |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Import technical specifications from EveryMac.com and auto-generate infobox wikitext |
| Data source | EveryMac.com, a Macintosh specifications database |
Features:
- Search EveryMac by model name
- Quick-select dropdown for common Macintosh models
- Fetches the full specifications 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, so repeat lookups are fast
How to use:
- Open the 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
Twinkle
| Access | TW menu in the toolbar on every page, once the gadget is enabled |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Maintenance tagging, page protection, speedy deletion, and batch operations |
The Tag module offers 25 maintenance templates, five of them specific to RTC:
- {{Missing specs}}: article needs technical specifications
- {{Missing photos}}: article needs product photographs
- {{Needs teardown}}: device needs internal photography/documentation
- {{Verify model}}: model information needs verification
- {{Software list needed}}: software compatibility list needed
Enable in Preferences → Gadgets → Twinkle. Documentation: RetroTechCollection:TW.
HotCat
| Access | Category links at the bottom of any page get (+) (−) (±) buttons |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Add, remove or change categories by clicking, without editing the source |
Enable in Preferences → Gadgets → HotCat.
Pywikibot
| Access | Server-side only (command line) |
|---|---|
| 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 the specifications: open the Spec Importer, find your model, review the data
- Generate the infobox: click "Generate Infobox Wikitext", copy to clipboard
- Create the article: paste the infobox as the first line
- Write the content, following the editing guide and Help:Writing a repair guide
- Add categories with HotCat for quick category assignment
- If the article is incomplete, use Twinkle to add maintenance tags for missing sections
📖 Related pages
- Help:Editing: editing guide
- RetroTechCollection:TW: Twinkle documentation
- Gadget preferences: turn optional tools on or off