Manual of Style

This is an instruction manual that addresses the editing rules used by The Binding of Isaac Wiki in writing, titles, pages, and linking. Please read it before you edit any pages. However, make sure to observe current trends as well as these rules.

This manual will address all editing rules in an objective manner, though there will be cases where editing rules are subjective. If there are any unresolved disputes over what best applies to the editing rules of The Binding of Isaac Wiki, please contact Oil Rope Bombs or Defiant47.

Advanced wikicode
Wikicode Guide Besides writing pages in The Binding of Isaac Wiki on factual, useful information, contributors are expected to have proper spelling and grammar and a basic knowledge of wikicode. Some of the most commonly used forms of wikicode are below. Should you forget, above the text editing box for pages are a row of buttons with many common wikicode attributes such as bolding text or adding external links.

Will become: Formatting attributes can also be added to the table. The first row's attributes apply to the entire table. Attributes on the lines with vertical lines and dashes apply to that row. Attributes for just one cell can be placed before the content, divided with another vertical line. For example: Will become:
 * Tables: Tables are started and ended with a "{" and a "|". Rows can be split with a "|" and a "-", and portions within rows can be split with vertical lines. Title headings can be done via exclamation points rather than vertical lines. For example:

Page titles
The rules for page titles dictate that all proper nouns are capitalized, as are all locations, and names unless specifically not capitalized. Titles are not written like book titles with most words capitalized (unless the page is about a Template:CharacterInfoBox); note the title of this page as Manual of style, not Manual of Style.

Consistency in the titling of pages is desired in that it makes for a much more professional looking wiki with regards to the public perception of the wiki. Any page title that has a name in it should not be stored in a biographical format; i.e., "Edmund McMillen", and not "McMillen, Edmund" as the page title for Edmund McMillen. For pages where only a first name (Isaac) exists, or where an item is known by a title (such as Dr. Fetus) more than their proper name, those should be used as the only title of the page. As for Dr. Fetus, redirects from "Dr Fetus" and "Fetus in a Jar" may be used.

Also, only add links once within a given part of a page; if you say "Isaac" more than once in a section, only link it the first time it appears. Instances further apart from each other may be linked more than once, it is your decision on how far apart to place repeat links. For consistency, if most parts of a list are links, then link to an page as many times necessary in that list.

Disambiguation
The bracketed terms used to disambiguate pages with titles that would otherwise be the same page should be a single short word and lowercase, except when proper nouns or in-game terminology are involved.

Nouns, capitalization, and in-game terminology

 * Items and all words in pages should always capitalized; they are considered proper nouns for the style of The Binding of Isaac Wiki. "Lunch", "Mom's Lipstick", or "Wire Coat Hanger" are all correct as written; a page would not be titled "Wire coat hanger". Item/phrases should match to the in-game text, such as "Give mom a taste of her own medicine!" and not "give Mom a taste of her own medicine."
 * Locations should also be capitalized in a manner uniform with English grammar; The Depths should always have the D in Depths capitalized.
 * Regarding names and terms outside of The Binding of Isaac universe, things such as names, references, or level names such be italicized and wider terms, such as names of other video game series or real-world locations should have quotation marks around them. Example, "The Legend of Zelda" and rupee.
 * In-game terminology should be properly capitalized, such as Treasure Room, Shop, or Blood Donation Machine.
 * All shots fired by the various monsters should be referred to as "projectiles" or simply "shots" for the sake of consistency. The shots fired by Isaac should always be called "tears", excluding special cases of tear-changing items, such as Brimstone or Technology.

Remember that consistency with the rules above is quite important, and your cooperation is always appreciated.

Style of writing: editing, bias, and opinion
Note that The Binding of Isaac Wiki is designed to be a resource for encyclopedia, and as such should have the best possible level of literary style. Also as an encyclopedia, please do not use the second person view in descriptions, as this is unprofessional: "You can get the item Dinner as a boss drop" is incorrect, while "The item Dinner is a boss drop" is correct.

Check for spelling and grammatical errors before editing a page; if you notice factual or spelling errors on a page other than the ones you have created, feel free to correct the problems, as this wiki is an open project. In order to avoid arguments over factual accuracy, it is best to provide source references for controversial statements. Furthermore, personal opinion (e.g: Samson is a terrible character) should not be added to articles, no matter how popular said opinion is. Speculation should also be avoided, unless directly confirmed by Edmund McMillen.

Image preferences
Images are often a useful visual addition to the content of pages. However, in some cases, it is questionable what images are appropriate for pages.
 * Please save in-game screenshots or sprite rips in .png format, and not .jpeg format.
 * If there is official artwork, such as the art done by Edmund or game sprites, this is always the preferred image.
 * If there is no official artwork, such as screenshots from the game or complementary side-material, ones created by contributing users are preferred over images taken from outside sources. There will inevitably be arguments about which user-created image is proper, as there is no exact rule on such; however, the image should generally be the highest quality available and the most informative image.
 * Animated images should be avoided based with how big and distracting the animation is. Small uses, such as a blinking icon on a floor map to indicate the location of a specific type of room is acceptable.
 * Replacing existing images is acceptable, since the wiki favors the image with the better quality, not the greater seniority. However, please avoid disputes by talking about the change with the original uploader before re-uploading the image's new version.
 * In order to keep the amount of pictures manageable, please check for similar pictures before uploading. For example: There is no need for another picture of the Devil Room, since there are already enough depicting with that topic.
 * Please refrain from uploading pictures that serve no purpose on this wiki. For anything non wiki related, use an external image host. Examples include: Pictures only meant for your User Page, screens showing items picked up during the last playthrough or a depiction of Isaac during a playthrough.
 * Proper image cropping is required. Only the Isaac window should be shown, preferably without window borders.
 * Images should be placed in the page's gallery or their proper locations (such as in an item table). With certain exceptions, placing images in random locations should be avoided, as it makes the page look messy.

Formatting preferences

 * For backgrounds and templates pages, obtrusively bright colors should be avoided. Generally, The Binding of Isaac Wiki style favors neutral and cool colors, such as light blue, grey, brown, and greyish brown.
 * Smaller tables are generally better, assuming they still have adequate information. Even small things, such as a thin 1px border, are preferred.

- We at The Binding of Isaac Wiki are here to create, provide, and maintain a large database filled with The Binding of Isaac information. Your help is appreciated more than you think.