View source for RetroWikipedia:Skin

{{Short description|RetroWikipedia information page for skin selection}}
{{Information page|WP:SKIN|WP:SKINS|WP:THEME|WP:THEMES}}
[[RetroWikipedia]], as a website powered by [[MediaWiki]] (a [[wiki software]]), is a [[Skin (computing)|skinnable]] website, which means the presentation ([[look and feel]]) of the pages can be changed. {{as of|2024|01}} there are five available skins: [[wp:Vector 2022|Vector 2022]] (default on desktop from 2022), [[mw:Skin:Vector|Vector 2010]] (default on desktop from 2010 to 2021), [[mw:Skin:Minerva Neue|Minerva Neue]] (mobile), [[mw:Skin:MonoBook|MonoBook]] (default from 2004 to 2009), and [[mw:Skin:Timeless|Timeless]]. The following screenshots show the current skins along with preview links that allow anyone to load this page using them:

{{multiple image
| align = left

| image1 = English RetroWikipedia Vector 2022 full screenshot.png
| caption1 = Vector 2022 (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=vector-2022 preview]</span>)

| image2 = Vector.css.png
| caption2 = Vector 2010 (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=vector preview]</span>)

| image3 = Monobook.css.png
| caption3 = MonoBook (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=monobook preview]</span>)

| image4 = English RetroWikipedia Timeless full screenshot.png
| caption4 = Timeless (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=timeless preview]</span>)

| image5 = English RetroWikipedia Minerva Neue screenshot.png
| caption5 = Minerva Neue (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=minerva preview]</span>)
}}
{{clear}}
__TOC__

== How to change the skin ==
{{see also|RetroWikipedia:Why create an account?}}
Once you have an [[WP:WCAA|created an account]] and logged in, go to {{myprefs|Appearance|Skin}}. In the default Vector 2022 skin, the Preferences page can be accessed at any time from the {{OOUI icon|userAvatar}}{{nbsp}}{{OOUI icon|expand}} Personal settings dropdown in the top right corner and selecting {{OOUI icon|advanced}}{{nbsp}}Preferences. Choose your skin and click {{int:saveprefs}}. Then, all pages will be loaded with the new selected skin.

If you are not logged in, you can only use the default skin (Vector 2022) normally, however, any user may change the skin of one page at a time by adding {{nowrap|1=<code>?useskin=skinname</code>}} to the end of the URL, or {{nowrap|1=<code>&useskin=skinname</code>}} for page URLs which already include a <code>?</code> (e.g., {{nowrap|1=<code>?useskin=vector</code>}} or {{nowrap|1=<code>?useskin=vector-2022</code>}}).

=== Skin selection bookmarklet ===
You may want to create a bookmarklet in your local web browser in order to easily switch skin of any page (including [[WP:ARTICLE|articles]] and pages without {{tl|select skin}} templates) with the click of a button.

For example, to create a bookmark to change the current page to MonoBook:
#Create a bookmark in your browser
#Edit the bookmark (or change its so-called properties) so that the address field reads this exactly:<pre>javascript:var url = new URL(location.href); url.searchParams.set('useskin', 'monobook'); location.href = url;</pre>
#Use the apostrophe found on your keyboard (not typographer's quotes)
This works whether you are logged in or logged out; it works even if you don't have a user account at all. If you have any questions or suggestions related to this, the correct venue is [[WP:VPT]]. Be sure to link to [[[[{{FULLPAGENAME}}#Skin selection bookmarklet]]]] in your request.

==== Limitations ====
You must click it again each time you navigate to another page (if you would like to view the page to which you navigated in that special skin). Nevertheless, various browser add-ons allow you to circumvent this issue (a list of these add-ons and how to use them is however out of scope of this page).

== Customisation ==
{{main|RetroWikipedia:Customisation}}
Default RetroWikipedia skins are defined in several [[CSS]] and [[JavaScript]] files. Some of them are only editable by people having write access to the Wikimedia Foundation servers, and some are simple wiki pages belonging to the [[WP:MWN|MediaWiki namespace]]. These wiki pages can be seen directly on RetroWikipedia, but to prevent [[RetroWikipedia:VAN|vandals]] from breaking the whole website appearance, they are [[WP:PP#full|protected]] so they are only editable by [[RetroWikipedia:Interface administrators|interface administrators]] (however, any changes can be suggested on their [[RetroWikipedia:Talk page guidelines|talk page]]). See [[RetroWikipedia:Catalogue of CSS classes]].

Users can customise the way default skins appear using specific subpages of their [[RetroWikipedia:User pages|user page]]. These subpages are viewable by anybody but can only be edited by the user that the subpage belongs to and by interface administrators. Modifying these wiki pages only affects their owner.

Customisation may involve one or both of
# Cascading Style Sheets or "[[CSS]]" (found in the user's ".css" files)
# [[JavaScript]] (found in the user's ".js" files)

There are two ways to apply customisation:
# Using [[Special:MyPage/common.css]] and [[Special:MyPage/common.js]] links, which point to a location which applies to ''all'' of a user's skins.
# Using [[Special:MyPage/skin.css]] and [[Special:MyPage/skin.js]] links which point to a location which applies only to a user's current skin. For example, if you're using the default Vector 2010 skin, [[Special:MyPage/skin.css]] takes you to [[Special:MyPage/vector.css]], and if you switch skins to MonoBook, its contents will no longer apply.
You can use both the common and the skin-specific files; if you do this, the common file is loaded before the skin-specific one.

Note: these links are redirects to ''your own'' customisation subpages; [[Special:MyPage]] is an alias for your [[RetroWikipedia:User pages|userpage]] (try it and see). For example, when your username is ''[[User:Example|Example]]'', [[Special:MyPage/common.css]] will direct you to [[User:Example/common.css]].

After you have edited your personal skin files, if the changes do not appear right away, you may need to wait 30 seconds or more for the servers to update, then [[RetroWikipedia:Bypass your cache|bypass]] your browser cache to see the change.

See also [[meta:Vector#How do I import my monobook.css subpage?|How to import MonoBook settings into Vector]]. For the list of all CSS and JavaScript files involved in the rendering process, see [[RetroWikipedia:Catalogue of CSS classes]].

=== CSS ===
{{main|RetroWikipedia:Customisation#Personal CSS}}
{{see also|Help:Cascading Style Sheets}}
The CSS files can be used for all manner of customisation for those fluent in Cascading Style Sheets ([[CSS]]). A common use which is relatively straightforward is hiding a system message or template you don't wish to see; see [[RetroWikipedia:Customisation#Hiding specific messages]].

=== JavaScript ===
{{main|RetroWikipedia:User scripts}}
On RetroWikipedia, JavaScript can be used to add new features such as add find/replace textboxes or give advanced rollback options. There are scripts to customise everything, from default font style to custom buttons.

Many script pages can be [[Template:js|imported and used]]. Different scripts can also be used in conjunction with each other to accomplish several tasks at once. Some scripts are available as "Gadgets", which means they can be installed by simply ticking a box in the "Gadgets" tab of [[Special:Preferences]].

In order to add pre-existing scripts to your JavaScript page, add <code><nowiki>{{subst:js|name of script}}</nowiki></code> to the file. More detailed instructions can be found at the [[RetroWikipedia:User scripts/Guide]].

=== "Global" CSS and JavaScript ===
Additionally to the above, you can also create files at [[meta:Special:MyPage/global.css]] and [[meta:Special:MyPage/global.js]]. These will then be loaded on all Wikimedia wikis.

== Deprecated skins ==
{{multiple image
| align = left

| image1 = Modern.css.png
| caption1 = Modern (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=modern preview]</span>)

| image2 = Cologneblue.css.png
| caption2 = Cologne Blue (<span class="plainlinks">[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RetroWikipedia:Skin&useskin=cologneblue preview]</span>)
}}
{{clear}}

The '''Modern''' and '''Cologne Blue''' skins are deprecated. They can no longer be selected as default skins, but users who had previously selected them can still use them, and they can still be viewed temporarily using the {{code|?useskin}} URL parameter. They are no longer maintained, so some features may not work on them and any bugs in them will probably not be fixed.

Cologne Blue was created in 2002 and deprecated in 2019; see [[meta:Tech/News/2019/33|Tech News]], [[RetroWikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 196|discussion on RetroWikipedia]], and [[phab:T223824|Phabricator]]. Modern was created in 2008 and deprecated in 2021; see [[phab:T287616|Phabricator]], [[RetroWikipedia talk:Skin#'Modern' not selectable any longer|RetroWikipedia discussion #1]], [[RetroWikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 191#modern skin on Commons|RetroWikipedia discussion #2]], [[RetroWikipedia:Village pump (technical)/Archive 193#The_end_of_the_Modern_Skin|RetroWikipedia discussion #3]].

If you absolutely must use either of these skins, [[phab:T287616#7275948|you can enable them]] by viewing [[Special:Preferences]] in the relevant skin:
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences?useskin=modern#mw-prefsection-rendering Modern]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences?useskin=cologneblue#mw-prefsection-rendering Cologne Blue]

=== Removed skins ===
The '''Nostalgia''' skin, which was the original RetroWikipedia skin {{circa}} 2001, is only available on [[nost:|the Nostalgia RetroWikipedia]].

The following skins were [[meta:Turning off outdated skins/stats|removed]] in 2013 due to low usage numbers and lack of support:
* Chick
* MySkin
* Simple
* Standard (AKA Classic; the default skin {{circa}} 2002)

== External links ==
* [[meta:Customization:Explaining skins]]
* [[mw:Manual:Skins/From Meta]]
* [[mw:Manual:Gallery of user styles]]

{{RetroWikipedia technical help|collapsed}}

[[Category:RetroWikipedia how-to|{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:RetroWikipedia interface help]]