Style Guide

This style guide should act as guidelines for the structure, form, and style of pages on bildr's wiki.

All

 * The tone of all articles should be well written but err on the side of instructional, not encyclopedic or scientific.
 * Links should only be placed on a word the first time it occurs in the page.
 * All pages should list references and further reading when available.

Articles
Article are generic pages about a topic. Examples include, Volt, Accelerometer, GPS

These pages are the support for Component and Module pages.


 * Articles should be written in an easy-to-read fashion, with an emphasis on delivering a clear understanding of the method rather than scientific detail.
 * History, and other unsupportive things should be left out. This is not an encyclopedia.
 * When in question of whether or not something should be included, ask yourself: Does this help the reader better understand the topic for the purpose of building something?

Components

 * Components are purchasable items, typically electronic.


 * Components are like the atoms of modules and usually do nothing on their own.


 * Component pages are made using the Component template.


 * Information in component pages should describe the use and specifications of the component, how to hook it up for basic use, and should include code (utilizing bildrCode) whenever acceptable.

Modules

 * Modules are small projects typically involving 1+ components that do a single thing, or cover a single topic.


 * Modules should lead a user to be able to construct something.


 * Module pages should follow a recipe or instructive voice.

To consider

 * preferred sentence lengths
 * manuscript layout
 * depth of treatment of a subject
 * spelling (UK v US for example)
 * readership considerations
 * use of abbreviations
 * accepted terminology
 * the use of symbols
 * voice preferences (active v passive)
 * structure
 * paragraph numbering and indentation
 * the use of headings
 * the use of lists
 * trademark or branding considerations.