Aliases and pseudo-namespaces 2 Wikipedia:Namespace

aliases , pseudo-namespaces not namespaces in themselves; main role provide handy ways link actual namespaces, providing shortened links.

the main difference between them being way work purpose; while aliases directly link namespaces, pseudo-namespaces can link other namespaces using specialist redirect pages in main namespace called shortcuts. while aliases used shortcuts, isn t necessary if pagename not shortened.

pseudo-namespaces reside in main namespace; pseudo-namespaces called transwiki: exists pseudo-namespace before being moved namespace.

aliases



wp:alias

there 6 aliases defined namespaces, of case-insensitive:

if link made page title beginning 1 of these strings, or if such title entered in search box or used in url, alias automatically replaced true namespace prefix. hence entering wp:linking or project:linking equivalent entering wikipedia:linking, , wt:linking equivalent wikipedia talk:linking.

an alias cannot used actual namespace in page title. example, cannot create page wp:123; if tried page name instantly converted wikipedia:123. is, however, possible change displayed title on page wikipedia:123 make wp:123 or project:123.

this handy creation of shortcuts. example, shortcut section wp:alias, shown in right-side box. when link clicked, automatically translated wikipedia:alias. @ page redirect wikipedia:namespace#aliases. means shortcut goes directly section anywhere in wikipedia. can entered url in browser address bar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wp:alias .

pseudo-namespaces



wp:pns

Аpart wikipedia s 32 regular namespaces , aliases, , 2 virtual ones, there several title prefixes appearing in shortcut redirects pointing frequently-referred-to wikipedia pages. these prefixes referred pseudo-namespaces , include following:

cat: shortcuts category namespace. see category:redirects category space
h: shortcuts namespace. see category:redirects namespace
mos: shortcuts manual of style. see category:redirects project space
p: shortcuts portal namespace. see category:redirects portal space
t: shortcuts template namespace. see category:redirects template non-template namespace

a more complete list available @ wikipedia:shortcut#list of prefixes.

pseudo-namespaces not in way recognised wiki software; purely community custom. titles in pseudo-namespaces belong technically in main (article) namespace , treated such software: case-sensitive , appear in search results restricted main namespace. alias treated real namespace, resulting in search pagename in namespace, pseudo-namespace:pagename search in mainspace, not pseudo-namespace. example, searching h:s not search help.

to learn of these shortcuts, first follow pseudo-namespace link above, follow 1 of redirects listed on page. take target, notice {{shortcut}} boxes right of page, listing other shortcuts same area. observing these steps repeatedly, can discover ways shorten typing. use pseudo-namespace names more if advanced editor, highly active in many namespaces, or linking pages in pseudo-namespace.

to understand appropriateness of redirects of type, see wikipedia:cross-namespace redirects. shortcuts discoverable looking redirects. try special:search engine advanced interface, redirects check-box selected; there category wikipedia redirects.

as final example, every wikimedia foundation project has transwiki: pseudo-namespace (sometimes real namespace) importing articles manually. wiki project manually move many pages between sister projects uses tag. redirects/shortcuts not directly involved here, described above. instead page title moved transwiki:namespace:pagename , , content copied , pasted new page name of temporary title on target wiki. when accepted title moved out of transwiki pseudo-namespace there , becomes real page name in respective namespace.