User:Robert Skyhawk/AWB Tutorial

This is a basic, step by step tutorial for AutoWikiBrowser, which is meant to outline the use of this program to users who are new to the software. Users already familiar with the basic use of AWB will find more specific documentation at the user manual.

AutoWikiBrowser is a program which helps make repetitive tasks easier across a large list of articles. AWB is capable of anything from replacing a deleted category to correcting a chronic spelling or formatting error to adding a small piece of information, all on any number of articles. The software makes these tasks easier by actually making the edit for you on a given page, based on what you tell AWB to do. The software then shows you a diff, and prompts you to either save the edit or ignore the page. Then AWB moves on to the next page and repeats the process.

This tutorial gives a detailed overview of how to use AutoWikiBrowser.

Registration
For security reasons, users who wish to use the software must request registration at this page to use the software. See the instructions there for more information. Note that Administrators are already approved to use the software; they do not have to add their name to the checkpage.

Downloading
Once you've been added to the checkpage (again, unnecessary for administrators), you can download AWB from Sourceforge here. It is recommended that you unzip the file into its own directory somewhere on your hard drive. There is no installation required after unzipping; simply run "AutoWikiBrowser.exe" to start the program.

General Procedure
Now that you have AWB on your computer, and you have permission to use it, the fun can begin.

When you open AutoWikiBrowser, you are presented with an array of windows, forms and checkboxes. The following sections give an overview of how to use these tools. For explanations of each function, see the user manual.

Step 1: Make a List
AutoWikiBrowser goes through a list of pages, making edits to each one, then moving to the next. To use AutoWikiBrowser, first you must tell the software which pages to work on. This is done by generating a list of pages. You can get this list from many, many sources, including Categories, Links on Page, and several special pages including Special:WhatLinksHere (there is a special option for transclusions).

So, to make the list, first you need to decide where you'll get the list from. If there is a series of otherwise unrelated articles, you may want to make a list of articles on a user subpage to work on.