Source editing is similar to our method of posting here on the forums - you see the code. For example, while making this post, I see the code that makes the words scribed here purple. This means that when, for example, one is applying a template a page on Wikipedia, it will look like this:
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{{Infobox military installation
|name=Athlone Castle
|ensign=Athlone coat-of-arms.png
|ensign_alt=Coat of Arms of Athlone
|ensign_caption=Coat of Arms of Athlone
|partof=the City of [[Athlone]]
|location=[[Athlone]], [[Westmeath]]
|country=[[Ireland]]
|image=Castelo de Athlone Irlanda.jpg
|type=[[Castle]]
|latd=53|latm=25|lats=24|latNS=N
|longd=7|longm=56|longs=33|longEW=W
|coordinates_type = landmark
|coordinates_region = ISO 3166-2:IE
|coordinate_display={{coord|53|25|24|N|7|56|33|W}}
|pushpin_map=Ireland
|pushpin_map_alt=Location in Ireland
|pushpin_map_caption=Location in Ireland
|ownership=City of Athlone, Ireland
|operator=Old Athlone Society
|open_to_public=Yes
|built=1129 (Wooden fort), 1210 ([[Motte-and-bailey castle|Motte-and-Bailey]])
|used=1129-1800s
|builder=[[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]]
|condition=Restored
|battles=[[Siege of Athlone]]
|website=[https://athlonehistory.ie/history-of-athlone/ Old Athlone Society]
}}
|name=Athlone Castle
|ensign=Athlone coat-of-arms.png
|ensign_alt=Coat of Arms of Athlone
|ensign_caption=Coat of Arms of Athlone
|partof=the City of [[Athlone]]
|location=[[Athlone]], [[Westmeath]]
|country=[[Ireland]]
|image=Castelo de Athlone Irlanda.jpg
|type=[[Castle]]
|latd=53|latm=25|lats=24|latNS=N
|longd=7|longm=56|longs=33|longEW=W
|coordinates_type = landmark
|coordinates_region = ISO 3166-2:IE
|coordinate_display={{coord|53|25|24|N|7|56|33|W}}
|pushpin_map=Ireland
|pushpin_map_alt=Location in Ireland
|pushpin_map_caption=Location in Ireland
|ownership=City of Athlone, Ireland
|operator=Old Athlone Society
|open_to_public=Yes
|built=1129 (Wooden fort), 1210 ([[Motte-and-bailey castle|Motte-and-Bailey]])
|used=1129-1800s
|builder=[[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]]
|condition=Restored
|battles=[[Siege of Athlone]]
|website=[https://athlonehistory.ie/history-of-athlone/ Old Athlone Society]
}}
But in Visual Editor, you don't see the code. Instead, you see something very alike to Microsoft Word / Google Docs - the words you typed, placeholders (typically) for infoboxes, tables appear as they would when just reading it, etc. In Visual, you have a box where you can edit what appears in that infobox or table (this can make editing / building tables VERY frustrating in visual editor) according to the parameters coded into on its Template page (like Template:Infobox military installation. While Wikia and Wikipedia use both (you can select your default in the Preferences section under Options), but our wiki ONLY uses Source and Wikispaces ONLY uses/used Visual. So there could be no copying it. Note: Tables work differently than infoboxes - unlike infoboxes, which are essentially checklists with a limited amount of customization, you build and tailor tables with wikicode on the page to your desire. If anyone at the wiki (including myself) had had any damned idea how to use wikicode, I'm sure we would never have lost the Royal Dynasties Table.
But two years have passed. I've been editing at Wikipedia for most of that time, and while editing this page, I stumbled upon a handy resource no one bothered to look up. Wikipedia Help:Tables
the important thing
Give me a picture of that ancient table / whatever I need to put into the table, and I will build it in this thread. Then someone else can post it to the wikipedia, insert the photos (you'll know where to put them, trust me), and then edit the page as needed.