Difference between revisions of "Help:Templates"
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==Control template inclusion== | ==Control template inclusion== | ||
You can control template inclusion by the use of <code><nowiki><noinclude></nowiki></code> and | You can control template inclusion by the use of <code><nowiki><noinclude></nowiki></code> and | ||
| − | <code><nowiki>< | + | <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code> tags. |
Anything between <code><nowiki><noinclude></nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki></noinclude></nowiki></code> will be processed and | Anything between <code><nowiki><noinclude></nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki></noinclude></nowiki></code> will be processed and | ||
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* Explanatory text about how to use the template | * Explanatory text about how to use the template | ||
| − | The converse is <code><nowiki>< | + | The converse is <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code>. Text between <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code> and |
| − | <code><nowiki></ | + | <code><nowiki></includeonly></nowiki></code> will be processed and displayed only when the page is |
being included. The obvious application is to add all pages containing a given template to a category. | being included. The obvious application is to add all pages containing a given template to a category. | ||
| Line 77: | Line 77: | ||
categories inside a template, the categories of the referring pages | categories inside a template, the categories of the referring pages | ||
won't be updated until those pages are edited. | won't be updated until those pages are edited. | ||
| + | |||
==Organizing templates== | ==Organizing templates== | ||
For templates to be effective users need to find them and be able to use them. A simple technique is to include an example on the template page. | For templates to be effective users need to find them and be able to use them. A simple technique is to include an example on the template page. | ||
Revision as of 19:10, 30 November 2007
Template:PD Help Page If you have standard texts you want to include on several pages, the MediaWiki template feature comes into play (like the tag above which is included in the pages of the Help namespace).
Contents
Creating a template
Template names are prefixed with Template:, you create them like any other wiki page.
Using a template
Templates are wiki pages which can be used in other pages in three ways:
{{Name}}includes the content of the template at the moment the page containing it is fetched "[[Template:Name]]".{{subst:Name}}inserts the content of the template into the code of the page in a form that is editable normally "[[Template:Name]]" after you have saved your text.{{msgnw:Name}}when the page containing it is fetched, includes the template in a form that displays it as raw wiki syntax, like<nowiki>does
Using parameters in templates
| Template:Hl2 colspan="2" align="center" |Template with numbered parameters | |
'''A little thank you...'''<br>
<small>for {{{1}}}.<br>
hugs, {{{2}}}</small>
| |
| Template:Hl2|You type | Template:Hl2|You get |
{{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}
|
|
| Template:Hl2 colspan="2" align="center" |with named parameters | |
'''A little thank you...'''<br>
<small>for {{{reason}}}.<br>
hugs, {{{signature}}}</small>
| |
| Template:Hl2|You type | Template:Hl2|You get |
{{Thankyou
|reason=all your hard work
|signature=Joe}}
|
|
You can define parameters in templates either numbered as {{{1}}} or named {{{param}}}.
Example: You want a little thank you note you can put on the talk page of other users. It will contain a reason and your signature. You could create Template:Thankyou to enter your text, as in the example in the table.
When using the template on a page, you fill in the parameter values, separated by a pipe char (|): {{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}. For named parameters use "name=value" pairs separated by a pipe char: {{Thankyou|reason=all your hard work|signature=Joe}}. The advantage of using named parameters in your template is that they are flexible in order. It also makes the template easier to understand if you have many parameters. If you want to change the order of numbered parameters, you have to mention them explicitly: {{Thankyou|2=Joe|1=all your hard work}}.
You can also provide default values for parameters, i.e. values that are going to be used if no value is provided for a parameter. For example, {{{reason|all your hard work}}} would result in "all your hard work" if no value was provided for the parameter reason.
Control template inclusion
You can control template inclusion by the use of <noinclude> and
<includeonly> tags.
Anything between <noinclude> and </noinclude> will be processed and
displayed only when the page is being viewed directly, not included.
Possible applications are:
- Categorising templates
- Interlanguage links to similar templates in other languages
- Explanatory text about how to use the template
The converse is <includeonly>. Text between <includeonly> and
</includeonly> will be processed and displayed only when the page is
being included. The obvious application is to add all pages containing a given template to a category.
Note that the usual update problems apply -- if you change the categories inside a template, the categories of the referring pages won't be updated until those pages are edited.
Organizing templates
For templates to be effective users need to find them and be able to use them. A simple technique is to include an example on the template page. For example:
<noinclude>
==Usage==
Allows to establish a link to a subject:
{{NameOfTemplate|Term1+Term2+Term3}}
</noinclude>
Then, an editor can simply copy and paste the example to create a similar page.
See Also
- Help:External searches -- a template special use case example
- Help:Variables -- fancy stuff you may find in some templates
- meta:Help:Embed page -- embedding pages from namespaces other than
Template:.
