Difference between revisions of "Help:Templates"

From BRL-CAD
 
(→‎Control template inclusion: boo, no extra templates)
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{{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).
 
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).
  
 
==Creating a template==
 
==Creating a template==
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Template names are prefixed with <code>Template:</code>, you create them like any other wiki page.
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Template names are prefixed with <code>Template:</code>, you [[Help:Starting a new page|create them like any other wiki page]].
  
 
==Using a template==
 
==Using a template==
 
Templates are wiki pages which can be used in other pages in three ways:
 
Templates are wiki pages which can be used in other pages in three ways:
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:<code><nowiki>{{Name}}</nowiki></code> includes the current content of the page <nowiki>"[[Template:Name]]"</nowiki>.  
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*<code><nowiki>{{Name}}</nowiki></code> includes the content of the template at the moment the page containing it is fetched <nowiki>"[[Template:Name]]"</nowiki>.  
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:<code><nowiki>{{subst:Name}}</nowiki></code> inserts the content of the page <nowiki>"[[Template:Name]]"</nowiki> when you save your text.  
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*<code><nowiki>{{subst:Name}}</nowiki></code> inserts the content of the template into the code of the page in a form that is editable normally <nowiki>"[[Template:Name]]"</nowiki> after you have saved your text.  
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:<code><nowiki>{{msgnw:Name}}</nowiki></code> includes the template in raw wiki syntax, like <code><nowiki>&lt;nowiki&gt;</nowiki></code> does
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*<code><nowiki>{{msgnw:Name}}</nowiki></code> when the page containing it is fetched, includes the template in a form that displays it as raw wiki syntax, like <code><nowiki>&lt;nowiki&gt;</nowiki></code> does
  
 
==Using parameters in templates==
 
==Using parameters in templates==
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<div style="float:right">
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<div style="float:right; margin:8px;">
 
{| {{Prettytable}}  
 
{| {{Prettytable}}  
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{Hl2}}|'''You get'''
 
|{{Hl2}}|'''You get'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|<code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|all|~~~}}</nowiki></code>
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|<code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}</nowiki></code>
 
|
 
|
−
{{Thankyou|all|[[User:Someuser|Someuser]]}}
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{{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|{{Hl2}} colspan="2" align="center" |'''with named parameters'''
 
|{{Hl2}} colspan="2" align="center" |'''with named parameters'''
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|-
 
|-
 
|<pre><nowiki>{{Thankyou
 
|<pre><nowiki>{{Thankyou
−
|reason=all
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|reason=all your hard work
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|signature=~~~}}</nowiki></pre>
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|signature=Joe}}</nowiki></pre>
 
|
 
|
−
{{Thankyou|all|[[User:Someuser|Someuser]]}}
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{{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}
 
|}
 
|}
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
You can define parameters in templates either numbered as <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> or named <code><nowiki>{{{param}}}</nowiki></code>.   
 
You can define parameters in templates either numbered as <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> or named <code><nowiki>{{{param}}}</nowiki></code>.   
  
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'''Example:''' you want a little thank you note you can put other users on their talk page with a reason and your signature. In the [[Template:Thankyou]] you enter your text.
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'''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 (|): <code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|all|~~~}}</nowiki></code> or - if you have used named parameters  <code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|reason=all|signature=~~~}}</nowiki></code>. 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: <code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|2=~~~|1=all}}</nowiki></code>.
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When using the template on a page, you fill in the parameter values, separated by a pipe char (|): <code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}</nowiki></code>.  For named parameters use "name=value" pairs separated by a pipe char:   <code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|reason=all your hard work|signature=Joe}}</nowiki></code>. 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: <code><nowiki>{{Thankyou|2=Joe|1=all your hard work}}</nowiki></code>.
 +
 
 +
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, <code><nowiki>{{{reason|all your hard work}}}</nowiki></code> would result in ''"all your hard work"'' if no value was provided for the parameter <tt>reason</tt>.
  
 
==Control template inclusion==
 
==Control template inclusion==
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The converse is <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code>. Text between <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code> and
 
The converse is <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code>. Text between <code><nowiki><includeonly></nowiki></code> and
 
<code><nowiki></includeonly></nowiki></code> will be processed and displayed only when the page is
 
<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.
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being included. The obvious application is to add all pages containing a given template to a [[Category|category]], without putting the template itself into that category.
  
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Note that the usual update problems apply -- if you change the
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'''Note:''' when you change the categories applied by a template, the categorization of the pages that use that template may not be updated until some time later: this is handled by the [[m:Help:Job queue|job queue]]<!-- please fix link once that page has been migrated here -->.
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categories inside a template, the categories of the referring pages
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−
won't be updated until those pages are edited.
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==Organizing templates==
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==Making templates useful==
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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.
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For templates to be effective users need to find them and be able to use them. Wiki are not user friendly when it comes to finding, using and working with templates.  A simple technique is to have a usage on the template page.
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For example:
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For example
 
 
<div style="display:table; width:auto;"><pre>
 
<div style="display:table; width:auto;"><pre>
 +
<noinclude>
 
==Usage==
 
==Usage==
 
Allows to establish a link to a subject:
 
Allows to establish a link to a subject:
 
{{NameOfTemplate|Term1+Term2+Term3}}
 
{{NameOfTemplate|Term1+Term2+Term3}}
 +
</noinclude>
 
</pre></div>
 
</pre></div>
  
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The user can simply copy and paste the template to establish a new page that is similar to other pages. The example demonstrated is trival true, however a working example that demonstrates how templates can be used in complex situations to save time, accuracy and help categories pages on specialty topics more easily. see working example [http://www.clickwiki.info/index.php/Template:Object here]
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Then, an editor can simply copy and paste the example to create a similar page.
  
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Also creating a Category:Template on your wiki to put your templates together may also be useful for editors along with links to this page will greatly improve productivity. [http://www.clickwiki.info/index.php/Category:Template example wiki category page]
 
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
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;Template uses
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*[[Help:External searches]] -- a template special use case example
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*[[Help:External searches]]
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*[[Help:Variables]] -- fancy stuff you may find in some templates
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*[[meta:Help:Embed page]] -- embedding pages from [[namespace]]s other than <code>Template:</code>.
 +
 
 +
==External links==
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{{meta|Help:Template}}
  
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[[Category:Help|Templates]]
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[[Category:Help|{{PAGENAME}}]]
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[[Category:Template]]
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{{Languages|Help:Templates}}

Revision as of 22:37, 23 January 2008

PD
 Important note: When you edit this page, you agree to release your contribution into the public domain. If you don't want this or can't do this because of license restrictions, please don't edit. This page is one of the Public Domain Help Pages, which can be freely copied into fresh wiki installations and/or distributed with MediaWiki software; see Help:Contents for an overview of all pages.

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).

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 with numbered parameters 
 
'''A little thank you...'''<br>
<small>for {{{1}}}.<br>
hugs, {{{2}}}</small>
You type You get
{{Thankyou|all your hard work|Joe}}
Example sunflower image
A little thank you...
for all your hard work.
hugs, Joe
with named parameters 
 
'''A little thank you...'''<br>
<small>for {{{reason}}}.<br>
hugs, {{{signature}}}</small>
You type You get 
{{Thankyou
|reason=all your hard work
|signature=Joe}}
Example sunflower image
A little thank you...
for all your hard work.
hugs, 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, without putting the template itself into that category.

Note: when you change the categories applied by a template, the categorization of the pages that use that template may not be updated until some time later: this is handled by the job queue.

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

External links

Template:Meta

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