Help:Template

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Here's how to create and use a template:

Usage

First, consider what the template would be used for. What would its purpose be? Some common uses are:

• A navigation template
• A notice template

Code

Make sure you know the MediaWiki syntax for a template:

• For an input, type {{{1}}} for the first input, {{{2}}} for the second, and so on.
  • This can also be substituted with {{{value}}} or another name.
• For current page information, type {{NAMESPACE}} for the page's namespace, and {{PAGENAME}} for the page's name.
  • These will be inserted and changed as the location of the template changes.

Make sure you know how to use the template once it's been created:

• If the template is in a Template: namespace, simply type {{its name}} to use it.
• If the template is in any other namespace, simply type {{Namespace:its name}} to use it.
• For an input, {{{1}}}, type {{its name|input 1|input 2|etc...}}.
• For an input, {{{value}}}, type {{its name|value = input 1}}.

To include text in the template that you don't want to show up in pages that use it, such as:

• Instructions on how to use the template
• A category to organize the template

Place the text in a set of <noinclude> tags at the bottom of the template page.

Substituting

For some templates, it is a better idea to take load off the server and use subst: before the template name. This substitutes the dynamic code on the page with static text. For example, {{tick}} will display as {{tick}} in the code, while {{subst:tick}} will display as [[File:wiki tick.GIF]] in the code.

Example

Here is a simple example, creating a signature for any user typing {{Sig|User}}:

If the template contains the code:

[[User:{{{1}}}|{{{1}}}]] ([[User talk:{{{1}}}|talk]] · [[Special:Contributions/{{{1}}}|edits]])

Typing {{Sig|user}} inserts this code:

[[User:User|User]] ([[User talk:User|talk]] · [[Special:Contributions/User|edits]])

Which shows on the page as:

User (talk · edits)