Help:Contributing/templates - Revision history

Rongzhou: /* A template can also embed other templates */

2026-08-21T22:06:15Z

A template can also embed other templates

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:06, 21 August 2026
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	When you are building complex templates, you may find repeating patterns even in the templates themselves. Deduplicate even further by first building simple templates containing one or few basic elements, then build comprehensive full-page templates embedding multiple simple templates!		When you are building complex templates, you may find repeating patterns even in the templates themselves. Deduplicate even further by first building simple templates containing one or few basic elements, then build comprehensive full-page templates embedding multiple simple templates!

			See [[Template:FOSS]] for a live example: it nests [[Template:FOSS/Infobox]].

	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	Although technically there is no limit on the layers of template nesting (a template can nest another template which nest another template which nest another...), it is seldom advisable to use more than 2 layers of nesting (simple template>full-page template>actual page). Multiple layer of nesting is inefficient and confusing.		Although technically there is no limit on the layers of template nesting (a template can nest another template which nest another template which nest another...), it is seldom advisable to use more than 2 layers of nesting (simple template>full-page template>actual page). Multiple layer of nesting is inefficient and confusing.
	</blockquote>		</blockquote>

			== Use <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline><noinclude></syntaxhighlight> for extra explanations ==

			All content in a template, minus those wrapped between <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline><noinclude></noinclude></syntaxhighlight> is injected into pages that embed it.

			For complex templates, you may want to include a usage instruction: that is where <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline><noinclude></syntaxhighlight> comes in handy.

			Again, see [[Template:FOSS/Infobox]] for a live example.

	== See also ==		== See also ==

	[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates MediaWiki software doc on templates]		[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates MediaWiki software doc on templates]

Rongzhou: /* Use templates whenever you want to repeat something often */

2026-08-21T21:59:49Z

Use templates whenever you want to repeat something often

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:59, 21 August 2026
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	This way, if you later decide to change the disclaimer, you only need to update the template, not every article!		This way, if you later decide to change the disclaimer, you only need to update the template, not every article!

			== A template can also embed other templates ==

			When you are building complex templates, you may find repeating patterns even in the templates themselves. Deduplicate even further by first building simple templates containing one or few basic elements, then build comprehensive full-page templates embedding multiple simple templates!

			<blockquote>
			Although technically there is no limit on the layers of template nesting (a template can nest another template which nest another template which nest another...), it is seldom advisable to use more than 2 layers of nesting (simple template>full-page template>actual page). Multiple layer of nesting is inefficient and confusing.
			</blockquote>

	== See also ==		== See also ==

	[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates MediaWiki software doc on templates]		[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates MediaWiki software doc on templates]

Rongzhou: /* A template is like any other page */

2026-08-21T06:06:02Z

A template is like any other page

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:06, 21 August 2026
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	A template is a regular static page living under the reserved namespace <code>Template</code>.		A template is a regular static page living under the reserved namespace <code>Template</code>.

	You create/edit a template exactly as you would do with any other classic MediaWiki pages.		You create/edit a template exactly as you would do with [[Help:Contributing#Page_management:_creating,_moving,_deleting_pages\|any other classic MediaWiki pages]].

	== Any page can embed one or more template(s) ==		== Any page can embed one or more template(s) ==

Rongzhou at 06:00, 21 August 2026

2026-08-21T06:00:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:00, 21 August 2026
Line 36:		Line 36:

	This way, if you later decide to change the disclaimer, you only need to update the template, not every article!		This way, if you later decide to change the disclaimer, you only need to update the template, not every article!

			== See also ==

			[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates MediaWiki software doc on templates]

Rongzhou: 1st draft

2026-08-20T20:37:14Z

1st draft

New page

== A template is like any other page ==

A template is a regular static page living under the reserved namespace <code>Template</code>.

You create/edit a template exactly as you would do with any other classic MediaWiki pages.

== Any page can embed one or more template(s) ==

The magic, is that MediaWiki automatically makes all templates embeddable, including in other templates. All you need to do is to call <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline>{{template name}}</syntaxhighlight>

For instance, if you have created a simple template named <code>Template:Hello</code>, which contains one simple phrase:

<pre>
Hello! How is it going? It is good to see you!
</pre>

And then in another page, say, <code>User:DogFood</code>, you write:

<pre>
{{Hello}}

I am a dog lover! Hope you are as well!
</pre>

You would get the rendered page:

<blockquote>
Hello! How is it going? It is good to see you!

I am a dog lover! Hope you are as well!
</blockquote>

== Use templates whenever you want to repeat something often ==

If you are, say, creating a series of articles on your secret recipes, and you want to include a disclaimer at the top of each article, you will probably want to create a template called <code>Template:EvaRecipeDisclaimer</code>, then include the template by writing <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline>{{EvaRecipeDisclaimer}}</syntaxhighlight> at the top of each of your articles, rather than manually copying and pasting the same disclaimer onto all articles in the series one by one.

This way, if you later decide to change the disclaimer, you only need to update the template, not every article!