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Introduction to Templates

Tip

Task
Please read all the details about Templates on the official MediaWiki pages
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates

Note

Excellent tutorial videos about templates
YouTube hosts some excellent videos about the basic principles and formatting of templates

Function

Templates allow for the inclusion of pre-defined content in wiki pages.

This form of inclusion is called Transclusion

Warning

Definition: »Transclusion«
Transclusion describes the process of embedding content defined in a template into another page. Transcluded content can be parameterized by specifying individual values for the parameters defined in the template page.

Note

Explanatory Video about Transclusion
An excellent explanatory video about transclusion with elaborations about the different transclusion commands is available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsLahlGX0Ls&list=PLw2YgbWET_ph1IGqIyiZD8w9FIHlYASui&index=8

Templates
… can be created as any wiki page, but must be defined in the Template: namespace
… can contain almost any kind of wiki content
… can have parameters the values of which will be inserted in the template’s content during transclusion
… often hold semantic properties or subobjects in Semantic MediaWiki

Warning

Definition: »Template«
A template is a wikipage defined in the Template: namespace that contains content that can be transcluded in other wiki pages.

Templates are often used for harmonizing1 semantic data and reducing semantic drift
…by using pre-defined semantic properties in a template page
…and by setting their allowed values through template parameters (often in conjunction with Page Forms)
~> So, every page that transcludes a template contains the same semantic data and structure

Syntax

The following example displays a template with named parameters for entering new research grants

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<noinclude> 
Dies ist die Vorlage zum Anlegen neuer nationaler und europäischer Förderprogramme. 
Zum Anlegen eines neuen Förderprogramms einfach den folgenden Ausschnitt in den Quelltext 
der neuen Seite kopieren und die Parameter entsprechend belegen: 
<pre> 
  {{Förderprogramm 
   |Name= 
   |Akronym= 
   |Webseite= 
   |Deadline= 
   |Beschreibung= 
   |Sonstige_Informationen= 
  }} 
</pre> 
Das Template sollte im oben dargestellten Format genutzt werden. 
Bis auf das Attribut Deadline können alle Felder mit Freitext befüllt werden; 
das Attribut Deadline erwartet Datumsangaben (nicht 'Ende September' sondern '30.09.2016'). 
</noinclude> 
<!-- **** Hier beginnt das eigentliche Template **** --> 
<includeonly> 
  [[Category:Förderprogramm]] 
  [[Name::{{{Name|}}}]] 
  [[Akronym::{{{Akronym|}}}]] 
  [[Webseite::{{{Webseite|}}}]] 
  [[Deadline::{{{Deadline|}}}]] 
  [[Beschreibung::{{{Beschreibung|}}}]] 
  [[Sonstiges::{{{Sonstige_Informationen|}}}]] 
</includeonly>

Parameters

Templates can have parameters that allow for passing individual data to template content that is to be transcluded.

Specification in Templates

Parameters within templates can either be specified
… anonymously via the sequence of occurrence, i.e., {{{1}}}, {{{2}}}, etc.
… via specific parameter names, i.e., {{{Parameter_name|default_value}}}

Please note that parameters in templates need to be specified with three curly brackets {{{Prameter_name||Parameter_number}}} (N.B. ‘||’ means ‘OR’ and is not part of the parameter syntax) 

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Syntax:
=======
{{{Parameter_name}}}       OR       {{{Parameter_number}}}

Example:
========
{{{project}}}              OR       {{{1}}}

Usage in Transcluded Pages

Creation

Every template needs to a have a unique page name in the Template: namespace; they can be created as any other wikipage.

Template URL: {Semantic_MediaWiki_URL}\Template:Template_name Template Name: Template_name

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<!-- additional content -->
...
[[property_1_name::{{{parameter_1_name}}}]]
[[property_2_name::{{{parameter_2_name}}}]]
... 
<!-- additional content -->

Usage on a different wiki page – without parameters specified: 

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{{Template_name}}

Usage – with parameters specified on the page where the template it to be transcluded 

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{Template_name
|parameter1=value1
|parameter2=value2
|...
}}

Templates can be used in any place in a page.

Note

Always explicitly specify transcluding content
It is recommended to explicitly markup the content in a template that is to be transcluded and separate it from supplemental or instructional content that describes the usage of the template.
MediaWiki provides distinct commands (<include_only/>, <no_include/>) to control the transclusion of template content and separate it from e.g. instructional content on how to use the template.

  1. Harmonizing means to make something consistent and compatible ↩

Letztes Update: 18. September 2024