User:Iynque/Signature/doc

Using a template to sign posts on talk pages allows for greater customization (you can use code that Wikia's Special:Preferences may reject), more characters (Special:Preferences signature is limited to 1200 characters), and you can update your signature everywhere by changing the the template once (rather than having your sig hard-coded into every page every time you use it).


 * Source code
 * This is where the signature is coded, and includes a parameter,, where the timestamp from Special:Preferences will be inserted.

User:Iynque/Signature/code contents:  Show/Hide Code  Results in:

Note that there is no timestamp yet.


 * Signature template
 * This essentially just calls the "source code" page. It needs to pass the timestamp through, so you see . We explicitly state that this is the first parameter to allow the equals sign (=) in the code (meaning we can do things like   in the timestamp without breaking everything.

User:Iynque/Signature contents:

 Results in:

Note that there is still no timestamp.


 * Preferences
 * The last step is to modify your signature in Preferences to call the signature template and provide it with a timestamp as a parameter.
 * If the required signature template doesn't exist (for example, when you're on a new wiki where you haven't copied the templates yet), it will fallback to a different signature, usually more plain because the signature in Preferences is limited to 1200 characters. ...and because it's annoying to see 1200 characters after every comment you make on a talk page just to have a fancy signature. :D
 * This is the basic format:

FALLBACK_SIG_CODE

Preferences contents:



Results in:

Or, when the templates are unavailable:

Iynque  Talk Contribs 23:16, 27 Apr 2016

There is finally a timestamp. Note that the source code for this includes SUBST: which means all that stuff in the code will be substituted with the much simpler end results.

Because the timestamp is included in the signature, signs with three tildes instead of four. Four is the default and adds a timestamp; three signs without adding a timestamp (which is what you want since your sig already includes one); five tildes turns into the timestamp only and doesn't include a signature, so it's useful for the fallback signature when the template isn't available.

For some examples of what you might do with limited characters in the alternate/fallback signature, check User:Iynque/Signature/styles.