Forum:Userbox Help!

Hello, I am Pbre. I have recently adopted a wiki and it is in very bad shape. I have noticed that it does not have userboxes and I cannot add them for some reason. Like it doesnt show up when I try to insert that template. I do not think that template has been made but I am not sure how to do it. If anyone can help me I would really appriciate it! Thanks!

Pbre 00:26, April 24, 2010 (UTC)


 * There's a very easy-to-use example at Wikia Templates. Just copy that and add some stuff to your Common.css as explained in the documentation. :) The 888th Avatar   (talk)  00:41, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

Is that How I can like have Userboxes on my wiki... Cuz when I look for Userboxes under like Templates and then Magic Words it isnt there... I thought I had to like have someone do something to the wiki first....

Pbre 02:42, April 24, 2010 (UTC)


 * Yes - just copy what is there on the example template and follow the instructions there (i.e. adding stuff to Common.css). Userboxes are just another type of templates. The 888th Avatar   (talk)  04:45, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

Template loop detected: Template:Userbox is what came up when I did that... it also came up when I tried what someone else told me to do... Im so confused... Can someone help. Come to this wiki.... .http://maximumride.wikia.com/wiki/Special:MyHome

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Pbre 14:17, April 24, 2010 (UTC)


 * You have the same issue as this user here in this topic Forum:Infobox Template. You have put in template parameters INSIDE your template, instead of formatting/layout/codes. Read through the above link and see if you can understand Gin-san (Talk) 14:33, April 24, 2010 (UTC)


 * Basically, you need to go to the edit view on the template link I gave you, and copy what is in the edit box. After you have done that, then follow the rest of the instructions on the link I gave you. :) The 888th Avatar   (talk)  11:28, April 25, 2010 (UTC)


 * Pbre The copy of a 'Userbox' template you have has no documentation with it, from looking at your wiki (now we know which one). When you copy a template you also need the information of how to use it - I.e what parameters it takes. This can then be used to create a custom version in a new template if you want several std 'userboxes' that people can use. It also helps you later when you want to make a new one to know what parameters to use to pass some 'data' to the template to create the box for you. i.e the colour, any text to display etc.


 * Note due to some of your wikis settings text is not showing up when using the pages edit history & diffs function. - white text on a light yellow background is impossible to read. user:Chicken7 appears to have added/fixed you some code, but without usage info (documentation). But a lack of were the code was from means the documentation needs creating from scratch. The code 888thAvatar pointed you to has a set of documents to go with it but is a different version of userbox so the two are not comparable.


 * Templates generally consist of at least 2 parts The code (hidden till you click edit) and the usage info - the code that goes which you place in the article to call the template and tell the template what to do/show (the data & images to use) The documentation which tells user what to use for each template is either in the actual code within  tages or on a separate document page called & created by documentation & stored on the page "template:Your template name/doc" as used by the templates on the Template Wiki & most new Wikia sites.


 * To get the template to work you may need to copy several other templates and the /doc page and in the case of template:userbox copy the css show to the sites mediawiki.common.css as per the documentation. See Help:Beyond_the_basics to get various  wikia help pages including more info on templates. - BulldozerD11 23:55, April 25, 2010 (UTC)