Help:Template parameters

Templates allow you to pass parameters that can be used to affect the content or design of the template.

Simple parameters

• Create a page on your wikia called "Template:Box":
• Add the following code to that page:

<div style="width:10em; height:5em; border:1px solid #999; background-color:#CDF; color:#000; text-align:center; padding-top:2em;">
{{{1}}}
</div>

• Save the page and note that it displays the following content:

{{{1}}}

• Create an article page on your wikia called Template test
• Enter the following code on that page to display your template:

{{Box|Example text}}

• Save the page and note that it displays the following content:

Example text

Understanding what happened

This replacement happened because {{{1}}} tells the wiki to pass the first parameter of the template here. This can be extended with {{{2}}}, {{{3}}}, etc.

The number represents the number of the parameter:

{{box|first parameter|second parameter|third parameter}}

If you wish not to use a certain parameter, you can leave it blank, but the | must still be included. For example:

{{box|first parameter||third parameter}}

Named and default parameters=

As an alternative to the above, you can use named parameters. Though this makes the code slightly more complex, it allows more freedom in how templates are created.

• Using the same example pages as before, edit "Template:Box" and replace the content with the following code:

<div style="width:10em; height:5em; border:1px solid #999; background-color:{{{bgcolor|#CDF}}}; color:{{{textcolor|#000}}}; text-align:center; padding-top:2em;">
{{{text}}}
</div>

{{{text}}} introduces the concept of a named parameter. {{{bgcolor|#CDF}}} also introduces the concept of a default parameter: if bgcolor is not defined, #CDF will be passed.

• Edit the page "Template test" and replace it with the following code:

{{box|bgcolor=navy|textcolor=white|text=A navy blue box}}

• Save your page, and note that it displays the following:

A navy blue box

Understanding what happened

As the parameters have names, you can pass them in any order, so {{box|textcolor=white|text=A navy blue box|bgcolor=navy}} would produce an identical box.

Due to default parameters, if, say, the background color was not defined - as in {{box|textcolor=white|text=A navy blue box}} - you would get:

A navy blue box

Named parameters are frequently written on separate lines to aid readability. It is not unusual to see them written in this form:

{{box
 |bgcolor   = navy
 |textcolor = white
 |text      = A navy blue box
}}

See also

• {{#NewWindowLink:wikipedia:Help:Template#Parameters|More detailed Parameter help on Wikipedia}}
• Templates
• Parser functions