Forum:Template spring cleaning

As you may have noticed, I'm currently doing a little spring cleaning in the template department. Primarily I'm adding missing documentation and standardizing the existing template documentation, but I'm also cleaning up the code for a few templates. In case you run into a template which suddenly has ceased functioning, please let me know.

A few templates however have seen more significant changes. Just as a heads-up, a summary of changes with consequences for the end user (i.e. you :P):
 * main: Previously, all "uneven" unnamed parameters (#1, #3, #5) were page names and all "even" parameters (#2, #4, #5) were alternate display texts. Now, all unnamed parameters are page names and alternative display texts are set with the corresponding  parameter (e.g.   overwrites the default text for the third link). Also supports up to 5 page links now (previously 3).
 * see: See above; now uses the same syntax and also supports up to 5 pages (previously only 1).
 * console: Completely rewritten to allow for more flexible markup without using an auxiliary template. Previously you needed to use to format console command parameters; now you can do it directly with the template.
 * has been renamed to transcluded. The new name should hopefully make the purpose clearer.
 * has been renamed to linkable. Reason for the name change is the same as for . In addition, the usage has changed slightly when specifying alternate display text and/or more than one anchor.

That's it for now, at least as far as I remember ;) I have 3 categories left to go over (Category:Infobox templates, Category:Meta templates, Category:Navbox templates), all other templates should be done. Out of these, only the infoboxes might see a few changes for the end user; nothing major though. Hope you find the improved documentation useful :) -- Porter21 (talk) 22:38, May 15, 2010 (UTC)


 * Thanks. This is very helpful stuff you're doing, Porter. Hey, want to come over and reorganize my garage? :) --Gothemasticator 14:53, May 16, 2010 (UTC)


 * No thanks, I already got to "enjoy" garage cleanup duties this year :P -- Porter21 (talk) 15:33, May 16, 2010 (UTC)

More templates with functionality changes: All individual navboxes now include a shortened documentation (see e.g. Navbox Arefu). This documentation will automatically be added to every navbox created with the predefined layouts. I figured it might help new editors understand the navboxes better. -- Porter21 (talk) 00:13, May 17, 2010 (UTC)
 * Page management templates (e.g. cleanup etc): Almost all of them now support an unnamed parameter for describing the issue in more detail, similar to delete.
 * for: Now supports replacing the text for the "see XYZ" links with  parameters.
 * ,, , : Added template creation box to doc pages for easier creation of new navboxes. The predefined layouts are also available when creating a new page in the "Template:" namespace (works similar to article creation layouts).


 * All documentation should be done now. Also don't think there are more template changes coming for now; a few of our major templates (base infobox, base navbox, icon could do with a little optimization but that's not really urgent. -- Porter21 (talk) 01:12, May 21, 2010 (UTC)
 * Yay! That was a lot of work. Thanks.--Gothemasticator 04:41, May 21, 2010 (UTC)

Two more templates with functionality changes: -- Porter21 (talk) 09:30, May 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * and : These templates now automatically preserve line breaks, i.e. it's no longer necessary to manually add  all over the place.
 * Hot damn. SO, one can simply mimic a line break by
 * skipping lines inside the template? Neato! (figures you make such a handy addition after I hand wikified PRO SCEN.MSG (Fallout)) ;) Ghouly89 (Talk)09:43, May 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * However, doesn't this mean you will have to fire up your bot to remove  from every single dialogue file? I am assuming eery single line will now be double spaced... Ghouly89 (Talk) 09:48, May 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I'll have to strip the tags back out (which I just added when we switched to  ); I'm going to do that in the next few days. I only discovered the extension which allows me to do this a few days ago, otherwise it'd have saved you and me quite a bit of work. -- Porter21 (talk) 10:05, May 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * Bot is working on pages with ; already finished with the  pages. Will probably take some hours to complete. -- Porter21 (talk) 13:24, May 30, 2010 (UTC)