Template:Documentation

Template documentation
Note: portions of the template sample may not be visible without values provided.
View or edit this documentation. (About template documentation)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox and test case pages.

Description

This template is used to insert descriptions on template pages.

Syntax

Add <noinclude>{{Documentation}}</noinclude> at the end of the template page.

Add <noinclude>{{Documentation|<documentation page>}}</noinclude> to transclude an alternative page from the /doc subpage. In this case the /doc subpage must still exist (perhaps as a redirect).

Usage

On the template page

This is the normal format used:

TEMPLATE CODE
<noinclude>
{{Documentation}}
</noinclude>

On the documentation page

The documentation page is usually located on the /doc subpage for a template, but a different page can be specified with the first parameter of the template (see Syntax).

Normally, you will want to write something like the following on the documentation page:

==Description==
This template is used to do something.

==Syntax==
Type <code>{{t|templatename}}</code> somewhere.

==Sample==
<code><nowiki>{{templatename|input}}</nowiki></code> 

results in...

{{templatename|input}}

<noinclude>[[Category:Template documentation]]</noinclude>
<includeonly>__NOEDITSECTION__
(Any categories for the template itself)
</includeonly>

Note that the above example also uses the Template:T template.

Preload

If the template is used on a template page, but the /doc subpage does not exist, a link will be available that loads Template:Documentation/preload. This allows users to create the documentation with a suggested format already provided. Note that it is not an absolute requirement to use any particular structure. As long as it is understandable and covers all needed information, it is good documentation.