Template:Term/doc
This is a documentation subpage for Template:Term. It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page. |
Usage
editThe template {{term}} is used in template-structured glossaries to create terms to be defined, that are properly structured, have semantic value, and can be linked to as if independent sections. It is a wrapper for <dt>...</dt>
, the description list term HTML element. The template has a mnemonic redirect at {{dt}}.
Basic usage:
{{gloss}}
{{term|1=term}}
{{defn|1=Definition.}}
{{glossend}}
Inline templates, reference citations, wikimarkup styles, etc., can be applied to the term in the second parameter (|content=
or |2=
) as long as it remains without markup in the first parameter (|term=
or |1=
. Technically, the explicit parameter names are optional if the term or content does not contain the "=" character, but as any editors can add material, including templates or URLs with this character in them, it is always safest to explicitly name the parameters.
- This will work:
{{term|1=E=MC²}}
- This will fail:
{{term|E=MC²}}
More complex usage is typically:
{{term|term=term with no markup |content=term with markup}}
or
{{term|1=term with no markup |2=term with markup}}
or
{{term|1=term with no markup |content=term with markup}}
Wiki-styling and linking the term
If the second or |content=
parameter is styled with wikimarkup, linked, or otherwise altered inside the template, the term must also be retained in unstyled form as the first or |term=
parameter. Failing to do so will cause the template to malfunction, since it must have a "clean" term name to use as the id
of the element, for linking purposes, among other reasons. The order intentionally mirrors that of wikilinking ([[title|styled]]
).
- Correct:
{{term|1=esprit de corps|''esprit de corps''}}
- Wrong:
{{term|1=''esprit de corps''}}
Style cannot be applied around the template, either, as it is a container for content (the term), not content itself (and doing so will produce invalid markup that will have unpredictable results depending upon browser):
- Wrong:
''
{{term|1=esprit de corps}}
''
For the same reasons that links to other pages are discouraged in headings, links are also discouraged in glossary terms:
- Deprecated:
{{term|1=esprit de corps|''[[esprit de corps]]''}}
- Preferred:
{{term|1=esprit de corps|''esprit de corps''}}
, and use of {{main}} in the {{defn}} definition to link to the article esprit de corps.
Again, as with the first parameter (the term) itself, if the "=
" character (equals sign) is used in this second parameter, the syntax requires that the parameter be explicitly specified (and because many URLs, e.g. in reference citations, can contain this character, it is always safest to name the parameter):
numbered:
{{term|1=E=MC²|2=E=MC<sup>2</sup>}}
or named:
{{term|term=E=MC²|content=E=MC<sup>2</sup>}}
The template {{anchors}} can also be used in the |content=
/ |2=
parameter, e.g. to provide the plural of the term (the most common usage), an alternative spelling, the old name of an entry that was linked to but has since changed, or a shortcut link anchor name:
{{term|1=shortstop }}
As with styled terms, the second parameter must be used to provide the "bare" term. It is not necessary to add the term itself to the {{anchors}}
template when using {{term}}
. By contrast, when using semicolon-delimited terms in unstructured glossaries, the term does need to be added as an anchor explicitly if link anchorage is desired (which is almost always the case):
;shortstop
{{anchors|
shortstop
|shortstops|short-stop|short stop|sslink}}
(Strictly speaking, this fact has nothing to do with this template, but may be of use to editors who are converting from one glossary style to the other.)
Multiple terms sharing a definition
Two or more {{terms}}
can be used for synonyms with a shared definition, though keep in mind that people looking for one and not finding it where they expect it to be alphabetized are liable to assume it is missing if you do not create a cross-reference entry. The parameter |multi=y
is used on second and subsequent terms to visually group the terms close together so it is clear that they share a definition:
Example:
{{term|1=asprin}} {{defn|1=A mild analgesic of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) family...}} {{term|1=heroin}} {{term|1=diacetylmorphine|multi=y}} {{term|1=diamorpine|multi=y}} {{defn|1=A synthetic narcotic drug of the opiate family...}} {{term|1=ranitidine}} {{defn|1=An antacid of the proton pump inhibitor family...}}
Result:
- asprin
- A mild analgesic of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) family...
- heroin
- diacetylmorphine
- diamorpine
- A synthetic narcotic drug of the opiate family...
- ranitidine
- An antacide of the proton pump inhibitor family...
Languages
To indicate the language of a non-English term, use the {{lang}} template and the ISO 639 language codes as documented at that template:
{{term|1=esprit de corps |content=''{{lang|fr|esprit de corps}}''}}
This shows no visual change for most languages:
For all non-English languages this provides many metadata features, but it is essential for those that do not use the Latin alphabet, so that the content displays properly in various browsers.
If it is useful to indicate the name of the language, there are individual templates for most languages, with names based on the ISO codes, and which automatically italicize the foreign content:
{{term|1=esprit de corp |content={{lang-fr|esprit de corps}}s}}
which renders as:
- When two or more language variants of a term share the same definition:
One definition can actually have two or more terms above it as variations or alternatives with the same definition. The most common use case for this is presenting the term in two variants of English. Example: {{term|1=tyre|content={{lang-en-GB|tyre}}}} {{term|1=tyre|content={{lang-en-US|tire}}}} {{defn|1=A resilient wheel covering usually made of vulcanized rubber.}} Result:
- Template:Lang-en-GB
- Template:Lang-en-US
- A resilient wheel covering usually made of vulcanized rubber.
The template has no parameter (and shouldn't – there are too many pitfalls).
|lang=
Applying CSS styles to the term
The |style=
parameter will pass CSS styling on to the <dt>
element.
Examples
This shows both a very simple and a rather complex instance:
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Images, hatnotes and other content
Images, hatnotes and other "add-in" content intended to immediately follow the {{term}}
must be used at the top of (inside) the first {{defn}}
of the {{term}}
. They cannot be placed between the {{term}}
and {{defn}}
or it will break the glossary markup. Images can, of course, be placed elsewhere within the {{defn}}
, and bottom-notes like {{more}} can be placed at the ends of but inside {{defn}}
s.
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Technical details
What this template does on the technical level is wrap the term in the <dfn>...</dfn>
HTML element to semantically mark the term as the defining instance on the page of the defined term, and puts this marked-up content inside a <dt>...</dt>
description list (a.k.a. definition list, association list) term element, with CSS class="glossary"
. That class isn't doing anything yet, but it could later, like the light font size increase.
Usage
| ||
---|---|---|
The template {{gloss}} is used with {{glossend}} to explicitly bracket a glossary or glossary-like description list (also called a definition list or association list), especially in a template-structured glossary, although such lists can be used more generally. This is required for template=structured glossaries, and is good practice anywhere description/definition lists are used for glossaries. The template pair invoke the The pair of templates incidentally prevent Wikiversity's MediaWiki software engine from auto-creating redundant definition list code ( Typical usage:
This shows both a very simple and a rather complex instance in a structured glossary:
This family of templates, like the underlying definition list code, is primarily intended for definitional uses, but can have other applications. The HTML 4.01 Specification itself says:
Thus, editors should feel free to use definition list markup as an alternative to bulleted or numbered lists when the material is well-suited to definition list presentation. |
Usage
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The template {{defn}} is used in template-structured glossaries to create definitions of terms.
It is a wrapper for Basic usage:
Links, inline templates, reference citations, wikimarkup styles, etc., can be applied to the definition. Technically, the
More complex usage is typically:
Images, hatnotes and other "add-in" content intended to immediately follow the
If a single
Because of the uneven length of definitions, it is usually more convenient to put the
or
This is a very robust method, because it permits complex content like block quotations, nested lists, {{main}} cross-reference hatnotes, and other block-level markup inside each definition. The definitions can also be independently linked. Use of a hatnote with a numbered definition requires manual numbering or it will look weird:
To enable a link directly to a specific definition, you can manually add an {{anchor}} template, or name the definition with its {{term}} or an abbreviation thereof (must be unique on the page for each term, but should be the same for multiple definitions of the same term). This is done with the
The IDs blubbermonster-defn1, blubbermonster-defn2, and snorkelweasel_noun-defn1 are all individually linkable, e.g. as There is no {{gloss}} {{term|1=Titles of La Vie en Rose in various languages |content=Titles of ''[[La Vie en Rose]]'' in various languages}} {{defn|1=French: ''{{lang|fr|La Vie en Rose}}''}} {{defn|1=English: ''Life in Pink''}} ... {{glossend}} This shows both a very simple and a rather complex instance:
Applying CSS styles to the definition
The |