View source for Category:Utility Templates

{{Template}}

These templates provide shorthand for producing common code, like styling text or quoting code blocks, and can be used to save on typing.

==Shorthand==
Can't be bothered to type out all that code? Try these.

*<nowiki>[[wikipedia:]]</nowiki> link - Creates a link to a page on the English Wikipedia, with optional ability to set text.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>[[wikipedia:Main page]]</nowiki>}} &rarr; [[wikipedia:Main page]]
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>[[wikipedia:Main page|Main Page on Wikipedia]]</nowiki>}} &rarr; [[wikipedia:Main page|Main Page on Wikipedia]]

*{{tl|Usr}} - Links to a user.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{Usr|Example User}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{Usr|Example User}}
*{{tl|@}} - Links to a user, and shows an @ symbol before their name.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{@|Example User}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{@|Example User}}
*{{tl|tl}} - Links to a template.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{tl|Example Template}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{tl|Example Template}}
*{{tl|cl}} - Links to a category.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{cl|Example Pages}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{cl|Example Pages}}
*{{tl|il}} - Links to an image.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{il|Example.jpg}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{il|Example.jpg}}
*{{tl|elc}} - Colours the text of an external link.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{elc|Example Page|red}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{elc|http://www.example.com|Link Text|red}}
*{{tl|sel}} - A shorthand method of including the CSS class "plainlinks" when linking to an external URL.
*:{{Codeinline|<nowiki>{{sel|http://wiki.urbandead.com/index.php/Example_page|Example Page}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{sel|http://wiki.urbandead.com/index.php/Example_page|Example Page}}
*{{tl|ec}} - Been edit conflicted? Use this so it doesn't seem like you ignored the person who gave you the conflict.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{subst:ec}} Your Message.</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{ec}} Your Message.

==Text Styling==
Need so make your text look prettier? Try these.

*{{tl|c}} - Changes the colour of your text, and optionally highlights it.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{c|red|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{c|red|some text}}
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{c|red|some text|yellow}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{c|red|some text|yellow}}
*{{tl|h}} - Highlights your text.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{h|yellow|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{h|yellow|some text}}
*{{tl|z}} - Changes the size of you text.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{z|75%|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{z|10px|some text}}
*{{tl|s}} - Strikes out text in a clean way than the <nowiki><s></nowiki> HTML tag, select it to reveal it.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{s|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{s|some text}}
*{{tl|t}} - Gives your text a "title", usually seen when you mouseover it.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{t|some title text|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{t|some title text|some text}}
*{{tl|blink}} - Produces blinking text (on some browsers), illegal for signatures according to policy.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{blink|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{blink|some text}}

==Textboxes==
Need a textbox, or a way to display text prominently? Try these.

*<nowiki><pre></nowiki> tag
*:For large blocks of text, it creates a box, tries to preserve formatting and automatically nowiki's text. It will stretch off the page for text that is too wide. Try {{tl|Pre}} for a box that wraps text.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki><pre>some text</pre></nowiki>}} &rarr; <pre>some text</pre>
*<nowiki><code></nowiki> tag
*:For smaller blocks of text, it creates a subtle inline box and displays text in a monospace font. It will stretch off the page for text that is too wide. Try {{tl|CodeInline}} for a better box that wraps text.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki><code>some text</code></nowiki>}} &rarr; <code>some text</code>
*{{tl|Code}}
*:Similar to {{tl|Pre}} but with slightly different colours.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{Code|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{Code|some text}}
*{{tl|CodeInline}}
*:For smaller blocks of text, it creates an obvious inline box and displays text in a monospace font. Better than the <nowiki><code></nowiki> tag.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{CodeInline|some text}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{CodeInline|some text}}

==Quotations==
Need to quote somebody on something? Use these.

*{{tl|Squote}} - For a simple style of quote.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{Squote|Example Quotation|Attributation}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{Squote|Example Quotation|Attributation}}
*{{tl|Quote}} - A large quotebox, for quoting wiki users.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{Quote|Example User|Example Quotation}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{Quote|Example User|Example Quotation}}
*{{tl|Divquote}} - A large quotebox, for quoting wiki users.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{Divquote|Example User|Example Quotation}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{Divquote|Example User|Example Quotation}}
*{{tl|IndentQuote}} - For quoting users without spoiling the indentation on talk pages.
*:{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{IndentQuote|author=Example User|text=Example Quotation}}</nowiki>}} &rarr; {{IndentQuote|author=Example User|text=Example Quotation}}

==Useful Functions==
Various templates that do something quite useful.

*{{tl|Custom Title}}
*:Creates text which appears on the page where the title usually sits, so it looks like the page has a different title. This doesn't actually change the title, and will break on skins other than Monobook or UrbanDead, so use only when needed.

*{{tl|Purge}}
*:Creates a link on a page which will puge the cache from the wiki server when clicked. Parameters allow for purging specific pages and control of link text and title.

*{{tl|TOCright}}
*:Floats the table of contents to the right, allowing text to wrap around it.
*{{tl|TOCleft}}
*:Floats the table of contents to the left, allowing text to wrap around it.

*{{tl|ThumbRight}}
*:For most pages, you can use wiki syntax for a thumbnail on the right. If you page has a coloured background, use this template to remove the ugly white border. Comparision shown on a grey background.
<div style="border:solid 1px gray; background:lightgray">
{{CodeInline|<nowiki>[[Image:Example.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Wiki Thumbnail]]</nowiki>}} &rarr;
[[Image:Example.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Wiki Thumbnail]]<br clear="right" />
{{CodeInline|<nowiki>{{ThumbRight|Example.jpg|100px|ThumbRight Thumbnail}}</nowiki>}} &rarr;
{{ThumbRight|Example.jpg|100px|ThumbRight Thumbnail}}<br clear="right" /></div>

==Wiki Syntax Escaping==
Do you need to just display a character without the wiki thinking it means something special? Use these.

*{{tl|!}}
*:If you need a "real" pipe symbol ({{CodeInline|&#124;}}) in a template variable, use this. The wiki will then treat is as a pipe only once the template evaluates. Useful if you want to put wiki table syntax into a template variable.
*{{tl|*}}
*:Need an asterisk at the beginning of a line without it becoming a bullet point? Use this.