This template is used in system messages, and onapproximately 1,330,000 pages, or roughly 2% of all pages. Changes to it can cause immediate changes to the Wikipedia user interface. To avoid major disruption and server load, any changes should be tested in the template's/sandbox or/testcases subpages, or in your ownuser subpage. The tested changes can be added to this page in a single edit. Please discuss changes on thetalk page before implementing them.
It is used to build message box templates for pages of the types User, Draft, Wikipedia, MediaWiki, Template, Help, Portal and any new future namespaces; i.e. for page types not covered by{{Ambox}},{{Tmbox}},{{Imbox}} or{{Cmbox}}. Thus, it shouldnot be used for boxes for articles, talk pages, image pages or category pages.
This template works almost exactly like{{Ambox}} and uses the same parameters.
Introduction
As noted above, this template should be used for message boxes that are not articles, talk pages, image pages or category pages. Some message boxes for other pages may incorrectly use one of those four mentioned. Feel free to convert any message boxes used on "other pages" to use this meta-template. If you find any tricky cases then list them on the talk page of this template and you'll get help.
When this template is used to build other pages message boxes those boxes should contain explanatory texts just like before. (The same texts as before or new improved texts.) If there are more specific images in the boxes or you know a better image, then use them instead of the default images shown here.
Usage
Simple usage example:
{{ombox| text= Some text.}}
Some text.
Complex example:
{{ombox| type= style| image=[[File:Emblem-question-yellow.svg|40px]]| style= width: 400px;| textstyle= color: red; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;| text= The message body text.}}
The message body text.
Other pages message box types
The following examples use differenttype parameters but use no image parameters; thus, they use the default images for each type.
type=speedy – Speedy deletion templates.
type=delete – Deletion templates.
type=content – Major warnings and problems, such as{{high-use}}.
type=style – Minor warnings and problems.{{Intricate template}} should perhaps use this type.
type=notice – Notices and messages of any kind, both permanent and temporary. Such as{{guideline}} and{{Wikipedia how-to}}.
type=move – Merge, split, rename and transwiki messages and proposals.
type=protection – Protection templates such as{{pp}} when shown on "other pages".
Examples
Some examples using the "notice" style:
No type and no image given (default)
No type andimage=none – No image is used and thetext uses the whole message box area.
This page documents an English Wikipediaguideline. It is a generally accepted standard that editors should follow, though it should be treated withcommon sense and theoccasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflectsconsensus. When in doubt, discuss on thetalk page.
This page in a nutshell: This template is used to build message boxes for all pages that arenot articles, talk pages, image pages or category pages.
Parameters
List of all parameters:
{{ombox| name= name of the template| type= speedy / delete / content / style / notice / move / protection| image= none /[[File:Some image.svg|40px]]| imageright=[[File:Some image.svg|40px]]| style= CSS values| textstyle= CSS values| plainlinks= no| text= The message body text.| small={{{small|}}} / yes| smallimage= none /[[File:Some image.svg|30px]]| smallimageright= none /[[File:Some image.svg|30px]]| smalltext= A shorter message body text.}}
name
(Optional) Name of the template. This adds a CSS class with namebox-name to the HTML element, for use by bots or scripts.
type
If notype parameter is given the template defaults to typenotice. That means it gets a gray border.
image
No parameter = If noimage parameter is given the template uses a default image. Which default image it uses depends on thetype parameter.
An image = Should be an image with usual wiki notation. 40px - 50px width are usually about right depending on the image height to width ratio. (But the message box can handle images of any size.) For example:
No parameter = If noimageright parameter is given then no image is shown on the right side.
An image = Should be an image with usual wiki notation. 40px - 50px width are usually about right depending on the image height to width ratio. (But the message box can handle images of any size.) For example:
OptionalCSS values used by the text cell. For example:
textstyle = text-align: center;
plainlinks
Normally on Wikipedia, external links have an arrow icon next to them, like this:Example.com. However, in message boxes, the arrow icon is suppressed by default, like this:Example.com. To get the normal style of external link with the arrow icon, use|plainlinks=no.
text
The message body text.
The small parameters
small = yes
type = style small = yes
small
yes = Makes it a smaller right floating message box. This also makes the default images smaller. Note that any data fed to thesmallimage,smallimageright andsmalltext parameters is only used if "small=yes". To make it so your template also understands the small parameter you can use this code:
No parameter = If nosmallimage parameter is given then this template falls back to use theimage parameter. If theimage parameter also is empty then a small default image is used.
An image = Should be an image with usual wiki notation. 30px width is usually about right. For example:
No parameter = If nosmallimageright parameter is given then this template falls back to use theimageright parameter. If theimageright parameter also is empty then no image is shown on the right side.
An image = Should be an image with usual wiki notation. 30px width is usually about right. For example:
Anything = Any other object that you want to show on the right side.
none = Means that no right side image is used. This overrides any image fed toimageright, when "small=yes".
smalltext
A shorter version of the message body text. If nosmalltext parameter is given then this template falls back to use thetext parameter.
Technical details
If you need to use special characters in the text parameter then you need to escape them like this:
{{ombox| text=<div>Equal sign = and a start and end brace { } work fine as they are. But here is a pipe{{!}} and two end braces<nowiki>}}</nowiki>. And now a pipe and end braces<nowiki>|}}</nowiki>.</div>}}
Equal sign = and a start and end brace { } work fine as they are. But here is a pipe | and two end braces }}. And now a pipe and end braces |}}.
This template uses the ombox CSS classes inMediaWiki:Common.css for most of its looks, thus it is fully skinnable.
The default images for this meta-template are in png format instead of svg format. The main reason is that some older web browsers have trouble with the transparent background that MediaWiki renders for svg images. The png images here have hand optimised transparent background colour so they look good in all browsers. Note that svg icons only look somewhat bad in the old browsers, thus such hand optimisation is only worth the trouble for very widely used icons.
For more technical details see thetalk page. Since this template works almost exactly like{{ambox}},{{tmbox}},{{imbox}} and{{cmbox}} their talk pages and related pages might also contain more details.
The text to be displayed inside the box; if you need to use special characters then use <nowiki>{{ombox}}</nowiki>.
Example
Hello, I am a box created using <nowiki>{{ombox}}</nowiki>.
Content
required
Type of box to display
type
The type of box that will be displayed (image, border thickness, colour, appearance). Examples from highest priority to lowest: "speedy", "delete", "content", "style", "notice", "move", and "protection".
Suggested values
speedydeletecontentstylenoticemoveprotection
Default
notice
Example
notice
String
suggested
Image
image
The image to be displayed inside the box. This can be chosen automatically by setting the "type" parameter. Displays on the *left*. This should be given as a file wikilink, just as if you were adding an image on its own, with the size, typically 40–50px.
Example
[[File:Some image.svg|40px]]
Content
optional
Image to the right
imageright
The image to be displayed to the *right* of the text. This should be given as a file wikilink, just as if you were adding an image on its own, with the size, typically 40–50px.
Example
[[File:Some image.svg|40px]]
Content
optional
CSS style for entire box
style
Inline CSS styles, which will be applied to the *entire* box. Without quotation marks " " but with the ending semicolons ;.
Example
text-align: center; style = margin-bottom: 0.5em;
String
optional
CSS style for text
textstyle
Inline CSS styles, which will only be applied to the text itself. Without quotation marks " " but with the ending semicolons ;.
Example
text-align: center; text-color: red;
String
optional
Plain external links?
plainlinks
Typically, external links have an arrow icon next to them, but in message boxes, this is suppressed by default. Set this to "no" to restore the usual appearance of an external link.
Suggested values
no
Example
no
Unknown
optional
Small?
small
If set to "yes", the box becomes a small right floating message box. This also makes the default images smaller.
Suggested values
yes
Example
yes
Unknown
optional
Small image
smallimage
A small image to be used. Displays on the left. Only use this parameter if "small" is set. If not set, “image” will be used anyway. Size 30px is about right. “none" = Means that no image is used. This overrides any image fed to image, when "small=yes".
Example
[[File:Some image.svg|30px]], none
Unknown
optional
Small image to the right
smallimageright
A small image to be used. Displays on the right. Only use this parameter if "small" is set. If not set, “image” will be used anyway. Size 30px is about right. “none" = Means that no image is used. This overrides any image fed to imageright, when "small=yes".
Example
[[File:Some image.svg|30px]]
Content
optional
Shorter text
smalltext
A shorter version of the message body text. Will display if “small=yes". Falls back to the "text" parameter if not used.
