Help:Templates

Templates on this wiki are devices for reducing the amount of typing needed for certain repetitive tasks.

Types of template
Two main sorts:
 * 1) suggested structures for pages - most of them are either:
 * 2) built into some text-boxes; or
 * 3) just "models" available for copy-and-paste
 * 4) Wiki feature for inserting "boilerplate" (standard text used more than once) - in their own namespace (see below) and all having "Template:" at the start of their pagenames.

Templates listed

 * List of Templates directly usable on this wiki - and anyone may create another one
 * "Magic words" - Special group of templates, standard throughout MediaWiki, doing clever things such as referring automatically to specified parts of the name of the page they are on

Use of MediaWiki templates

 * Simple use is templatename enclosed in double curly brackets. This copies the whole of what is on the template page. It changes when that page changes
 * Using "subst" - type "subst:" before the template name. This copies the material but is then separately edited unconnected to the template

Specific templates

 * explains footnotes and other references