Help:Templates

A template is a pre-set piece of text that can be added to a page without having to retype the same text over and over again. This presents an advantage as you only have to change the text on one page and the change will be reflected on every page that contains the template.

Example
The template as shown below can be added to every single page that talks about the Flood. This allows the user to jump to other Flood Forms and if another Flood form is discovered then only one file, the Flood template file, needs to be edited.

More Uses
Templates also have other uses; creating awards that are given to exceptional users, welcoming a user to the community, or sorting information in an article.

When editors come across this page, they should try to fix the article and look for grammar errors. After the person who placed the template is satisfied that the article has been cleaned up, then the line of code will be removed.

To Insert a Template
To insert a template, all templates are displayed on this page. The code that inserts a template into an article is always between double curly brackets -. ex.

Creating a Template
If you feel a need for a template and want to create your own to add to pages then you can create your own. First search that your idea for a template doesn't already exist. Then type "Template: Template Name Here into the search box. The Search should come up empty with an option to create your own article with the search phrase.   Create the Template, save and then add the template by using instructions above.

Editing a Template
Before you edit a template be wary of your changes as they will be reflected across many, in the some case dozens of pages. To edit a Template you just type in the search box "Template:Template Name Here". For example to edit the Flood Template type "Template:Flood" in the search box.

Advanced Templates
Templates can also be custom built for each page that they're used. A good example of this is the Template. Every time this template is used it adds who added it, when and why. The template does this by asking for those three "parameters" or values from the template. So for example by typing in this information (Seperated by the | horizontal bar):

We get this:

Make your own
You can get your template to ask for information simply by adding this code in your template. By adding the the template knows to put whatever is passed first in place of the. To add other values/variables/parameters just increase the number i.e.  {{{3}}

Here is some of the code from the the Template:FactOrFictionTalk page. See how the are placed where the parameters are supposed to go:

 "Our Prophets are false! Open your eyes, my brothers! They would use the faith of our forefathers to bring ruin to us all!"

On  had issues with this article, . This article contains disputed content and may be fanfiction or a non-canon hoax.



Please add where this subject is mentioned in the Halo Universe and add references using the below format: 

Naming the Parameters
You can take this a step further by instead of using a number you name the variable. A good example of a template that uses this method is the Infobox xbox live settings template:

For the "Infobox xbox live settings" template you insert this code and then fill in the appropriate data.

Sample
Here is a sample using the game type called "Team Snipers". So first we add the code and the values like this: 



Then when we save and reload the page it displays this: