This template is used in system messages. Changes to it can cause immediate changes to the Wikipedia user interface. To avoid large-scale disruption, any changes should first be tested in this template's /sandbox or /testcases subpage, or in your own user space. The tested changes can then be added in one single edit to this template. Please discuss any changes at the talk page before implementing them.
It is used to build message box templates for pages of the types User, 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 should not 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 different type 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 and image=none – No image is used and the text uses the whole message box area.
This page documents an English Wikipedia guideline. It is a generally accepted standard that editors should follow, though it should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss on the talk page.
This page in a nutshell: This template is used to build message boxes for all pages that are not 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 name box-name to the HTML element, for use by bots or scripts.
type
If no type parameter is given the template defaults to type notice. That means it gets a gray border.
image
No parameter = If no image parameter is given the template uses a default image. Which default image it uses depends on the type 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 no imageright 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:
Anything = Any other object that you want to show on the right side.
style
Optional CSS values used by the entire message box table. Without quotation marks " " but with the ending semicolons ;. For example:
style = margin-bottom: 0.5em;
textstyle
Optional CSS 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 the smallimage, smallimageright and smalltext 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 no smallimage parameter is given then this template falls back to use the image parameter. If the image 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 no smallimageright parameter is given then this template falls back to use the imageright parameter. If the imageright 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 to imageright, when "small=yes".
smalltext
A shorter version of the message body text. If no smalltext parameter is given then this template falls back to use the text 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 in MediaWiki: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 the talk 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 type of box that will be displayed. Examples are "speedy", "delete", "content", "style", "notice", "move", and "protection".
Suggested values
speedydeletecontentstylenoticemoveprotection
Example
notice
String
optional
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.
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.
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.
Example
text-align: center
String
optional
CSS style for text
textstyle
Inline CSS styles, which will only be applied to the text itself.
Example
text-align: center
String
optional
Plain external links?
plainlinks
In message boxes, external links have the arrow icon suppressed. 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 small.
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.
Example
[[File:Some image.svg|30px]]
Unknown
optional
Small image to the right
smallimageright
A small image to be used. Displays on the left. Only use this parameter if "small" is set.
Example
[[File:Some image.svg|30px]]
Content
optional
Small text
smalltext
Smaller text to display. Falls back to the "text" parameter if not used.
