Template:Ombox

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This is the {{Ombox}} ([O]ther pages [m]essage [box]) metatemplate.

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 , , {{Imbox}} or . Thus, it should not be used for boxes for articles, talk pages, image pages or category pages.

This template works almost exactly like 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.
}}

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.
}}

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.

Examples

Some examples using the "notice" style:

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:

image = [[File:Crystal package settings.png|40px]]

none = Means that no image is used.

imageright

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:

imageright = [[File:Nuvola apps bookcase.png|40px]]

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 = 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:

small = {{{small|}}}

smallimage

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:

smallimage = [[File:Replacement filing cabinet.svg|30px]]

none = Means that no image is used. This overrides any image fed to image, when "small=yes".

smallimageright

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:

smallimageright = [[File:Nuvola apps bookcase.png|30px]]

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>
}}

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 , , {{imbox}} and their talk pages and related pages might also contain more details.

Other pages message box. This template is usually not used directly, but is more often used as a metatemplate to build other templates.

Template parameters[Edit template data]

Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Text of the box	text	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 speedy delete content style notice move protection 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. Example Hi, I'm a summary!	Content	optional

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Ombox/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (edit | diff) and testcases (edit) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.