User talk:Ruakh/Help:Templates

MediaWiki links
This feels like starting in the middle. It may well work for some but others need to find starting points. No matter what else you do you need the MW links. DCDuring TALK 11:24, 17 July 2012 (UTC)


 * This is absolutely not intended as an introduction to templates. This is intended as a list of nitty-gritty details, many of which aren't, so far as I'm aware, actually documented anywhere. —Ruakh TALK 12:28, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Then I'm unable to help, I'm afraid. DCDuring TALK 13:48, 17 July 2012 (UTC)

Tutorial?
Further, it might be useful to classify templates. For example, 'subst'able ones, templates that simply pass arguments to other templates or to display, etc. To some extent this would reflect inherent complexity, mode of use, and interaction with other templates. Other divisions, as by purpose, come to mind. Many users are unlikely to get beyond simple stuff. It might be useful to help users avoid mistakes on the simple stuff by having some simple protocols to follow. This suggests that a tutorial approach for simple templates might be helpful. Also, for each type it might be helpful if there were a model well-documented (not specially documented for tutorial purposes) template. DCDuring TALK 11:24, 17 July 2012 (UTC)


 * Maybe so, but I currently have no plans to do such a thing. You, of course, should feel free to. :-)  —Ruakh TALK 12:29, 17 July 2012 (UTC)


 * I misunderstood your intent. I have so little knowledge of templates that I naturally assumed that, if you were asking me about it, it was because it was aimed at tyros. My only qualification for writing something introductory about templates is that I have a large list of questions about them. I lack the qualifications to provide answers. I am even perfectly capable of misreading answers provided me by others in this area. DCDuring TALK 13:47, 17 July 2012 (UTC)


 * Re: "I have a large list of questions about them": Hey, that's a start. And that's actually how I was hoping you would help with this page: not by providing facts, but by asking questions. —Ruakh TALK 13:50, 17 July 2012 (UTC)


 * But looking at the material you offer, I can imagine it being important to someone, but the only question I have is "Does this make any difference to me as a user of templates and, at most, an adapter of templates?" On whitespace, for example, I would assume that, if a template in actual use has a particular configuration of spaces, there must be a reason and consequently any changes I might make should not alter that. DCDuring TALK 14:25, 17 July 2012 (UTC)


 * To be honest, part of the motivation for this page is simply to demonstrate that templates are incredibly complicated, that even trivial-seeming changes can break things (as people constantly rediscover), and that testing is always a good idea. I think that really does make a difference to you as an adapter of templates. —Ruakh TALK 15:21, 17 July 2012 (UTC)