View source for Template:Glossary/doc

{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|{{Documentation subpage|[[Template:Glossary]] and [[Template:Glossary end]]}} |}}
{{Commons Import}}
=={{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|Usage|[[Template:Glossary]]}}==
{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|<!--nothing-->|{{collapse top|heading=Usage|left=y}} }}
The template {{tlx|glossary}} (a.k.a. {{tnull|glossary start}} or {{tnull|glossary begin}}) is used with {{tlx|glossary end}} to explicitly bracket a glossary or glossary-like description list (also called a definition list or association list), especially in a [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Glossaries|template-structured glossary]], although such lists can be used more generally. This is ''required'' (as a technical matter) for template-structured glossaries, and is good practice anywhere description/definition lists are used for glossaries.  The template pair invoke the {{tag|dl}} ''description list'' [[Wikipedia:HTML Element#Lists|HTML element]]. Unfortunately, the "{{tlf|dl}}" mnemonic is not available as a redirect as of this writing.

The pair of templates incidentally prevent Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:MediaWiki]] software engine from auto-creating redundant definition list code ({{tag|dl}}) around terms and definitions if they have blank lines between them, as they often do, especially in non-structured glossaries.

Typical usage:

 {{bxt|1={{tlf|glossary}} }}
 {{gray|1={{tl|term|1{{=}}<var>term</var>}} }}
 {{gray|1={{tl|defn|1{{=}}<var>Definition.</var>}} }}
 {{bxt|1={{tlf|glossary end}} }}

{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|
===Parameters===
|{{fake heading|Parameters|sub=3}} }}

*{{para|id}} &nbsp; can be used to assign a one-word ID name to the glossary. This can be used as a <code>#{{var|id}}</code> link target, and could have other metadata uses.
*{{para|style}} &nbsp; will pass CSS styling on to the {{tag|dl|o}} element. I.e., this styles the definition list itself, as a container, not the individual terms and definitions with it.  ''There is rarely any reason to do this.''
*{{para|class}} &nbsp; will pass one or more space-separate CSS classes on to {{tag|dl|o}} element, in addition to the automatically included class <code>glossary</code>.  ''There is rarely any reason to do this.''

{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|
===Examples===
|{{fake heading|Examples|sub=3}} }}

This shows both a very simple then a rather complex instance in a structured glossary (including an entry with a block quotation, using the glossary block quotation template, {{tl|gbq}}):



{|
| style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" | <syntaxhighlight lang="moin" highlight="3,15">
==A&ndash;M==

{{glossary}}

{{term|1=applesnorkel}}
{{defn|1=Definition of term 1.}}

{{term|term=arglefarst |content=''{{lang|xx|arglefarst}}''{{anchor|argle-farst|argle farst}} }}
{{defn|no=1 |defn=Beginning of first definition of term 2
{{gbq|1=Block quotation in first definition of term 2.}}
Conclusion of first definition of term 2.
}}
{{defn|no=2 |defn=Second definition of term 2.}}

{{glossary end}}
</syntaxhighlight>
|-
| style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" | <blockquote><poem>
{{fake heading|A&ndash;M}}

{{glossary}}

{{term|applesnorkel}}
{{defn|1=Definition of term 1.}}

{{term|term=|arglefarst|content=''arglefarst''{{anchor|argle-farst|argle farst}} }} <!-- Avoid actually using {{lang}} template in examples, as it generates unwanted transclusions. -->
{{defn|no=1 |defn=Beginning of first definition of term 2

{{gbq|1=Block quotation in first definition of term 2.}}
Conclusion of first definition of term 2.
}}
{{defn|no=2 |defn=Second definition of term 2.}}

{{glossary end}}
</poem></blockquote>
|}


{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|
===Scope===
|{{fake heading|Scope|sub=3}} }}

This family of templates, like the underlying definition list code, is {{em|primarily}} intended for definitional uses, but can have other applications.  The ''[http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/struct/lists.html HTML 4.01 Specification]'' itself says:
{{quote|1=Definition lists...generally consist of a series of term/definition pairs (although definition lists may have other applications). Thus, when advertising a product, one might use a definition list:
{{glossary}}
{{term|Lower cost}}
{{defn|The new version of this product costs significantly less than the previous one!}}
{{term|Easier to use}}
{{defn|We've changed the product so that it's much easier to use!}}
{{term|Safe for kids}}
{{defn|You can leave your kids alone in a room with this product and they won't get hurt (not a guarantee).}}
{{glossary end}} }}

Thus, editors should feel free to use definition list markup as an alternative to bulleted or numbered lists when the material is well-suited to definition list presentation.

{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Glossary|
{{Term/doc}}
{{Defn/doc}}

==See also==
{{glossary templates see also}}
{{HTML lists}}
|{{collapse bottom}} }}<!--end ifeq-->

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