Template:Ombox

{{{text}}}

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This is the {{ombox}} or other pages message box meta-template.

It is used to build message box templates for pages of the types: User, Wikipedia, MediaWiki, Template, Help, Portal and any new future namespaces. That is, 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.

We are deploying!

After discussions on the talk page of this template and announcing it at several places for some time we are now deploying this template. 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     = [[Image: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}} should perhaps use this type.

type=notice – Notices and messages of any kind, both permanent and temporary. Such as {{guideline}} and {{how-to}}.

type=move – Merge, split, rename and transwiki messages and proposals.

type=protection – Protection templates such as {{pp-protected}} when shown on "other pages".

Examples

Some examples using the "notice" style:

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
| type  = speedy / delete / content / style / notice / move / protection
| image = none / [[Image:Some image.svg|40px]]
| imageright = [[Image:Some image.svg|40px]]
| style = CSS value
| textstyle = CSS value
| text  = The message body text. 
}}

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

Anything = Any other object that you want to show on the right side.

style

An optional CSS value used by the entire message box table. Without quotation marks " ". For example:

style = margin-bottom: 0.5em;

textstyle

An optional CSS value used by the text cell. For example:

textstyle = text-align: center;

text

The message body text.

Technical details

This template currently uses hard coded styles. Later it will use CSS classes enabling it to be skinned.

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 |}}.

Internally this meta-template uses HTML markup instead of wiki markup for the table code. That is the usual way we make meta-templates since wiki markup has several drawbacks. For instance it makes it harder to use parser functions and special characters in parameters.

For more technical details see the talk page. Since this template works almost exactly like {{imbox}}, {{ambox}} and {{cmbox}} their talk pages and related pages might also contain more details.

See also

There are several meta-templates in the mbox family:

• {{ambox}} – For article message boxes.
• {{tmbox}} – For talk page message boxes.
• {{imbox}} – For image page message boxes.
• {{cmbox}} – For category message boxes.
• {{ombox}} – For other pages message boxes.
• {{mbox}} – Has namespace detection, for message boxes that are used on several types of pages and thus need to change style depending on what page they are used on.