Template:Tlc

{{tlc|...}}

Purpose and naming

When a template name with braces is to be shown in documentation, the braces have to be escaped in some way so it doesn't become an actual call to the template. Instead of using <nowiki></nowiki> tags you can write it more simply and concisely by using the {{tlc}}, {{tld}}, or {{tlf}} templates.

These templates work similarly to {{tl}} and {{tlx}}, but don't make the template name into a link. When writing documentation you might want to avoid a lot of unnecessary links, since they can decrease readability. So on the first occurrence of a template name use Template:Tlx or Template:Tlx, and then use {{tlc}}, {{tld}} or {{tlf}} thereafter.

Template	Mnemonic	Format differentiation
{{tlc}}	Template link code	Uses the <code>...</code> tags meant for showing programming code. Essentially the non-linking equivalent of Template:Tlx.
{{tld}}	Template link dialup-host
{{tlf}}	Template link format-normal	Uses proportional-spaced font as is normal for regular text rather than a monospace font as typically used with programming code. Essentially the non-linking equivalent of Template:Tlx.

The three names were based on Template:Tlx template link, despite the fact that, unlike the actual {{tl}} template, these three don't include an actual link. The mnemonics for {{tld}} and {{tlf}} were invented after the fact, since the template creator used the single letters still available rather than the preferred {{tlt}} (using <tt>) and {{tln}} (using "normal", non-coded text style) monikers.

Basic operation

Here is how these templates look. Code is to the left; actual rendering to the right:

{{tlc|name|parameters}} = {{name|parameters}}

{{tld|name|parameters}} = Template:Tld

{{tlf|name|parameters}} = Template:Tlf

Use with editprotected templates

Most Wikipedia users and even editors will have little or no need for use (or knowledge) of these templates. You will find them of more use if you are a writer or documenter of templates. However, editors may be pointed here when attempting to deal with edit requests on pages which have been protected in some way.

Pages which have been protected can't be edited by every user, but would-be editors can request specific changes on the corresponding Discussion page. An editor requesting a change to a semi-protected page, for example, would add the {{editsemiprotected}} template, followed by their request, to the Talk page. The {{editsemiprotected}} template expands to a texty notice which includes the instruction "Replace the {{editsemiprotected}} template with {{tlf|editsemiprotected}} when the request has been accepted or rejected." An empowered editor acting on the request would then change the template per this instruction.

The desired effect is to replace the {{editsemiprotected}} template (with its big, eye-catching box of information) by the name of the template, merely showing that the template had been there, and acted upon. The use of the {{tlf}} template means that the template should appear in a normal, proportional font-face, as in "Template:Tlf".

Documentation

Functional details

• This template takes another template-name and some associated pipe-tricked (numbered) parameters (or 'pass parameters'), and displays them as an 'example demonstration' of how the template-name template could be coded, literally. Its primary use is in instruction and documentation.
• Specifics here???
• Features of {{tlc}}, {{tld}} and {{tlf}}:
  • They show a template name and up to eight parameters.
  • They also show empty parameters. (See examples hereafter.)
  • They prevent line wraps in their output.

Usage

{{Tlc|Template|first_parameter|second|third|fourth|...|eighth}} → {{Template|first_parameter|second|third|fourth|fifth|sixth|seventh|eighth}}

{{Tld|Template|first_parameter|second|third|fourth|...|eighth}} → Template:Tld

{{Tlf|Template|first_parameter|second|third|fourth|...|eighth}} → Template:Tlf

Examples

Note: Wikitables make the <code></code> tags transparent, unfortunately, so the "code colouring" is missing in these examples.

Code	Result	Comment
{{tlc}}	{{tlc|...}}	Shows its own syntax.
{{tlc|name}}	{{name}}
{{tlc|name|one}}	{{name|one}}
{{tlc|name|one|two}}	{{name|one|two}}
{{tlc|name|a|b|c|d|e|f|g|h|i|j}}	{{name|a|b|c|d|e|f|g|h}}	Shows up to eight parameters. The rest are dropped.
{{tlc|name|||three|four}}	{{name|||three|four}}	Also shows empty parameters.
{{tlc|name|||three||}}	{{name|||three||}}	Even shows empty parameters that come in the end.
{{tlc|name|one=a|two=b}}	{{name}}	The use of equal signs is a problem, but there is a fix; see next row.
{{tlc|name|oneTemplate:((=Template:))a|twoTemplate:((=Template:))b}}	{{name|one=a|two=b}}	Use {{=}} in place of an equal sign, so that it gets rendered properly.
{{tlc|name|Template:Tlf|two}}	{{tlc|name|Template:IPA|two}}	Nested template calls also cause problems ...
{{tlc|name|{{tlf|IPA|/tʃ/}}|two}}	{{tlc|name|Template:Tlf|two}}	... but there are ways to get around this issue, also.
{{tlc|name|{{((}}IPA{{!}}/tʃ/{{))}}|two}}	{{tlc|name|Template:Tlf|two}}	... another way to do the same thing, using {{((}}, {{!}} and {{))}} to insert literal {{, | and }}, respectively.

An alternative to using constructs such as {{=}} and {{tlf|...}} to prevent characters from getting interpreted syntactically is to use <code><nowiki>...</nowiki></code>, which will prevent all characters from being interpreted. For example, in place of

{{tlc|name|one{{=}}{{tlf|IPA|/tʃ/}}|two}}

you can use

<code><nowiki>{{name|one={{IPA|/tʃ/}}|two}}</nowiki></code>

Both render as

{{name|one={{IPA|/tʃ/}}|two}}

If a vertical display with parameters on their own lines is desired, this can also be laid out manually in this manner, or more rapidly done with <pre>...</pre>.

Here are the codes to emulate {{tlf}}, {{tld}} and {{tlc}} using <nowiki>:

Using templates:	Using <nowiki>:	Rendered result:
{{tlf|name|one{{=}}a|two{{=}}b}}	<nowiki>{{name|one=a|two=b}}</nowiki>	{{name|one=a|two=b}}
{{tld|name|one{{=}}a|two{{=}}b}}	<code><nowiki>{{name|one=a|two=b}}</nowiki></code>	{{name|one=a|two=b}}
{{tlc|name|one{{=}}a|two{{=}}b}}	<code><nowiki>{{name|one=a|two=b}}</nowiki></code>	{{name|one=a|two=b}}

Limitations

As documented at Help:Template#Problems and workarounds, template arguments starting with one of the four MediaWiki magic characters : ; * or # are interpreted as if they were at the beginning of a line, and are formatted as HTML lists. To avoid this, references to {{*}} or {{#expr}} must have the first character escaped. You can either use Template:Tag or an escape like #.