This template is used on approximately 126,000 pages. To avoid major disruption and server load, any changes should be tested in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. The tested changes can be added to this page in a single edit. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.
The ((documentation)) template is used to contain the documented information and instructions of a certain template, usually from a /doc subpage. It can also be configured to load the content from other pages or be directly fed by text.
This template has two parts: the big "documentation box" with the documentation inside alongside a toolbar (the [view][edit][history][purge] links), and the smaller "link box" that shows metadata about the documentation alongside the sandbox and testcases links.
Use of this template allows templates to be protected, where necessary, while allowing anyone to edit the documentation and categories.
General syntax
Normally, the template is used without parameters and is placed inside <noinclude>...</noinclude> at the bottom of the template page (see § Placement and tags for more information):
<!--Last line of your template code--><noinclude>((Documentation))<!-- Add categories to the /doc subpage --></noinclude>
Transcluding a different page
To transclude a different page other than the /doc subpage, simply provide |1= like this:
<!--Last line of your template code--><noinclude>((Documentation|Template:Other page/doc))</noinclude>
Note that when loading the documentation from a page other than the local /doc subpage, it becomes tricky to handle the categories.
Using the |content= parameter
The documentation can also be fed directly as text, by using the |content= parameter:
<!--Last line of your template code--><noinclude>((Documentation| content =<!-- template documentation -->))</noinclude>
When using this parameter, the toolbar will not show. Note that the /doc subpage in the link box will still show up if it exists.
Also note that when |1= and |content= is specified, |content= takes precedence and always shows in the documentation box.
Advanced syntax
Customizing the heading
The heading in the documentation box changes depending on namespace. See the below list for the default text in each namespace:
Template namespace: Template documentation
Module namespace: Module documentation
Other namespaces: Documentation
To customize the heading, simply set the parameter |heading= to anything you like, for example |heading=Infobox documentation.
Note that if the heading parameter is empty but defined (like |heading=) the heading alongside the toolbar will not show.
The |heading-style= parameter can be fed optional CSS values, like |heading-style=font-size:150%;color:red;. Not that you should omit quotation marks " " and add the ending semicolon ;.
Customizing the link box
To customize the link box, simply set |link box= to something else, like |link box=The above documentation is automatically generated from Template:Foo.
To hide the link box, simply set |link box= to off.
Testing
You can simulate the output for a given page by using the |page= parameter. For example, if you use the code |page=Template:Edit protected, the template will behave exactly as if it were on the page Template:Edit protected, including showing the documentation from Template:Edit protected/doc, linking to Template:Edit protected/sandbox, etc. This parameter is useful for testing and is used extensively on the module testcases page.
This code should be added at the bottom of the template code page, with no space before <noinclude> (which causes extra whitespace to show on pages where the template is transcluded):
<!--Last line of your template code--><noinclude>((documentation))<!-- Add categories to the /doc subpage --></noinclude>
To automatically insert the above text, you can also use the substitution code shortcut ((subst:doc-code)).
If the documentation page does not exist, the toolbar is replaced with a [create] link. It automatically creates the page with preloaded text with the basic documentation syntax. Preload text is also used for the /sandbox and /testcases [create] links.
This template also automatically adds ((pp-template)) to a protected template page, so no need to manually add this template to protected pages.
When this template is on a /sandbox subpage it automatically adds the ((Template sandbox notice)) template.
Link box features
Depending on the namespace, the link box may have less features, or may not show up at all. The following table shows this:
Namespace
Behavior
Template
Full behavior
Module
Full behavior, with the addition of a "create documentation" link when the page does not exist
User
Full behavior
Other namespaces
Hidden, unless |1= is specified (which will show "The above documentation is transcluded from (({1))}")
Alongside that, if |1= or |content= is specified, the "Add categories to the /doc subpage" will not show.
Subject namespaces vs. talk namespaces
This template is usually placed in the subject namespace. But in some cases this template needs to be on the Talk namespace:
In the MediaWiki namespace, since <noinclude> often does not work in system messages, and since the MediaWiki namespace needs to be kept clean for performance reasons.
When placed on talk pages, this template usually is placed near the top of the page and without <noinclude>...</noinclude> tags.
The /doc, /sandbox and /testcases pages should normally be in the subject namespace, except in the namespaces that do not have the MediaWiki subpage feature enabled: Main, File, and MediaWiki. (Categories can have subpages, but documentation is created in the Category talk namespace to prevent creating empty categories. There are also a whole bunch of other technical reasons why the /doc page must be stored under the talk page for those (but only those) namespaces.
This template automatically points its [create] links for the /doc, /sandbox and /testcases to the right namespace.
Full syntax
((Documentation))
or
((Documentation| [path to documentation page]
))((Documentation| content =))
or
((Documentation| [path to documentation page]
| heading-style =| heading =| link box =))
or
((Documentation| [path to documentation page]
| content =| heading-style =| heading =| link box =| page =))
