[Wikipedia-l] Including parametrized snipplets

Fri May 16 19:52:45 UTC 2003

--- Jens Frank <JeLuF at gmx.de> wrote:

> There would be another namespace
> for HTML-Snipplets. Those snipplets can contain variables, e.g.
> enclosed by %%. A snipplet might be a piece of code to include an
> image with a label, it might be a table, or a boilerplate text. 

> The snipplet
> ImageFloatingRight 
> might perhaps look like this:
> 
> <div style="float: right">
> [[Image:%%Image%%]]<BR>
> <center>
> ''%%Label%%''
> </center>
> </div>
> 
> In an article, it can be used by its name:
> 
> {{ImageFloatingRight
> Image=Eiffel tower.jpg
> Label=The Eiffel Tower in Paris
> }}
> 
> A Countrybox might start like this:
> {{CountryFactBox
> Flag=usa.png
> Motto=In God We Trust
> Capital=Washington D.C.
> ...
> }}

I find this approach very simple and elegant. The Countrybox code above
is self-explanatory and can be immediately edited by anyone; the
implementation of the snipplet in the snipplet namespace would be
rather technical, would involve colors, nested tables etc., would
rarely have to be edited, and could be safely ignored by most. As an
additional benefit, all country pages would look exactly alike. 

This approach is clearly superior to pushing the complete table into
its own namespace, because then only technically proficient users could
savely edit the table contents.

We could even use simplified wiki Table syntax in the main namespace
and restrict the use of HTML tables (and other fancy HTML features) to
the snipplet namespace, since virtually all current uses of complicated
HTML tables belong to similar project pages that would benefit from
unifying snipplets.

> This is more flexible than just stylesheets:
> - More features of HTML can be used.
> - More users can edit the HTML snipplets than edit the CVS-based
> stylesheets.
> - It's easier to edit than having various stylesheet elements in the
> text.
> - Layout and Content are strictly divided.

Yup.

Axel

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