Template talk:4

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This is the talk-page for troublesome page:  Template:4.

Template:4 indicates parameter 4 typo[edit]

15-Aug-2010: The Template:4 had been created and deleted during 2005, but is currently a warning to its users. The use of Template:4 is often a common typo where a person intended to access template parameter 4 as {{{4}}} (with triple braces) but, instead put only double-braces and invoked "{{4}}" as Template:4, unaware of the mistake.

There have been other uses of Template:4:

  • In footballer scores, people have put "{{0}}0 {{4}}(0)" for "{{0}}4 {{0}}(0)" because use of Template:0 caused confusion of 4 "0" in zero scores: {{0}}0 {{0}}(0), unsure which "0" should be "4".
  • Formerly, people have created a version of Template:4 and caused various discussions about who wanted to use that template.
  • Some people feel that using "{{4}}" is a type of indentation, similar to "{{0}}" which indents by the spacing of a single zero character (0), such as in the score infoboxes for footballer or election-count tables.

However, the most problems have been caused by omitting the first brace "{" of a parameter and getting "{{4}}", as invoking Template:4 rather than parameter 4. This can be an insideous problem, especially when the transclusion of Template:4 is hidden, so that the effect is invisible to the person editing a page. For that reason, Template:4 now issues a warning to the user:

  • Unexpected use of template {{4}} - see Template:4 for details.

That links to the explanation. -Wikid77 20:20, 15 August 2010, revised 14:01, 21 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for problem usage of Template:4[edit]

Because Template:4 can become hidden within some pages, a good way to spot accidental usage, is to check what-links-here, such as:

After reviewing pages in that list, then click "Show transclusions" to list all other pages (which access Template:4). In many cases, pages must be edited to correct the text which inadvertently accessed "{{4}}" rather than parameter 4. -Wikid77 (talk) 20:20, 15 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]