Template:C/doc

Note: This template is used on a lot of pages. In order not to put too much load on the servers, edits should be kept to a bare minimum. Please discuss proposed changes on the talk page first.

• Editing a template causes all pages that use the template to be re-rendered. If the template is used often, this can put a lot of load on the servers since it fills up the job queue.
• Keep in mind that templates that are used on file description pages also show up on other wikis.

Please test any changes in the template's /sandbox and consider discussing changes at the talk page before implementing them.

This subpage contains documentation, categories, or other content that is not part of the template.
To view the template page itself, see Template:C.

---

Links to a category, either within the Commons or to another Wikipedia

In its simplest form, {{c|categories}} does the same as [[:cat:categories]] or [[:category:categories]],
but offers additional options for the layout formatting, the linking and more.

Usage

{{C |1= |2= }}

Template parameters

Parameter	Description		Default	Status
1	category name, with or without a namespace		empty	required
2	link text to display (instead of category name)		param. #1	optional
3	The 3rd parameter establishes either interwiki access, with any language code, or a link to a category on Commons, always with check for existence existing categories are linked and displayed non-existing categories are not linked, but displayed (not specified): text is displayed in black color when 3=x (lower case): text is displayed in red color when 3=X (upper case): display with red background or when 3=B (upper case): text is displayed within [[…]]-brackets when 3=G: [[Category: will be generated; par.2 is sorting option		empty	optional
4	+/- to precede the category name with the namespace Category: + ("plus" sign) to make Category: a part of the link, - ("minus" sign) to precede Category: as a plain text. The +/- parameter can as well be specified with parameter 2 or 3 (If both signs are specified, "+" has precedence).		empty	optional

Additional information

The template is intended to be used in the following namespaces: all namespaces

The template is intended to be used by the following user groups: all users

See also

• [[Cat:  → cat:Typing-aid templates
• {{Cl}}e → Category:Typing-aid templates
• {{Lc}}e → Category:Typing-aid templates (edit|talk|history|links|watch|logs)
• {{Lcs}} → Category:Typing-aid templates (Edit Discussion links Page history)
• {{Lcp}} → Template:Lcp

Localization

This template is not intended to be localized.

The template does not generate any localizable text. With + or - always the namespace (in English) is used.

Usage

Standard usage

Displays a link to a category name. Parameter 1 is the category name. Parameter 2 may specify any text do be displayed instead.

The template will display {{{2}}}, or just the category name given as {{{1}}}.

The standard usage is without any prefix and without a namespace. No test occurs, redlinks can result.

The text string in parameter 2 is always displayed as-it-is, with namespace if any is specified.

Extended usage

The function is different for internal access within the commons, and for interwiki access.

Within the commons

The template can generate 5 different displays, one for an existing and four for a not-existing category.

When parameter 3 is either X or x, or when a namespace is encountered, a check for existence is performed.
This can avoid the generation of a redlink to a not-existing category. When later the category is defined, the display occurs like standard as above.

When the category exists either with or without namespace the following explanation depends the existing category.

When the category exists, code is implemented as:

[[:Category:{{{1}}}|{{{2|{{{1}}}}}}]]

When the category does not exist but has elements assigned, a "red link" will be generated:

[[:Category:{{{1}}}|{{{2|{{{1}}}}}}]]

Otherwise if the category {{{1}}} does not exist no link will be generated;

[[Category:{{{1}}}]] or [[Category:{{{2}}}]] is displayed

[[Category:{{{1}}}]] or [[Category:{{{2}}}]] is displayed when {{{3}}} = x

{{{1}}} or {{{2}}} will get background color when {{{3}}} = X

examples

• {{ C }} produces [[:Category:|]]
• {{ C | error }} produces [[:Category:|error]]

• {{ C | Internal link templates }} produces Internal link templates
• {{ C | Internal link templates }} produces Internal link templates
• {{ C | Internal link templates | B }} produces [[Internal link templates]]
• {{ C | Internal link templates | Cat:I-l-t | B }} produces [[Cat:I-l-t]]
• {{ C | Internal link templates | C:displaytext }} produces C:displaytext

1. {{ C | Not-existing-cat }} produces Not-existing-cat
   {{ C | Not-existing-cat | display }} produces display
2. {{ C | Category:Not-existing-cat }} produces Category:Not-existing-cat
   {{ C | Category:Not-existing-cat | display }} produces display
3. {{ C | Not-existing-cat | 3 = x }} produces [[Category:Not-existing-cat]]
   {{ C | Not-existing-cat | display-cat | x }} produces [[Category:display-cat]]
4. {{ C | Not-existing-cat | 3 = X }} produces Not-existing-cat
   {{ C | Not-existing-cat | displayname | X }} produces displayname

Not-existing category containing elements (difficult to find an example, try one of Special:WantedCategories)

{{ C | Redes | X }} produces Redes

{{ C | redes | Red_Link | x }} produces [[Category:Red_Link]]

Single and double namespace prefix:

• {{ C | Commons:Multimedia Features/MediaViewer }} produces Commons:Multimedia Features/Media Viewer
• {{ C | Category:Commons:Multimedia Features/Media Viewer }} produces Category:Commons:Multimedia Features/Media Viewer

Interwiki access

It is not possible to check for existence in other Wikipedias.
The link is always established, whether the category exists or not.

• {{ C | Main | en }} or {{ C | Main | 3 = en }} produces Main
• {{ C | Wikipedia:Hilfe | German help pages | de }} produces German help pages
• {{ C | Accueil | Catégorie:Accueil | fr }} produces Catégorie:Accueil
• {{ C | Kangxi radicals | wiktionary }} produces Kangxi radicals
• {{ C | Wikcionario:Apéndices | Categoría:Apéndices | wiktionary:es }} produces Categoría:Apéndices

Namespace display

• {{ C | A | - }} produces Category:A
• {{ C | B | + }} produces Category:B
• {{ C | C | Konsonant C | de | + }} produces Category:Konsonant C