Editing User talk:Caw

== Welcome to Battlestar Wiki! ==
Welcome to the Wiki, Caw. Tell us about yourself on [[User:Caw|your user page]]. We have a [[Template:User Data|template]] that lets you put some information about yourself in a nice-looking box.

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--[[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [http://www.sanctuarywiki.org Sanctuary Wiki &mdash; ''New'']</sup> 13:33, 9 September 2007 (CDT)

== Template help ==

What is the line you are trying to enter? -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [http://www.sanctuarywiki.org Sanctuary Wiki &mdash; ''New'']</sup> 01:02, 13 September 2007 (CDT)

FYI, you can't just enter stuff like <code>|abc=def</code> and expect it to show up. Only certain parameters work, and others have no effect at all. For a list of available parameters and what they do, see [[Template:User Data]]. If you want a new field to be created, drop me a note on [[User talk:Catrope|my talk page]] and I'll add it for you. --[[User:Catrope|Catrope]]<sup>([[User talk:Catrope|Talk to me]] or [[Special:Emailuser/Catrope|e-mail me]])</sup> 11:18, 13 September 2007 (CDT)

== Template help ==
Catrope has set an "away" notice, so it may be a while till he responds. In the meantime, feel free to hit up any of the [[Special:Listusers/sysop|admins]], as they've all been around the block a time or two.

In terms of formalized help files regarding templates, you might start here:
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates

It's pretty dry stuff, but that's documentation for you. Basically, in order to add school to your user data, you'd have a few options. One is adding it to the user data template (Template:User Data). That'd mean that it'd be a field for EVERYONE using the User Data template. Now, we do have the capability to make fields optional. Back in the day we didn't know how to do that, so we had to be even more careful about which fields were added, since adding it to the template meant going to each and every article using that template and adding that field (even if it was blank), or there would be an ugly "error" that appeared near the template. Those days are gone, but you still want to avoid bogging down a template with fields that don't get used too often.

Option two is copy and pasting the code from Template:User Data to your user page, and then customizing to your delight. This has the benefit of allowing you to add ANY fields or customizations you want, without impacting everyone else. The downside is that any updates to the User Data template wouldn't affect your page and you'd have to manually catch up any time changes were made.

Option three is "subclassing" (sorry, using a computer science concept). That is, create a new template (say, Student User Data) which has as its base the user data, but also added fields specific to that particular thing. If the implementation of that "transcludes" template user data then you'd have the best of both worlds (specialized data, and it'd get updated when user data was updated). If not, you'd be stuck in the same boat as "option two".

If I only contributed to the confusion, or if you have any questions, let me know. I'm by no means an expert, mostly learning what I know about templates from the "school of hard knocks" around here, but I'll be glad to help if I can. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 17:37, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 If I only contributed to the confusion, or if you have any questions, let me know. I'm by no means an expert, mostly learning what I know about templates from the "school of hard knocks" around here, but I'll be glad to help if I can. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 17:37, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
-:The simplest way - without messing with any templates - would be too add the school to the occupation field. It still fits there.
-:We could add an "other" field for any random info someone might want to add, but it wouldn't necessarily appear in the most logical place, as the fields have a fixed order when displayed, regardless of how they are arranged in the edit box. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 17:52, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
-::Thanks, [[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]].  i'll look it over.  and [[User:Serenity|Serenity]], that's a good option as well.  "school" may not be a valid field option for as many users, so i can see why it wouldn't be there.  then again...they've got a field for kids!     [[User:Caw|Caw]] 18:01, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
-:::Location might also work (since city, state, etc. could follow from the school's location). --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 18:03, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
-:::I think "children" is a holdover from the copy and paste from the character data template. You're right, not many people fill that one out. (Outside of me.) Same goes for parents and siblings. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 18:07, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
-::::I saw that; she's adorable!  Not having gotten past season 12 ep 12 yet, I can only hope Helo and "Sharon"'s baby turns out as well!     [[User:Caw|Caw]] 18:14, 15 September 2007 (CDT)
-:Steelviper, that subclassing idea of yours isn't really gonna work. User Data has an 'open table' tag and a 'close table' tag, and you can't really put anything in between (unless you're willing to use evil template injection stuff and enter table code for one of the parameters). Creating your own version of User Data (which I did with the away field too, until I merged it into the main template months later), is probably the best idea, since User Data is protected so only admins can edit it. About the away thing, though, I have brief access to a computer once a day, so I'll try to respond on talk pages and the like, but don't expect my normal activity. --[[User:Catrope|Catrope]]<sup>([[User talk:Catrope|Talk to me]] or [[Special:Emailuser/Catrope|e-mail me]])</sup> 09:38, 17 September 2007 (CDT)
-== Hope your Marathoon Went Well ==
-Now you can full emerge yourself here in the wiki. :) Not many of you from the West Coast US... I think. :) [[User:Shane|Shane]] <sup>([[User_Talk:Shane|T]] - [[Special:Contributions/Shane|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/Shane|E]])</sup> 01:48, 5 February 2008 (CST)