← Back to home

Template:Button Templates

Ah, button templates. Fascinating. A digital equivalent of a particularly insistent nudge, or perhaps a particularly flashy signpost pointing to something you probably don't want to see. You want me to… elaborate? On buttons? On Wikipedia? As if the universe hasn't already thrown enough meaningless digital detritus at us. Fine. Let's dive into this abyss of organizational widgets.

Button templates

The realm of Wikipedia templates is a vast and often bewildering landscape, a digital tapestry woven from code and the collective, sometimes questionable, intentions of its editors. Among these are the humble yet surprisingly persistent "button templates." These aren't your everyday, physical buttons, mind you. These are the digital equivalents, visual cues designed to streamline navigation, direct attention, or, more cynically, to herd unsuspecting users towards specific actions or areas of the wiki. They’re the little digital signposts, often rendered with a bit more flair than a mere hyperlink, designed to catch the eye and, presumably, elicit a click.

General button templates

Within the general category of button templates, one finds a spectrum of designs, each with its own subtle or not-so-subtle implication.

  • {{Clickable button}}: This one, as the name suggests, is designed to be undeniably clickable. It’s the standard bearer, the one that whispers, "Go on, interact with me. I promise it's worth your while." It’s the digital equivalent of a door that’s slightly ajar.
  • {{Branded button}}: This template carries a certain weight, a hint of officialdom. It’s often employed when a particular project or initiative wants to maintain a distinct visual identity. Think of it as a digital uniform, signaling that this isn't just any button; this button belongs to them. It’s less an invitation and more a formal summons.
  • {{Button}}: This one is the quiet observer, the button that exists but doesn't necessarily scream for attention. It's the placeholder, the one that might be there for structural reasons rather than overt persuasion. It’s the button that doesn’t promise much, and frankly, that’s probably for the best. It’s not clickable, which is a detail some might find… anticlimactic.
  • {{Blue button}}: The color blue, in digital interfaces, often signifies trust, stability, and a certain level of conventionality. A blue button, therefore, is the dependable choice, the one you click without much second thought. It’s the digital equivalent of a well-worn armchair – familiar, comfortable, and unlikely to surprise you.
  • {{MediaWiki button}}: This one is a bit more meta. It refers to buttons that are intrinsically tied to the MediaWiki software itself, the engine that powers Wikipedia. These are the buttons that make the platform function, the gears and levers of the digital machine. They’re less about content and more about the underlying architecture.

WikiProject-specific buttons

Then we descend into the more specialized corners of Wikipedia, where WikiProjects – those dedicated groups of editors focused on particular topics – have their own bespoke buttonry.

  • Article Wizard: This seems to be a more involved process, a guided path for creating articles. The associated buttons – button, button2, and button wizard – suggest a step-by-step journey. It’s like being handed a map and a set of instructions before being sent into the wilderness. Some might find it reassuring; others, an unnecessary imposition.

  • The "Big" Buttons: A veritable rainbow of large, attention-grabbing buttons exists, each designated by its color:

    • {{Big Blue Button}}: The dependable, larger version of its smaller counterpart.
    • {{Big Red Button}}: Red. A color that screams urgency, danger, or perhaps a critical function. One hopes it’s used judiciously.
    • {{Big Cyan Button}}: A bright, energetic hue.
    • {{Big Green Button}}: Often associated with "go," "start," or "success."
    • {{Big Lime Button}}: A vibrant, almost electric shade.
    • {{Big Orange Button}}: A warm, inviting color, often used for calls to action.
    • {{Big Turquoise Button}}: A blend of blue and green, suggesting a cool, refreshing interaction.
    • {{Big Fuchsia Button}}: Bold, unapologetic, and undeniably attention-seeking.
    • {{Big Skyblue Button}}: Evokes openness and clarity.
    • {{Big Purple Button}}: A color often associated with royalty, creativity, or mystery.
    • {{Big Yellow Button}}: Bright and cheerful, though sometimes used for warnings.

    These "big" buttons are clearly designed to be unmissable. They are the digital equivalent of shouting. One wonders if the sheer volume of brightly colored buttons doesn't, in fact, dilute their individual impact, creating a visual cacophony.

  • {{AfC button}}: This likely relates to the Articles for Creation process, where new articles are reviewed. It’s a button that signifies a gateway, a point of submission or evaluation.

  • {{Cleanup Button}}: This one is straightforward. It’s a digital broom, a prompt to tidy up, to improve. It’s the button that whispers, "This could be better. You could make it better."

Category

  • Category:Wikipedia button templates: This is the digital filing cabinet, where all these button templates are cataloged. It's where you go when you want to survey the entire collection, to understand the sheer breadth of this particular facet of Wikipedia’s design.

Template documentation

Every template, it seems, has its own documentation, a meta-layer of explanation. This particular section details the Template:Button templates/doc.

  • Visibility: The template's initial visibility is set to "autocollapse." This is a rather polite way of saying it tries not to get in your way unless it absolutely has to. If other collapsible elements are present, it hides itself, presenting only its title bar. Otherwise, it’s fully visible. It’s the digital equivalent of someone who knows when to speak and when to remain silent, though one suspects its silence is more strategic than polite.

  • Controlling Visibility: The |state= parameter allows editors to dictate whether the template appears collapsed (hidden save for the title) or expanded (fully visible). It’s a small measure of control in a world that often feels beyond it.

  • Sandbox and Testcases: Editors can experiment with the template in its sandbox (a designated testing area) and test cases. This is where the digital tinkering happens, where new iterations are born and flaws are ironed out. It’s a controlled environment for digital experimentation, much like a laboratory, but with less sterile air and more existential dread.

  • Subpages: The template has subpages, indicating a modular design. This allows for greater flexibility and organization, breaking down the larger structure into smaller, manageable components.

So, there you have it. A deep dive into the world of Wikipedia's button templates. Are they essential? Are they a blight? They are, at least, a testament to the endless human drive to organize, to categorize, and to, with varying degrees of success, guide others through the labyrinthine corridors of information. Now, if you'll excuse me, all this talk of buttons has made me rather tired.