Template:Automatic taxobox/doc/use
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Automatic taxobox documentation
- Introduction
- About
- What is this template?
- When and why should I use it?
- What makes it tick?
- How to
- Use this template
- Format an automatic taxobox
- Understand taxonomy templates
- Correct the taxonomy
- Advanced features (extinction, question marks, references, paraphyly, etc)
- Convert a taxobox to an automatic taxobox
- Parameters
- Glossary of all automatic taxobox parameters
- Glossary of parameters that are new to the automatic taxobox
- Glossary of taxonomy template parameters
- Technical
- Conventions
- Test cases
- Gory technical details
- Map of all called templates
- Taxobox Task Force Watchlist
- Compare sandbox and installed versions
- See also:
- {{Speciesbox}} – create an automated taxobox for a species
- {{Subspeciesbox}} – create an automated taxobox for an animal subspecies
- {{Infraspeciesbox}} – create an automated taxobox for a plant subspecies or variety
When should I use Template:Automatic Taxobox?
Do NOT use the automatic taxobox if you are creating a taxobox for:
- An ichnotaxon (use {{ichnobox}})
- An ootaxon (use {{oobox}})
- Any species-level taxon not from the aforementioned groups (use {{speciesbox}}, provided that no rank is to be displayed between species and genus)
- Any taxon below the species level not from the aforementioned groups (use {{subspeciesbox}} for animals, {{infraspeciesbox}} for plants, again provided that no rank is to be displayed between species and genus)
These templates use the same software as Template:Automatic taxobox, but are simplified to be easier to use and maintain.
- For all other taxa, it is always possible to create an automatic taxobox. But in complicated cases, it might be easier to use a manual taxobox rather than asking for help automating it.
Please remember: There's not yet consensus to convert all taxoboxes to automatic taxoboxes. Please use your discretion when converting: and always preview your edit before saving.
Advantages of this template over manual taxoboxes
This template was mainly developed in order to help Wikipedia's taxonomy be consistent, and to make it possible to browse down as well as up a taxonomic hierarchy.
It has additional benefits:
- Easier to create articles: don't have to copy and modify lengthy taxoboxes
- Easier to maintain articles: when a taxonomic classification is changed, only one page needs modifying
- Ensures consistency between articles: since all taxoboxes refer to the same central taxonomy listings
- Centralizes discussion on taxonomy: discussions don't have to be repeated on every taxon's page
- Keeping articles up to date is easier: one edit, and all affected articles are updated immediately
- Easier to handle unranked clades and polyphyletic groups: any number of unranked groups can be included
- Accountability: each taxonomic relationship can be supported by a reference
