Help:Templates

''This article is meant to help editors understand how to use and create templates. For information on the purpose of individual templates, see Trumpet Wiki:Templates.''

What are templates?
Wiki templates provide a means to insert the same content over and over in different (or the same) pages. This saves editors the hassle of duplicating the same text again and again, and also helps ensure consistency.

Detailed instructions on the usage of each template should exist on either the template page itself (inside "noinclude" tags) or the template's talk page.

How do I use a template?
The content of a template can be added to a page by typing. That immediately displays the current contents of the template page, and it updates when the template is changed. This method is called transclusion. In effect, a transclusion of a template is just a picture of what is on the template page, so the actual content of the template cannot be edited from there.

Variable templates
There are two main types of templates - fixed templates and variable templates. Fixed templates, such as Template:Stub are used to display the exact same content on many pages. Variable temlates, such as Template:ArtistInfobox, are intended to display slightly different information between articles.