Template:Samp

{{{1}}}

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Purpose

This template is for explicitly indicating that the content inside it represents example output from a computer program or other machine source (automated attendant/interactive voice response call system, exit code of an application, standard output, LCD display, file name, etc.) It uses the [X]HTML element <samp>...</samp> (sample output) which exists for this purpose, and applies some styling to it, namely a faint greying out of the text color to visually difference it from source code and input. It retains the default monospaced (non-proportional) font style of the <samp> element. Because it uses <samp>...</samp> instead of simply applying visual style effects, it is semantic markup that conveys meaning, and it can be further acted upon by the user agent (e.g. with custom local style sheets). This tag is the exact opposite of {{kbd}}, which is for example input.

Usage

The template takes one mandatory parameter, the content to be marked up. If this content contains "=" (an equals sign), the parameter must be explicitly named |1=, or the template will fail. (This is a limitation of the MediaWiki software, not the template.) It is always safer to use |1= syntax. It may be used as a container for {{var}}, {{varserif}} or <var>...</var> when the example output contains or consists entirely of a variable. It may also be used with (but not inside) {{code}}, or with <code>...</code> (it generally should not be used inside the latter, as output is not a part of source code, but something that results from it; however, this style can be used to illustrate computer display of mixed type, as illustrated below).

For cases where it is useful to display the color of the output, there is an optional parameter |color= that takes an HTML color name or #nnnnnn color code (in which case the # is mandatory). For accessibility reasons, color should never be the only distinguishing factor, as foo and foo may be indistinguishable to color-blind readers.

There may also be cases where some other aspect of the output may need to be reproduced; the |style= parameter accepts any complete CSS statement(s), terminating with a semicolon, e.g. |style=font-variant:small-caps; font-style:italic;.

Examples:

{{samp|1=[A]bort, [R]etry, [F]ail?}}: "The error message [A]bort, [R]etry, [F]ail? has been cited as notoriously user-unfriendly."
{{samp|%}} with {{kbd|1=ssh {{var|hostname}}}}: "At the % prompt, the user must enter ssh hostname."
{{samp|Error|color=red}}, to indicate output color: On failure, the Error light activates.
{{samp|Error|color=red|style=font-variant:small-caps;}}, for more customization: On failure, the Error light activates.

Some of these examples may look slightly different outside this documentation, because the default background color varies by page type (articles are stark white, template documentation pale green, most other pages very pale grey). In-article example:

{{samp|1=[A]bort, [R]etry, [F]ail?}}: "The error message [A]bort, [R]etry, [F]ail? has been cited as notoriously user-unfriendly."
{{samp|%}} with {{kbd|1=ssh {{var|hostname}}}}: "At the % prompt, the user must enter ssh hostname."
{{samp|Error|color=red}}, to indicate output color: On failure, the Error light activates.
{{samp|Error|color=red|style=font-variant:small-caps;}}, for more customization: On failure, the Error light activates.

Usage

Wraps a short span of text in <syntaxhighlight> tags (see mw:Extension:SyntaxHighlight). This template should be used for short samples; longer content should use <pre>...</pre> or <syntaxhighlight>...</syntaxhighlight>. See Help:Wiki markup for an explanation of what the various tags do.

If the content includes an equals sign (=), you must specify the parameter explicitly: {{code|1=date=30 Feb 2010}}.

The template uses the <syntaxhighlight> tag with the attribute inline=1. This works like the combination of the <code> and <nowiki> tags, applied to the expanded wikitext. For example, {{code|some '''wiki''' text}} will not render the word "wiki" in bold, and will render the tripled-single-quotes:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

However, {{code|a {{template}} call}} will still invoke the template:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

Use <nowiki>...</nowiki> around the template name to avoid this problem:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

When used inline with regular text, {{code}} generally looks best and is easiest to read when it is explicitly spaced apart from the regular text:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

is well spaced:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

versus:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

which is going to be visually confusing for many:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

because "foo" and "Template loop detected: Template:Code" will seem more closely associated than "Template loop detected: Template:Code" and "Template loop detected: Template:Code"; the width of the space character in a monospaced font is almost always larger than in a proportional font.

Use parameter {{{2}}} (unnamed, as |2=, or more explicitly as |lang=) to specify a language for mw:Extension:SyntaxHighlight. This option defaults to plain-text, i.e. no highlighting. There is no highlighting option for wikitext as a markup language, though Template loop detected: Template:Code and Template loop detected: Template:Code are valid values, as are Template loop detected: Template:Code, Template loop detected: Template:Code, Template loop detected: Template:Code, Template loop detected: Template:Code, Template loop detected: Template:Code and many others. Attempting to use an invalid one causes a list of valid ones to be displayed in place of the template output, when the page is previewed or saved.

This template does not need to be substituted.

Examples

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

Included templates

Embedded templates do not function as expected inside {{code}}; for longer, free-form blocks of code, which can contain templates such as {{var}} and {{samp}}, use <code>...</code> as a wrapper instead of this template.

Templates used inside {{code}} expose the rendered HTML— this can be useful. For example:

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

The above example shows the HTML rendered by the citation template, including the hidden metadata.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Samp

Script error: No such module "Format TemplateData".

Usage

If the content includes an equals sign (=), you must specify the parameter explicitly: {{code|1=date=30 Feb 2010}}.

Template loop detected: Template:Code

However, {{code|a {{template}} call}} will still invoke the template:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

Use <nowiki>...</nowiki> around the template name to avoid this problem:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

When used inline with regular text, {{code}} generally looks best and is easiest to read when it is explicitly spaced apart from the regular text:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

is well spaced:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

versus:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

which is going to be visually confusing for many:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

This template does not need to be substituted.

Examples

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

Included templates

Templates used inside {{code}} expose the rendered HTML— this can be useful. For example:

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

The above example shows the HTML rendered by the citation template, including the hidden metadata.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Samp

Script error: No such module "Format TemplateData".

Usage

If the content includes an equals sign (=), you must specify the parameter explicitly: {{code|1=date=30 Feb 2010}}.

Template loop detected: Template:Code

However, {{code|a {{template}} call}} will still invoke the template:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

Use <nowiki>...</nowiki> around the template name to avoid this problem:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

When used inline with regular text, {{code}} generally looks best and is easiest to read when it is explicitly spaced apart from the regular text:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

is well spaced:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

versus:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

which is going to be visually confusing for many:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

This template does not need to be substituted.

Examples

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

Included templates

Templates used inside {{code}} expose the rendered HTML— this can be useful. For example:

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

The above example shows the HTML rendered by the citation template, including the hidden metadata.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Samp

Script error: No such module "Format TemplateData".

Usage

If the content includes an equals sign (=), you must specify the parameter explicitly: {{code|1=date=30 Feb 2010}}.

Template loop detected: Template:Code

However, {{code|a {{template}} call}} will still invoke the template:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

Use <nowiki>...</nowiki> around the template name to avoid this problem:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

When used inline with regular text, {{code}} generally looks best and is easiest to read when it is explicitly spaced apart from the regular text:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

is well spaced:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

versus:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

which is going to be visually confusing for many:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

This template does not need to be substituted.

Examples

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

Included templates

Templates used inside {{code}} expose the rendered HTML— this can be useful. For example:

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

The above example shows the HTML rendered by the citation template, including the hidden metadata.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Samp

Script error: No such module "Format TemplateData".

Usage

If the content includes an equals sign (=), you must specify the parameter explicitly: {{code|1=date=30 Feb 2010}}.

Template loop detected: Template:Code

However, {{code|a {{template}} call}} will still invoke the template:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

Use <nowiki>...</nowiki> around the template name to avoid this problem:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

When used inline with regular text, {{code}} generally looks best and is easiest to read when it is explicitly spaced apart from the regular text:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

is well spaced:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

versus:

Template loop detected: Template:Code

which is going to be visually confusing for many:

foo Template loop detected: Template:Code quux.

This template does not need to be substituted.

Examples

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

Included templates

Templates used inside {{code}} expose the rendered HTML— this can be useful. For example:

Markup	Renders asScript error: No such module "For loop".

The above example shows the HTML rendered by the citation template, including the hidden metadata.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Samp

Script error: No such module "Format TemplateData".

Contents

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Usage

Examples

Included templates

TemplateData

See also

Usage

Examples

Included templates

TemplateData

See also

Usage

Examples

Included templates

TemplateData

See also

Usage

Examples

Included templates

TemplateData

See also

Usage

Examples

Included templates

TemplateData

See also

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