Template:Irish TD table begin/doc

Irish TD table begin is the initial component in a template series for building tables listing the Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for a constituency of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's parliament.

These templates simplify the task of making large and complex tables, such as the table at Laois–Offaly (Dáil constituency).

Required in every table

 * Irish TD table begin
 * makes the table header, complete with a title, column headings, and a collapsible key to the abbreviations for the political parties


 * Irish TD table Dáil
 * makes the rows of the table, and the first two columns (for the nth Dáil and the election)


 * Irish TD table TD with party link
 * makes the individual cells of the table, consisting of the linked name of the TD, the linked abbreviation for the name of their political party, and a sidebar for the party's colour


 * Irish TD table end
 * closes the table. If the constituency was abolished, it adds a bottom row to the table

Used in some tables

 * Irish TD table by-election
 * creates a table row for a by-election


 * Irish TD table seats dropped
 * creates a column of empty cells, for use in periods when the number of seats in a constituency is less than its highest number


 * Irish TD table vacant
 * creates an extra row for when a seat is vacant for a significant period

Use in navboxes
The metatemplate Constituency Teachtaí Dála navbox uses the TDs section of a constituency article to build a navigation template ("navbox") for the TDs elected for that constituency. See e.g. Meath East (Dáil constituency) and the corresponding navbox Meath East (Dáil constituency)/TDs; see that navbox in use on e.g. the article Regina Doherty.

When used in a navbox, these "Irish TD table" templates use the template Is this a Dáil constituency article to detect that they are not being used in a constituency article. They adjust their output by supressing elements of the table which are not needed in the navbox, such as references and footnotes, and by linking only the names of TDs.

Note that the suppression of references and footnotes works only if the refs are supplied by the optional refs parameter which is available in Irish TD table begin, Irish TD table Dáil, Irish TD table TD with party link, and Irish TD table by-election.