Template talk:4

This is the talk-page for troublesome page: Template:4.

Template:4 indicates parameter 4 typo
15-Aug-2010: The Template:4 had been created and deleted during 2005, but is currently a warning to its users. The use of Template:4 is often a common typo where a person intended to access template parameter 4 as (with triple braces) but, instead put only double-braces and invoked "" as Template:4, unaware of the mistake.

There have been other uses of Template:4:


 * In footballer scores, people have put "0 (0)" for "4 (0)" because use of Template:0 caused confusion of 4 "0" in zero scores: 0 (0), unsure which "0" should be "4".
 * Formerly, people have created a version of Template:4 and caused various discussions about who wanted to use that template.
 * Some people feel that using "" is a type of indentation, similar to "" which indents by the spacing of a single zero character (0), such as in the score infoboxes for footballer or election-count tables.

However, the most problems have been caused by omitting the first brace "{" of a parameter and getting "", as invoking Template:4 rather than parameter 4. This can be an insideous problem, especially when the transclusion of Template:4 is hidden, so that the effect is invisible to the person editing a page. For that reason, Template:4 now issues a warning to the user:
 * Unexpected use of template - see Template:4 for details.

That links to the explanation. -Wikid77 20:20, 15 August 2010, revised 14:01, 21 January 2011 (UTC)

Looking for problem usage of Template:4
Because Template:4 can become hidden within some pages, a good way to spot accidental usage, is to check what-links-here, such as:
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Template:4&hidetrans=1&hidelinks=

After reviewing pages in that list, then click "Show transclusions" to list all other pages (which access Template:4). In many cases, pages must be edited to correct the text which inadvertently accessed "" rather than parameter 4. -Wikid77 (talk) 20:20, 15 August 2010 (UTC)