Template:Ref

[edit] Template documentation

Using ref/note tags is not the only way to do footnotes. Some people prefer to use Cite.php. Cite.php has many advantages, but is not mandatory. You can use the Ref converter to replace ref/note tags with the newer Cite.php style. If you are interested in the discussion, please see the Footnotes talk page.

Alternative referencing style

The Cite.php <ref> and <references/> system is an alternative style of referencing to the templates discussed on this page. For details on this system, please see Wikipedia:Footnotes and Wikipedia:Cite sources.

A third-party tool to translate articles using the templates described on this page into the Cite.php system is available, see Ref converter.

Usage

For multiple links to one citation in the Reference section, use different id values ("a", "b", etc.), beginning with the first citation. The "id" is used to make multiple backlinks from the note.

Ref-family templates and Links

The {{ref}} family of templates is used to place links into an article. Each link is identified with a reference_name parameter which is used to generate an invisible name to link it with a matching {{note}} template sharing that invisible name. {{note}} templates are usually located just prior to a footnote or other referenced item. It is sometimes useful to use {{ref}} templates more than once with the same reference_name. Whenever that is done, an optional parameter noid=noid should be specified, in exactly that form. The backlink supplied by the matching {{note}} template will be paired with the {{ref}} template instance with the matching reference-name parameter and in which the optional noid=noid parameter was not supplied.

Simple

fuu{{ref|reference_name_A}}
fuu{{ref|reference_name_B}}
fuu{{ref|reference_name_B|noid=noid}}
fuu{{ref|reference_name_C|label}}
fuu{{ref|reference_name_C|label|noid=noid}}

This creates simple links to three separate footnotes, with "reference_name_A", etc. being unique invisible names which are used to create a clickable link to a matching {{note}} template placed at the footnote locations. The backlink from the {{Note}} template at the footnote location would pair with the {{ref}} template for which the noid=noid parameter was not supplied. A superscripted clickable link surrounded by square brackets is generated. If supplied, the optional second parameter is used to label the clickable link.

fuu^[2]

fuu^[3]

fuu^[4]

fuu^label

fuu^label

Complex

There are three complex Ref-family templates: {{ref label}}, {{ref harvard}} and {{ref harv}}. These all pair up with a matching {{note label}} template. All of these, and the matching {{note label}} template have three required parameters: reference_name, label, and id. The invisible name used to link these templates to the matching {{note label}} template is formed by concatenating the first and third parameters (i.e., "referencenameid"). If a particular reference_name and id parameter pair is used more than once, the optional noid=noid parameter should be supplied in all but one instance.

Ref label

{{ref label}} displays the clickable link using the label parameter, surrounded by square-brackets and superscripted.

fuu{{ref label|reference_name_D|label|id}}

fuu^[label]

Harvard

{{ref harvard}} displays the clickable link using the label parameter, surrounded by parentheses but not superscripted. {{ref harv}} displays the clickable link using the 'label parameter, surrounded by parentheses and superscripted.

fuu{{ref harvard|reference_name_E|Harvard reference|id_1}}
fuu{{ref harv|reference_name_E|Harvard reference|id_2}}
fuu{{ref harv|reference_name_E|Harvard reference|id_2|noid=noid}}

fuu(Harvard reference)

fuu^{(Harvard reference)}

fuu^{(Harvard reference)}

Note templates and backlinks

There are two Note-family templates: {{note}} and {{note label}}. These templates are usually placed just prior to the location of a footnote or other item referenced in the text by matching {{ref}} family templates. The parameters in these templates match the parameters in the {{ref}}, and it is often convenient to copy a particular {{ref}} template instance to the {{note}} location, and change the name of the copied template from ref to note or from ref (whatever) to note label . Any parameters which are not required by {{note}} templates are ignored if supplied.

Simple

*{{note|reference_name_A}}bar
*{{note|reference_name_C|label}}bar

Creates a simple footnote for the reference with the invisible unique id reference_name and generates a clickable backlink to the {{ref}} template with the matching reference_name and in which the noid=noid is not specified.

• ^ bar
• ^label bar

Complex

*{{note label|reference_name|number|id}}bar

Creates a clickable link labeled with the id parameter, and paired with the {{ref label}} instance which has matching reference_name and id parameters. The label parameter is not used and is ignored.

• ^id bar

A footnote which is cited from multiple locations in the text might have multiple {{note label}} instances associated with it.

*{{note label|Smith2000|Smith 2000:12|a}}{{note label|Smith2000|Smith 2000:45:|b}} Smith (2000), "A book about yammering".

which could produce something like

• ^a b  Smith (2000), "A book about yammering".

Examples

Combining Ref and Note family templates with the alternative referencing style

An example combining the use of Ref-family templates with the alternative referencing style might be something like

Yammer yammer yammer.<ref name=smith2000>Smith wrote the definitive book on yammering.{{ref|Smith2000|Smith 2000}}
</ref>Yammer yammer yammer.<ref name=smith2000/>
...
==References==
<References/>
...
==Bibliography==
*{{note|Smith2000}}, Smith 2000, "A book about yammering".

which could produce something like:

Yammer yammer yammer.^[1]Yammer yammer yammer.^[1]

...

==References==

1. ^ ^{a b} Smith wrote the definitive book on yammering.^{Smith 2000}

...

==Bibliography==

• ^ , Smith 2000, "A book about yammering".

Also see examples and explanation in Wikipedia:Footnote3.

Table footnotes

One common application for {{ref}} and {{notes}} templates is in placing footnotes below tables, as in the following example taken from Kent#Economy:

Year	Regional GVA[A]	Agriculture		Industry[B]		Services[C]
County of Kent (excluding Medway)
1995	12,369	379	3.1%	3,886	31.4%	8,104	65.5%
2000	15,259	259	1.7%	4,601	30.2%	10,399	68.1%
2003	18,126	287	1.6%	5,057	27.9%	12,783	70.5%
Medway
1995	1,823	21	3.1%	560	31.4%	1,243	68.2%
2000	2,348	8	1.7%	745	30.2%	1,595	67.9%
2003	2,671	10	1.6%	802	27.9%	1,859	69.6%

^A  Components may not sum to totals due to rounding

^B  includes energy and construction

^C  includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

Further examples

All or part of this article may be confusing or unclear. Please help clarify the article. Suggestions may be on the talk page. (December 2006)