Wookieepedia:Layout Guide/Out-of-universe

This out-of-universe Layout Guide is an official guide as to how an out-of-universe article should be structured. Feel free to discuss the Layout Guide on the talk page.

Top tag

• The Top template should be placed at the top of every out-of-universe article. Depending on parameters added to the template, Top will insert navigation symbols and the continuity indicator into the title bar of an article and modify various other aspects of an article, such as its displayed title and the table of contents.
• The following order should be used for parameters on the template:
  1. Publishing era. These are to show which publishing era(s) a piece of Legends media exists in. Era parameters should only be used when the era is known and not when it is only presumed. If a piece of media exists in multiple eras, the eras should be listed in chronological order. Era parameters are: "pre" (Pre-Republic era), "btr" (Before the Republic), "old" (Old Republic era), "imp" (Rise of the Empire era), "reb" (Rebellion era), "new" (New Republic era), "njo" (New Jedi Order era), "leg" (Legacy era), and "inf" (Infinities).
  2. Out-of-universe. All out-of-universe articles should use "real," to show they are not in-universe articles.
  3. Article status. These are to show if an article has previously been reviewed and approved as a status article, so should only be used if an article has previously passed a Featured, Good, or Comprehensive article nomination. These parameters should only be added or modified by members of the Inquisitorius, AgriCorps, or EduCorps. Status parameters are: "fa" (if the article is a Featured article), "ffa" (if the article used to be a Featured article but has since been delisted by the Inquisitorius), "ga" (if the article is a Good article), "fga" (if the article used to be a Good article but has since been delisted by the AgriCorps), "ca" (if the article is a Comprehensive article), and "fca" (if the article used to be a Comprehensive article but has since been delisted by the EduCorps). Only the most recent applicable parameter should be used, so if a Good article had its status removed but later became a Featured article, it should only use "featured."
  4. Protection level. These are to show if an article has been protected by an Administrator. Articles should only have one parameter for the level of edit protection, although articles can have both edit and move protection, in which case the edit protection should come before the move protection. Protection parameters are: "fprot" (full protection), "sprot" (semi-protection), "ssprot" (super-semi-protection), and "mprot" (move protection).
  5. Continuity label. If an article is non-canon, "noncanon" should be used. If an article is canon, "type=canon" should be used. If an article is Legends, any era parameter will automatically display the article as such. If a Legends article does not have any era parameters, "type=legends" should be used.
  6. Title formatting. The title of an article can be formatted through Top; for example, to add italicization. However, Top should not be used to modify the title text itself, only format it. The primary parameter is "title=FORMATTED TITLE," although "title2=FORMATTED TITLE" should be used as well if part of an article's title contains parentheses. "title" will modify all non-parenthesized elements of the title, and "title2" will modify all parenthesized elements. If the formatted title contains the entirety of the original title, {{PAGENAME}} should be used in lieu of typing out the title. For example, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story should use "title=''{{PAGENAME}}''," not "title=''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story''." "notitle=1" should be used to prevent the automatic shrinking of text inside parentheses on pages where parentheses are part of the out-of-universe title (e.g. The Force Is With Them (Mostly)).
  7. Table of contents. Use "notoc=1" in Top to remove an unwanted table of contents. The table of contents should only be removed if an article has one prose section (eg "Synopsis" or "Reception"). This means articles that have a single content section, such as "Synopsis" or "Reception," should remove their table of contents, whereas articles that have multiple prose sections should not remove their table of contents.

Hypothetical complete order of OOU Top template: {{Top|pre|btr|old|imp|reb|new|njo|leg|ffa|inf|real|fa|ffa|ga|fga|ca|fca|fprot|sprot|ssprot|mprot|noncanon|type=canon|type=legends|title=''Gial Ackbar''|title2=''Imperial''-class|notitle=1|notoc=1}}

→See Wookieepedia:Mofferences/November 7, 2020

Otheruses or Youmay tags

Example:

 {{Otheruses|Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope}}
 

Another example:

 {{Youmay|the real-life [[novel]]|[[Darksaber (disambiguation)|other uses of the word]]}}
 

• Generally used when it is possible that a user has found one article when they were actually looking for another of a similar or same name.
• See Wookieepedia:Template messages/Redirects and Category:Disambiguation and redirection templates

Spoiler tag

A spoiler tag on an article alerts users to any plot spoilers from new sources. See Wookieepedia:Spoilers for more information.

Example:

 {{Spoiler}}
 

• This header template is to be used at the tops of articles to indicate that a given article contains spoilers from a certain product.
• See Template:Spoiler

Example:

 {{Moviespoiler}}
 

• This template should be used on articles for subjects original to major movie releases such as the sequel trilogy or the Star Wars Anthology Series as well as their directly related material, such as novelizations. Articles about subjects not original to major movie releases but contain spoilers from them will continue to use {{Spoiler}}.
• See Template:Moviespoiler

Maintenance templates

Example:

 {{Citation}}
 

• A series of tags used when the article is in need of some sort of maintenance.
• See Category:Maintenance templates

Header templates

Example:

 {{Noncanon}}
 

• These tags are used to indicate an article's level of canonicity, or if an article is a about a cancelled or future source.
• See Category:Header templates.

Infobox

Example (for an article about a comic):

{{Infobox Comic Story
|image=[[File:IntotheGreatUnknown.jpg]]
|title=Into the Great Unknown
|writer=[[W. Haden Blackman]]
|penciller=[[Sean Gordon Murphy|Sean Murphy]]
|inker=Sean Murphy
|letterer=[[Steve Dutro]]
|colorist=[[Dan Jackson]]
|editor=
|publisher=[[Dark Horse Comics]]
|pages=10
|era=
|timeline=
|series=''[[Star Wars Tales]]''
|issue=''[[Star Wars Tales 19]]''
|preceded by=
|followed by=}}
 

• Used to present vital statistics of subject. Various infoboxes can be accessed by using the standard preloads just below the "Save page" button.
• See Wookieepedia:Template messages/Infoboxes and Category:Infobox templates
• Articles should not contain empty infoboxes. An empty infobox is defined as one in which no fields can be filled out other than the name of the subject due to limited information. Such infoboxes should be removed from the article until such time as more information can be added.

→See Forum:CT:Empty infoboxes

• Infoboxes may not contain any field listing individual examples of an article subject, such as members of a species or organization.

→See Wookieepedia:Mofferences/November 7, 2020

Opening quote

Example:

{{Quote|This choral piece, which has to do with the sword fight and comes at the end of the film, is a result of my thinking that something ritualistic and/or pagan and antique might be very effective.|John Williams|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/film/jwilliamsinterview.html}}

• An opening quote is welcome for almost any type of article.
• Quotes can be said by the article's subject (in the case of real-world people), or said by someone else about the article's subject.
• Do not use links within a quote, unless it is the only mention in the article of a certain subject.

Introduction

Articles shall only have an introduction section, commonly called an "intro," if the article body reaches 165 words in length, not counting any other content (infobox, captions, quotes, etc.). Such articles will then employ sectioning in the article body.

Article body

Example (for an article about a real-world person):

 '''Peter Cushing''' was... (insert introductory sentence or paragraph)
 
==Biography==
===Subsection name===
 ...
 ...
 ...
 
===Subsection name===
 ...
 
====Subsection name====
 ...
 
 

• headings and subheadings are usually not required for very small articles.

Images

Example:

 [[File:ImageName.png|thumb|right|180px|Bea Arthur played the bartender Ackmena in ''The Star Wars Holiday Special''.]]
 

• Images should be placed where they are most relevant and should not interrupt the flow or the aesthetics of the article.
• Placing them immediately underneath a heading or subheading usually works quite well.
• Images should typically alternate from the right-side to the left-side. If there is a long infobox at the start, multiple images can be left aligned until the infobox ends.
• Images are to be formatted for ideal presentation in the Fandom skin, also known as Oasis.

Quotes

Example:

{{Quote|I remember that iron bikini I wore in Episode VI: what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell.|[[Carrie Fisher]]|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/88313}}

• In addition to the introductory quote, further quotes may be used throughout an article.
• Although quotes may be placed in the body of the article, a maximum of one quote is allowed only at the beginning of each section.
• Quotes are included "as-is", with the original spelling and formatting found in the source of the quote. In the case of a typo or other error, [sic] may be included to indicate that the error is from the original source and not the article.

Spoiler sections

Example:

{{Spoiler|upcoming media title}}
...
...
{{Endspoiler}}
 

• Articles can contain new spoiler information, provided that it is clearly marked with the above tags.
• See Category:Advisory templates

Stub

Example (for a stub about a real-world person):

 {{Bio-stub}}
 

• used at the bottom of the article body when the article is too vague or brief, AND when there is clearly more information that can be added
• See Wookieepedia:Template messages/Stubs and Category:Stub templates

Musical theme articles

Musical Theme Articles

Musical theme articles are to be organized using the following sections. Each of these sections may be subsectioned as necessary.

1. Conception and development deals with the origin of the theme (when, by whom, where, and for what it was written), the writing process of the music and, if applicable, lyrics, the release of the theme into the public, and the musicians who performed the piece.
2. Summary gives a detailed summary of the entire piece in its most complex, original form. This section should be divided in sub-sections based on scenes in the primary piece of media in which the theme is utilized.
3. Use provides an overview of the the usage of the theme in all of Star Wars media and popular culture. This should be divided into five sub-sections, only using the ones necessary. These are "In the soundtracks," "In the movies," "In the Expanded Universe," "In other media and merchandise," and "In popular culture." These sub-sections may be disregarded if using them would result in unnecessary short sections of one or two sentences.
4. Reception gives reviews and opinions from critics, as well as information regarding sales performance.

Each of these sections may be further subdivided if necessary. Music clips using a {{Music1}} tag are also appropriate for replacing quotes in the "Summary" section and subsections. This also applies to the leading quote of the article if no quote is available. Also, per copyright laws, full lyrics are not allowed. A link to the lyrics on LyricWiki should be added to the "External links" section and infobox if possible.

Published narrative works

Articles on Published Narrative Works

Articles on published narrative works (including films, novels, comics, video games, television episodes, RPG adventures, and other works that would be listed in an in-universe article's "Appearances" section) are to be organized using the following sections. Each of these sections may be subsectioned as necessary.

1. Plot summary summarizes the plot of the work, written in-universe and in the present tense. If the article is about a collection of multiple works (eg, a book trilogy or a comic book story arc), the summaries should be more condensed than if the article is about an individual work (eg, a single book or comic). If the article is about an individual work that has a publisher's summary, then a sourced Publisher's summary subsection should lead this section. If the work includes an Opening crawl, it can be added at the beginning of this section using {{Opening crawl}}.
2. Main characters utilizes subsections to give brief, individual descriptions of major characters who appear in the work, and their role within. A character profile should be written in-universe and in the present tense. If pictures of the characters exist, they should be included on the right side of the page. Images should be sized so as to fit within their respective character profiles. If available, pictures of the characters from the actual work, or from a chronologically close work, are preferred. For very short works, a Main Characters section is not necessary.
3. Gameplay is a section reserved for video games. It discusses the playable features of the game and how the game is experienced by the player(s). If applicable, it can also discuss how player choices and game mechanics affect the storyline. This section should be written out-of-universe and in the present tense.
4. Development discusses background, events, and decisions that brought about the development of the work. It also discusses ideas, decisions, and concepts discarded by the author(s)/developer(s) throughout the production of the work, as well as information on the work's publication and release. If a surplus of information exists, this section can be further subdivided into Conception and Production sections. This and the following sections should be written out-of-universe and in the past tense.
5. Continuity discusses past continuity used/referenced/retconned by the work, continuity errors, and significant continuity created by the work that has been later used/referenced/retconned.
6. Reception discusses response, reaction, and reception to the work, including professional reviews, significant fan response, awards won, sales, and media spotlight. If no such information is available, this section need not be included.
7. Legacy is a section that discusses the impact of the work on later Star Wars media, and, if applicable, broader popular culture. If no such information is available, this section need not be included.
8. Media is a section with different uses for different types of articles.
   • Articles on comic series make use of {{Prettytable}} to create a chart similar to this one.
   • Articles on individual works such as novels include a cover gallery, if more than one cover exists.
   • Articles on novels list the various editions of the work complete with ISBN numbers and publication dates.
   • For television series, the Media section should be entitled Episodes and make use of a wikitable to list the series' seasons, giving information such as the air dates and number of episodes for each season.
   • For individual television seasons, the Media section should also be entitled Episodes and should use a wikitable to display the title, air date, episode number, production number, and an image from the episode if applicable.
9. Credits is a list of the work's credits. This section is reserved for individual films, TV episodes, video games, audio dramas, and any other work with a similarly comprehensive credits section. It should not be used for works such as books, short stories, and comics, which should instead list authors, artists, etc, in their "Development" sections. This section uses {{Credits}} and should be ordered as described in the work's original credits. Any other cast or crew members whose identities were later discovered or revealed can be listed at the ends of their respective sections.
10. Appearances uses {{App}} and is only necessary for articles on individual works, such as a single novel, comic, or episode. It should not be used for articles on collections of multiple works, such as a book trilogy, television series or season, comic book story arc or series. (An exception to this is for a series that has not yet been released, where its episodes or issues do not yet have articles. In that case, the information on the series' appearances may be contained within the series' article until such time that it can be moved to the appropriate episode or issue.) For novels with a Dramatis Personae, the Dramatis Personae is listed at the beginning of this section's "Characters" sub-section.
11. Collections is a bulleted list of any collections in which the work has appeared, such as trade paperbacks or short story collections. If not applicable, this section need not be included.

Each of these sections may be further subdivided if necessary.

→See Forum:CT:OOU Layout Guide: Published narrative works, Wookieepedia:Mofferences/July 25, 2020

Real-world person articles

Real-World Person Articles

Real-world person articles are to be organized using the following sections. Each of these sections may be subsectioned as necessary.

1. Biography gives a detailed and comprehensive summary of the person's Star Wars career. With the exception of birth and death information, this section will limit its focus exclusively to the person's Star Wars contributions without discussing other unrelated career achievements. The level of detail in this section is up to the individual author. However, a middle ground between succinct and lengthy is generally preferable.
2. Filmography (for persons involved in film and/or television), Discography (for persons involved in music), or Published works (for persons involved in publishing) provides a comprehensive list of the person's career works. This list will be organized in a table and be subdivided between Star Wars and other projects. See Bea Arthur#Filmography and James Luceno#Published works for examples on how to format this table.

The introduction section of real-world person articles may briefly summarize the highlights of a person's non-Star Wars career outside of the Filmography section.

→See Wookieepedia:Mofferences/May 25, 2019

Bibliography

The Bibliography section in out-of-universe articles is a bulleted list of all officially-licensed source material to mention the real-world article subject. Common examples include film, publishing, and video game credits; reference books; magazine articles; and StarWars.com news articles. This section works the same as the "Sources" section does for in-universe articles. With rare exceptions, no out-of-universe article should be created without either a Bibliography or External links section (see below for details on "External links").

• Sorted by date of real-world publication
• See Wookieepedia:Layout Guide#Sources for specific formatting rules

→See Wookieepedia:Mofferences/November 7, 2020

Mediacat

In the instance two or more images and/or sound files on Wookieepedia feature the article's subject, corresponding categories must be created. These must be linked to via the {{Mediacat}} template, which ideally shall be placed immediately below the title of the "Bibliography" section of the respective article. If the template interferes with the presentation of media titles in the aforementioned section, it shall be placed immediately below the subsequent section of the article ("Notes and references").

Notes and references

• List of sources for information in the "Behind the scenes" section.
• Items are added to the list by placing <ref>Source goes here</ref> after the information tidbit in question.
• To get the references to show up in this section, use the {{Reflist}} template.
• References will only use periods at the end of the citation if the citation is a complete sentence. References that are not complete sentences will not use periods.

→ See Wookieepedia:Mofferences/February 12, 2012

External links

The External links section is a bulleted list of out-of-universe links from websites outside of Wookieepedia. These links are commonly unlicensed and/or unofficial sources of information, such as product pages, news articles, fan websites, Wikipedia articles, and Internet Movie Database pages.

• The section is called "External links," even if the article only has one external link
• For Wikipedia articles, use the {{WP}} template
  • Example: {{WP|Star Wars}} gives you Star Wars on Wikipedia
• For Internet Movie Database pages, use the {{Imdb}} template
  • Example: {{Imdb|title/tt0080684|Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)}} gives you Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) at the Internet Movie Database
• Ideally, real-world product articles, such as books or comics, will list at least one external link to an official product page from the publisher or manufacturer. If no such link exists, list the subject's Amazon.com product page. The Amazon page may be listed in addition to an official product page if it contains critical information not found on the product page, such as a publication date.
• The External links may list Star Wars Blog posts that do not contain official news, as defined in the preceding "Bibliography" section of this page
  • Note that External links sections need not list all Blog posts pertaining to a given subject. Restrict Blog listings only to the most critically relevant posts with respect to an article's coverage. Blog posts from the Pop Culture; Quizzes and Polls; and Films categories are typically prime examples of those that are not appropriate for the External links. Any Blog post that is cited in the course of the article must be listed in the External links if not already listed in the Bibliography.
• Do not list StarWars.com Databank or Encyclopedia entries here; those belong in the Bibliography section.

→See Forum:CT:Star Wars Blog, Wookieepedia:Mofferences/September 10, 2016

Interwiki links

• Links to Star Wars wikis in other languages
• Interwiki links should be listed in the {{Interlang}} template placed before an article's categories. The "xxFA=" operator will indicate that an article has reached "featured" or equivalent status on its host wiki.

{{Interlang
|da=Anakin
|de=Anakin
|es=Anakin
|fi=Anakin (täsmennyssivu)
|deFA=1
|esFA=1
}}

Category

• Every article must have all applicable categories

→See Forum:CT:Layout Guide change for categories

• Categories should be listed in alphabetical order
• An update to MediaWiki allows use of DEFAULTSORT to eliminate unnecessary coding while still achieving the desired result of categorizing articles by last name (ie, one need not use [[Category:Other Lucasfilm employees|Holland, Lawrence]]; use the below method)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, Lawrence}}
[[Category:Other Lucasfilm employees]]
[[Category:Star Wars game developers]]

• Articles beginning with an article ("a," "an," or "the") should be categorized by the first significant word; for example, [[Category:Reference books|New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, The]].
• Articles placed in categories should not also be placed in that category's master category; for example, articles in Category:Novels should not also be placed in Category:Real-world books.

Miscellaneous

• No artificial white spaces are to be added to mainspace articles.

→ See Wookieepedia:Mofferences/November 7, 2020