View source for Template:Distinguish/doc

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{{High-use|58209}}
{{Lua|Module:Distinguish}}

This template renders a [[WP:HAT|hatnote]] intended to inform the reader of the existence of one or more articles whose title(s) bears a strong resemblance to the current article. This template is used in the cases where the distinction between the titles is so obvious that the reader needs no further explanation. For cases where an explanation is required, use {{tl|For}} and {{tl|About}}.
__NOTOC__

==Usage==
{{tlx|Distinguish|Foo}}         → {{Distinguish|Foo}}
{{tlx|Distinguish|Foo|Bar|Gaz}} → {{Distinguish|Foo|Bar|Gaz}}
{{tlx|Distinguish|text {{=}} custom {{brackets|[[text]]}}, and {{brackets|[[foo]]}}, a common example term}} → {{Distinguish|text = custom [[text]], and [[foo]], a common example term}}

== When to use ==
This hatnote is generally used when readers have misspelled their desired title, and the error would be apparent by simply displaying the alternative term without further explanation.  For example, consider a reader looking for the punctuation mark who instead ends up at [[coma]]: 
<blockquote>[[Coma]] → {{Distinguish|Comma}}</blockquote>

Readers are presumed to recognize that they actually wanted ''comma'' by merely looking at the spelling, and this case generally requires no further explanation.

However, {{tlx|distinguish}} is not suitable when the difference is not readily apparent without additional details. Consider a reader looking for a game they believe is named Reversi:
<blockquote>[[File:Red x.svg|15px|link=]] [[Reversi]] → {{Distinguish|Reversis}} </blockquote>

In the above hatnote, it is not generally apparent how the suggested Reversis is different from Reversi, which is also a game.
<blockquote>[[File:Green check.svg|15px|link=]]  [[Reversi]] → {{About|the board game|the card game|Reversis}}</blockquote>

Using {{tlx|about}} instead of {{tlc|distinguish}}, the differences in the suggested article is explained upfront without requiring the reader to click through and differentiate the terms on their own.

{{tlc|Distinguish}} should only be used when the ambiguity exists for a portion of the readership that is sufficient to warrant a hatnote. Care should be taken to [[WP:TRHAT|avoid trivial uses]].

This hatnote can also be used to distinguish from multiple articles:
<blockquote>{{distinguish|Foo|Bar}}</blockquote>

== TemplateData ==
{{TemplateData header}}
<templatedata>
{
	"params": {
		"1": {
			"label": "Name of article",
			"description": "Name of article that you want to link to",
			"type": "wiki-page-name",
            "suggested": true
		},
		"2": {
			"label": "Optional additional article to link",
			"description": "Optional additional article to link",
			"type": "wiki-page-name"
		},
		"3": {
			"label": "Optional additional article to link",
			"description": "Optional additional article to link",
			"type": "wiki-page-name"
		},
		"4": {
			"label": "Optional additional article to link",
			"description": "Optional additional article to link",
			"type": "wiki-page-name"
		},
        "text": {
            "label": "Custom text",
            "description": "Custom message in wikitext; e.g. \"[[foo]] and [[bar]]\" produces \"Not to be confused with [[foo]] and [[bar]].\"",
            "type": "string", 
        },
        "selfref": {
            "label": "Self reference",
            "description": "If set, marks note as being a self reference, to not be shown when content is reused",
            "type": "boolean", 
        }

	},
	"description": "A hatnote used when there is an ambiguity in an article's title.",
	"paramOrder": [
		"1",
		"2",
		"3",
		"4",
        "text",
        "selfref"
	],
	"format": "inline"
}
</templatedata>

== Redirects ==

* {{tl|Confused}}
* {{tl|Confuse}}
* {{tl|Misspelling}}

{{Hatnote templates}}

<includeonly>{{#ifeq:{{SUBPAGENAME}}|sandbox||
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[[Category:Disambiguation and redirection templates|{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Hatnote templates]]

}}</includeonly>