Help: Userboxes

A userbox is a small box that looks like this.

Userboxes can come in many different styles.

Boxes can have one or two sideboxes.

A userbox is a small coloured box which allow users to add small messages on their user page. It is an extension of the babel boxes used for users' language abilities.

Common uses for boxes include user interests, user skills, technical information, DCCWiki activities, or just for fun. There are four types of userbox templates. A gallery of example boxes is shown below.

You can either create your own userbox using the four templates below, or use the existing userboxes templates.

If you want to create a new template, you should first read How to make a Userbox, below.

Existing Userboxes

Help:Babel, for real-world languages.
Help:Userboxes/Scales, for model scales.
Help:Userboxes/DCC, for DCC topics (DCC itself, manufacturers, software, etc.

Other userboxes

Help:Userboxes/Computing, for browsers, OS, hardward, etc.
Help:Userboxes/Emoticons, for userboxes representing a current mood.
Help:Userboxes/Seasonal, for seasonal userboxes.
Help:Userboxes/Funny, for humorous or silly userboxes that don't fit elsewhere.

How to make a Userbox

Before making a userbox

Check to make sure the userbox you want to make does not already exist by going through the categories listed above.
If you wish to put your userbox in a template (and list it here), evaluate whether there is a need for your userbox.

Naming the userbox

All userbox templates should be named using the prefix User.
When naming a template, strive not to make the name too ambiguous. Names such as {{User code}} could mean anything. {{User Lost (TV Series)}} would be more fitting.

Notes on usage

Users

Userboxes reside in template space and are public DCCWiki content; some statements that are permissible on userpages may not be suitable for userboxes.
If you choose to put an image in a userbox, make sure the image license is free. DCCWiki policy does not allow templates or user pages to have copyrighted works on them. The use of copyrighted work as fair use is not allowed on templates.

Editors

Userboxes are not encyclopedic content; they are not to be used in articles.
Userboxes are intended to make statements about a user's skills, attributes, views and affiliations on user pages, but they are public resources residing in template space.
Userboxes should avoid incivility and personal attacks.
DCCWiki is not an appropriate place for political campaigning, and userboxes created or used for this purpose may be deleted.

Administrators

Userboxes are not subject to NPOV policy, by definition of their nature.
Expressing a view through a userbox does not equate pushing that view, even though you may not agree with the view and feel the box justifies a speedy deletion.
Never speedy-delete a userbox without consensus. This can only cause a backlash.

Designing the userbox

There are a number of box types to select from when deciding to make a userbox. The most commonly used design is the "Standard box". It has one square shaped area on the left ("id") and a rectangular area on the right ("info").

For ease of use, userboxes are made using maker-templates that have a number of parameters. Once the maker-template is saved, it is automatically transformed to HTML.

Template Parameters	Meaning	Value type
border-c	The border color of the userbox	CSS color value (#hex or color name)
border-s	The border size of the userbox	Width in pixels
id-c	The background color of the id box	CSS color value
id-s	The font size of the id box	Size in PostScript points
id-fc	The font color of the id box text	CSS color value
info-c	The background color of info box	CSS color value
info-s	The font size of info box	Size in PostScript points
info-fc	The font color of info box	CSS color value
id	This is the content of the id box	Text
info	This is the content of info box	Text

Userbox types

Code Appearance

Standard box

{{Userbox
  |border-c = #000
  |border-s = 1
  |id-c     = #fff
  |id-s     = 12
  |id-fc    = #000
  |info-c   = #039
  |info-s   = 8
  |info-fc  = #fff
  |id       = ID
  |info     = info box content
}}

or {{Userbox|side-box colour|main box colour|side-box content|main box content}}

ID	info box content

Reverse box

{{Userbox-r
  |border-c = #000
  |border-s = 1
  |id-c     = #fff
  |id-s     = 12
  |id-fc    = #000
  |info-c   = #039
  |info-s   = 8
  |info-fc  = #fff
  |id       = ID
  |info     = info box content
}}

or {{Userbox-r|side-box colour|main box colour|side-box content|main box content}}

info box content

ID

Double box

{{Userbox-2
  |border-c = #000
  |border-s = 1
  |id1-c    = #fff
  |id1-s    = 12
  |id1-fc   = #000
  |id2-c    = #000
  |id2-s    = 12
  |id2-fc   = #fff
  |info-c   = #039
  |info-s   = 8
  |info-fc  = #fff
  |id1      = ID 1
  |id2      = ID 2
  |info     = info box content
}}

or {{Userbox-2|side-box 1 color|main box color|side-box 1 content|message|side-box 2 content|border color|side-box 2 color|main box font-color|box border thickness}}
Note: If omitted, border color and side-box 2 color default to the same color as side-box 1, and font color is black. Default border thickness is 1.

ID 1

info box content

ID 2

Mini box

{{Userbox-m
  |border-c = #000
  |border-s = 1
  |id-c     = #fff
  |id-s     = 12
  |id-fc    = #000
  |id       = ID
}}

or {{Userbox-m|box color|box content}}

ID

Grouping userboxes

Example 1

DCC
2

This user is able to contribute with an intermediate level of DCC understanding.

Garden

This user is interested in Garden railroads.

HO	This user is interested in HO Scale.

As with the Babel box, there is a box to group userboxes together. Just make a list of userboxes with {{Boxboxtop|box-name}} at the top and {{Boxboxbottom}} at the bottom. For example, the box to the right is created using the following list:

{{Boxboxtop|Example 1}}
{{User DCC-2}}
{{User Garden}}
{{User HO}}
{{Boxboxbottom}}

You may also change the alignment by using 'right' or 'left' as the 2nd parameter, or explicitly using parameter align. Thus, it is possible to create the same boxbox on the right, but positioned on the left side of the page, by changing the the first line from {{Boxboxtop|Example 1}} to {{Boxboxtop|Example 1|left}}.

The actual Babel grouping system can also be used, e.g. {{Babel-4|sv|no-4|browser|rome}}. However, it only works for user boxes with a "User "-prefix, which must then be dropped for the arguments. Also, boxes that need arguments of their own can not be used with Babel, e.g. {{User wikipedia|administrator}}.)