Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system/method

Documentation for the automated taxobox system

It is assumed that you have read the introduction to the system. This page gives some brief step-by-step instructions.

Step 1: fixed information

Non-taxonomic content, such as images, is generated in the same way as manual taxobox templates (i.e. those using {{Taxobox}}). You specify code that looks like this (where "Speciesbox" may be replaced by any of the other automated taxobox templates): {{Speciesbox | image = name of image.jpg | image caption = Text of caption | synonyms = * ''Synonymus exemplus'' | synonyms_ref = <ref name=Example/> }}

Example taxobox |image= |image caption= Scientific classification This will be generated in step 2 Synonyms[1] |synonyms=

Step 2: starting to generate taxonomy

Example taxobox
|image= |image caption=
Scientific classification
This will be filled in based on the value of |taxon=, or the name of the page
Synonyms
|synonyms=

Next, the template needs to work out which taxon's taxonomy to display. If the parameter |taxon= is set, which is best practice, it will use this taxon. (Otherwise, it will try to guess the taxon name from the name of the article that it is on, but this is deprecated.)

Step 3: generating the taxonomy

Example taxobox
|image= |image caption=
Scientific classification
...	...
"Rank" specified at Template:Taxonomy/Dinosauria	"Link" specified at Template:Taxonomy/Dinosauria
Synonyms
|synonyms=

The template is now going to consult the database to build a taxonomy for our subject taxon. Let's say we want to generate a taxobox for the dinosaurs, using |taxon=Dinosauria.

The template generates the taxonomy list a row at a time, starting at the bottom. It will start off by looking at the database page for our taxon, that is, "Template:Taxonomy/Dinosauria". This page contains details about the Dinosauria: the rank of the taxon, the link to display in the taxobox, and the parent taxon. Using this information, the taxobox displays the bottom row of the taxonomy.

Step 3b: generating the next row up

Example taxobox
|image= |image caption=
Scientific classification
...	...
The dinosaurs' "Parent taxon" will display here
Superorder:	Dinosauria
Synonyms
|synonyms=

Once the template has completed this row, it moves up a level. But how does it know what taxon should come above the dinosaurs? This information is also stored in the database entry at "Template:Taxonomy/Dinosauria".

Step 3c: generating the rest of the taxonomy

Example taxobox
|image= |image caption=
Scientific classification
...	...
Parent taxon of "Reptilia"
Class:	Reptilia
Superorder:	Dinosauria
Synonyms
|synonyms=

This process continues all the way up the taxobox, until the taxonomy is complete.

Where to now?

Hopefully that gives you an overview of how the template works. For more detail, take a look at one of the other documentation pages:

• Introduction
• Why use the system?
• Making it work
• More technical details
• Map of all called templates

Taxonomy templates

• Introduction to taxonomy templates
• Advanced features of taxonomy templates

Taxobox templates

• Which should be used?
• Changing the taxa displayed
• Convert a taxobox to an automated taxobox
• Glossary of automated taxobox parameters
• Automatic taxobox – mainly for genera and higher taxa
• Speciesbox – for a species
• Subspeciesbox – for an animal subspecies
• Infraspeciesbox – for a plant subspecies or variety
• Hybridbox – for an animal hybrid within a genus
• Ichnobox – for a trace fossil
• Oobox – for a fossil egg
• Virusbox – for viruses and non-cellular life
• Paraphyletic group – for concepts that do not correspond to a monophyletic clade
• Population taxobox - for notable populations of subspecies of animals