Editing Template:Var

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This template is to help facilitate the displaying of variable names (in mathematics, computer source code, wikimarkup, etc.) with the [[Semantic markup|semantically correct]] {{tag|var}} tags, which also renders the variable in italics, as is customary. This method is preferred to simply italicizing for many reasons, including [[WP:Accessibility|accessibility]], [[separation of presentation and content]], [[semantic Web]], and [[WP:METADATA|metadata]]; In [[XHTML]] and [[HTML]], the {{tag|var|o}} element has semantic meaning, while simple italicization does not.  "Variable" in this sense may include arbitrary or unknown names or terms, example human input, arithmetical variables in equations, etc. This template (and the underlying XHTML) are generally {{em|not}} used if MediaWiki's {{tag|math}} tags (or any other stand-alone mathematical markup) are being used.

; Example: 
: {{tlxb|var|username}}
outputs the following HTML:
: '''{{tag|var|content=username}}'''
which renders as:
: {{var|username}}

Note that on the screen or in print, this renders as simple italicization, as does {{code|<nowiki>''username''</nowiki>}} (using pairs of apostrophes) or {{tag|i|content=username}} (using HTML), yet it carries more semantic meaning than either of these methods.

At times, you may wish to use a serif font.  This is especially true when attempting to render single-letter variables like "I" (upper-case "i") and "l" (lower-case "L"), since they are nearly indistinguishable (if at all).  In such situations, use the {{tlx|varserif}} template instead of {{tnull|var}}, to make them more distinguishable, like these serif examples: {{varserif|I}}, {{varserif|l}}.

; More examples:
<div style="background:#FFFFFF;">
{{Markup
| <nowiki>The HTML code:
: <code>{{tag|var|content=username}}</code> 
renders as: 
: {{var|username}}</nowiki>
| The HTML code:
: <code>{{tag|var|content=username}}</code> 
renders as: 
: {{var|username}}

| <nowiki>The commandline should read: {{samp|%}} {{kbd|1=ssh {{var|hostname}}}}<br />(where {{var|hostname}} is the IP address or ...)<br />If it is correct, press {{key press|Enter}}.</nowiki>
| The commandline should read: {{samp|%}} {{kbd|1=ssh {{var|hostname}}}}<br />(where {{var|hostname}} is the IP address or ...)<br />If it is correct, press {{key press|Enter}}.

| <nowiki>in this equation, let {{var|x}}{{=}}1 and {{var|y}}{{=}}120 ...</nowiki>
| in this equation, let {{var|x}}{{=}}1 and {{var|y}}{{=}}120 ...

| <nowiki>{{para|accessdate|{{var|todays_date}}}}</nowiki>
| {{para|accessdate|{{var|todays_date}}}}
}}
</div>


{{Semantic markup templates}}

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[[Category:Mathematics templates]]
[[Category:Programming typing-aid templates]]
[[Category:Semantic markup templates]]
[[Category:Wikipedia XHTML tag-replacing templates]]
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