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Portable Infoboxes allow a lot of flexibility, but this can be a double-edged sword, as too much clutter may make them hard to use. Below are some user-suggested best practices to keep them user-friendly and efficient.

Things to do[]

Use the right tags[]

Each tag has its intended purpose:

  • The image tag is meant for images and videos; avoid using the data or navigation tag for this.[1]
  • The data tag is meant for just about any data, but not images.

Use named parameters[]

Though a few numbered parameters can be easy to use, they are not user-friendly and make it harder to understand how to change them. One should try to also keep the number of {{{parameters}}} to a minimum and use the "source" attribute whenever possible.

Choose an appropriate image[]

An image that is too long hides the information readers want to see. As such, the infobox automatically resizes the image to a maximum height of 500px,[2] to make it easier to read. It also has a varying width depending on screen size, but the width is generally 270 pixels, so a good square image could be around 250 x 250 pixels.

Things to avoid[]

Avoid too many parser functions or magic words[]

The infoboxes were designed to make their creation simple. It is not a good idea to have too many parser functions or magic words, because this may make them harder to understand. Consider putting the extra functionality (if needed) in a helper template.

Avoid inline styling[]

The idea behind the design of these infoboxes is to separate the presentation (styling) from the content, to easily make them portable to other platforms. So although these infoboxes are designed for portability and can strip unnecessary content if needed, inline styling makes the infoboxes complicated and harder to modify.

Avoid generic infoboxes[]

Try to develop infoboxes for specific uses. Don't use one infobox for characters, books, and games. These tend to quickly become cumbersome and hard to maintain.

See also[]

References[]

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