Template:Columns-start/doc

The columns-start template and its child templates column and columns-end can be used to make a fixed number of columns (up to 5) that will span the entire page above a certain minimum width (100 ems for 5 columns, 80 for 4, 60 for 3 and 2). Below the minimum width, each column starting from the right will gracefully display below another one of the columns.

Use

The below examples are using the templates directly, so you can see what will happen if the minimum size is reached.

{{columns-start}}
Column 1 here
{{column}}
Column 2 here
{{columns-end}}

{{columns-start|num=3}}
Column 1 here
{{column}}
Column 2 here
{{column}}
Column 3 here
{{columns-end}}

{{columns-start|num=4}}
Column 1 here
{{column}}
Column 2 here
{{column}}
Column 3 here
{{column}}
Column 4 here
{{columns-end}}

{{columns-start|num=5}}
Column 1 here
{{column}}
Column 2 here
{{column}}
Column 3 here
{{column}}
Column 4 here
{{column}}
Column 5 here
{{columns-end}}

Parameters

Columns-start has these parameters:

|num=

Set the number of columns. Defaults to 2. The template will work with up to 5 columns. More than that should prefer a custom implementation or another solution (such as a wikitable for tabular content or {{div col}} for list content).

|class=

Apply another class to the set of columns, such as hlist. Default is none.

|bgcolor=

Set a background color. Default is transparent.

|width=

Set a total width in which all columns must appear. Default is 100%.

Template:Column has the same parameters where it is used as a "wrapper" template with numbered columns. Example:

{{column|num=2
|1=
Column 1 here
|2=
Column 2 here
}}

{{column|num=3
|
Column 1 here
|
Column 2 here
|
Column 3 here
}}

In the second example, be aware of the possible problem with a column that includes an equals sign. See Help:Templates#Equals for more information.

Otherwise, Template:Column must be used as above with Template:Columns-start.

Example section (the Political Affiliation from the page Brundage)

<div style="background:whitesmoke;">
{{columns-start|num=4}}
* [[2317]] - No record<ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 18: "Federated Suns Map at their Founding - [2317] Map"</ref>
* [[2571]] - [[Federated Suns]]<ref name="HB:HDp48">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 48: "Federated Suns After Age of War - [2571] Map"</ref>
* [[2581]] - Federated Suns<ref name="H:RWp106">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 106: "Reunification War: Outworlds Alliance Front Deployments (2581)"</ref>
* [[2596]] - Federated Suns<ref name="H:RWp159">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 159: "Inner Sphere - [2596] Map"</ref>
* [[2750]] - Federated Suns<ref name="ER:2750p37">''Era Report: 2750'', p. 37: "Inner Sphere - [2750] Map"</ref>
* [[2764]] - Federated Suns<ref name="FM:SLDF">''Field Manual: SLDF'': "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"</ref>
* [[2765]] - Federated Suns<ref name="H:LoTv1p11">''Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1'', p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [2765] Map"</ref><ref name=FR:2765FSp29>''Field Report 2765: AFFS'', p. 29: "Federated Suns Armed Forces Deployment Map - [2765]"</ref><ref name=FR:2765DCp25>''Field Report 2765: DCMS'', p. 25: "Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery Deployment Map - [2765]"</ref>
{{column}}
* [[2822]] - Federated Suns<ref name="HB:HDp54">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 54: "Federated Suns after First Succession War - [2822] Map"</ref><ref name="H:LOTV2p122">''Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2'', pp. 122–123: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"</ref>
* [[2864]] - Federated Suns<ref name="HB:HDp60">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 60: "Federated Suns after Second Succession War - [2864] Map"</ref>
* [[3025]] - Federated Suns<ref>''House Davion (The Federated Suns)'': "Federated Suns Map - [3025]"</ref><ref name="HB:HDp70">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 70: "Federated Suns after Third Succession War - [3025] Map"</ref>
* [[3030]] - Federated Suns<ref name="HB:HDp72">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 72: "Federated Suns after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"</ref>
* [[3040]] - [[Federated Commonwealth]]<ref name="HB:HDp76">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 76: "Federated Suns after War of [3039] - [3040] Map"</ref><ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 133: "Inner Sphere - [3040] Map"</ref>
* [[3050]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3052p11">''Era Report: 3052'', p. 11: Inner Sphere - [3050] Map</ref>
* [[3052]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3052p23">''Era Report: 3052'', p. 23: Inner Sphere - [3052] Map</ref>
{{column}}
* [[3057]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3062p11">''Era Report: 3062'', p. 11: Inner Sphere - [3057] Map</ref>
* [[3058]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HDp78">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 78: "Federated Suns after Operation Guerrero - [3058] Map"</ref>
* [[3063]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3062p29">''Era Report: 3062'', p. 29: Inner Sphere - [3063] Map</ref>
* [[3067]] - Federated Suns<ref name="HB:HDp82">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 82: "Federated Suns after FedCom Civil War - [3067] Map"</ref><ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 43: "Inner Sphere - [3067] Map"</ref>
* [[3075]] - Federated Suns<ref name="JS:TBDp64">''Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents'', p. 64: "Inner Sphere - [3075] Map"</ref>
* [[3079]] - Federated Suns<ref name="FR:FSp21">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 21: "Federated Suns Armed Forces Deployment Map - [August 3079]"</ref>
* [[3081]] - Federated Suns<ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 63: "Inner Sphere - [3081] Map"</ref>
{{column}}
* [[3085]] - Federated Suns<ref name="FM:3085pvii">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [3085] Map"</ref>
* [[3135]] - Federated Suns<ref name="ER:3145p11">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3135] Map"</ref>
* [[3145]] - Federated Suns<ref name="ER:3145p39">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 39: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"</ref><ref name="FM:3145pVI">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. VI: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"</ref>
* [[3152]] - [[Draconis Combine]]<ref name=DDp75>''Dominions Divided'', p. 75: "Draconis Combine & Federated Suns June 3152"</ref>
{{columns-end}}
</div>

Renders as:

• 2317 - No record
• 2571 - Federated Suns
• 2581 - Federated Suns
• 2596 - Federated Suns
• 2750 - Federated Suns
• 2764 - Federated Suns
• 2765 - Federated Suns

• 2822 - Federated Suns
• 2864 - Federated Suns
• 3025 - Federated Suns
• 3030 - Federated Suns
• 3040 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3050 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3052 - Federated Commonwealth

• 3057 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3058 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3063 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3067 - Federated Suns
• 3075 - Federated Suns
• 3079 - Federated Suns
• 3081 - Federated Suns

• 3085 - Federated Suns
• 3135 - Federated Suns
• 3145 - Federated Suns
• 3152 - Draconis Combine

Limitations

Using headings inside {{column}} in its wrapper form functions so long as there is some content beneath the 2nd and later heading. Secondly, headings will not carry an edit link. The below table may wrap (i.e. not display as columns) but displays the issue.

Content	Functional but missing edit links	Non-functional (missing content)
Wikitext	{{column |1= ==== Ex. heading 1 ==== ABC |2= ==== Ex. heading 2 ==== DEF }}	{{column |1= ==== Ex. heading 3 ==== |2= ==== Ex. heading 4 ==== }}
Rendered	Ex. heading 1 ABC Ex. heading 2 DEF	Ex. heading 3 ==== Ex. heading 4 ====

See also

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a HTML "div" (division) open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates

Type	Family	Handles wiki  table code?	Responsive/ Mobile suited	Start template	Column divider	End template
Float	"col-float"	Yes	Yes	{{col-float}}	{{col-float-break}}	{{col-float-end}}
	"columns-start"	Yes	Yes	{{columns-start}}	{{column}}	{{columns-end}}
Columns	"div col"	Yes	Yes	{{div col}}	–	{{div col end}}
	"columns-list"	No	Yes	{{columns-list}} (wraps div col)	–	–
Flexbox	"flex columns"	No	Yes	{{flex columns}}	–	–
Table	"col"	Yes	No	{{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}}	{{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}}	{{col-end}}

Responsive/Mobile suited

This means if the template can handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.