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MarioWiki:Categories: Difference between revisions
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Both the template and the categories ensure that the different subjects are separated and easily navigable, but the categories can be placed on articles that don't fit into the navigation template (in most cases, these pages are ones that only get the overall game category). Categories also lead to more general categories beyond the overall game category, since they themselves can be categorized, unlike templates. Basically, the game category would be in a series category, while the subject category for the game would be in a subject category for the series, which would, in turn be in a category for the subject in general (i.e. a game's characters -> a series' characters -> all characters). | Both the template and the categories ensure that the different subjects are separated and easily navigable, but the categories can be placed on articles that don't fit into the navigation template (in most cases, these pages are ones that only get the overall game category). Categories also lead to more general categories beyond the overall game category, since they themselves can be categorized, unlike templates. Basically, the game category would be in a series category, while the subject category for the game would be in a subject category for the series, which would, in turn be in a category for the subject in general (i.e. a game's characters -> a series' characters -> all characters). | ||
Navigation goes both ways with categories. Just as a specific subject in a specific game can be followed back to the basic subject category, so too can readers go from the basic subject to a specific game by going down through the increasingly focused categories. This stratified organization separates the categories from the large list pages that can be found on the sidebar ( | Navigation goes both ways with categories. Just as a specific subject in a specific game can be followed back to the basic subject category, so too can readers go from the basic subject to a specific game by going down through the increasingly focused categories. This stratified organization separates the categories from the large list pages that can be found on the sidebar (e.g. [[List of characters|characters]], [[List of species|species]], etc.). While the lists have everything in one place, they only show the games (or other media) the entries originated from, whereas the categories break the subject up into smaller chunks, which are easier to sift through, but require more movement around the wiki. | ||
===Placement on articles=== | ===Placement on articles=== | ||
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==Size and scope== | ==Size and scope== | ||
Different kinds of categories have different size restrictions: | Different kinds of categories have different size restrictions: | ||
*Game-specific | |||
*Series must have '''three entries''' in order to have series-specific categories. Pairs of related games (such as ''[[Mario is Missing!]]'' and ''[[Mario's Time Machine]]'') simply link to each other in the category summaries. For example, [[:Category:Mario is Missing!]] would include <code><nowiki>{{ | *User language categories require only '''one entry''' to be created (e.g. [[:Category:User en]]). | ||
**As such, series-specific categories ( | *Game-based image and media file categories require only '''one entry''' to be created (e.g. [[:Category:Super Paper Mario images]], [[:Category:Super Paper Mario media files]]). Non-game image and media file categories require '''two entries''' to be created (e.g. [[:Category:Ubisoft images]], [[:Category:Lee Ray images]]). If a non-game subject such as a company has only one image, then it is categorized directly under the subject category (in this case, [[:Category:Company images]]). If an artist has only one image, then an artist-based category is omitted altogether. | ||
**TV shows, comics and other media follow the same three-entry rule as game series, and so their categories should also have three entries, minimum. Consoles also need three games in order to have a category. | *Game-specific article categories (e.g. [[:Category:Super Paper Mario characters]]) should have at least '''four entries'''. If there are three or fewer entries, they should just go into the overall game category. | ||
*Series must have '''three entries''' in order to have series-specific categories. Pairs of related games (such as ''[[Mario is Missing!]]'' and ''[[Mario's Time Machine]]'') simply link to each other in the category summaries. For example, [[:Category:Mario is Missing!]] would include <code><nowiki>{{see also|Category:Mario's Time Machine}}</nowiki></code> under its summary, before its overall [[:Category:Super Mario games]] category. | |||
**As such, series-specific categories (e.g. [[:Category:Paper Mario series]], [[:Category:Paper Mario series characters]]) have a default minimum of three. | |||
**TV shows, comics, and other media follow the same three-entry rule as game series, and so their categories should also have three entries, minimum. Consoles also need three games in order to have a category. | |||
*Non-series/game/console/etc.-specific categories need a minimum of '''five entries''' (including any subcategories' entries), however they ''should'' have many more than that, since small lists can simply be placed on an article that's central to the subject at hand (for example, the six [[Dixie Kong's Photo Album#Aquatic Attackers|Aquatic Attackers]] are listed on that very page, which they all link back to). It should also be noted that '''overly broad categories''' can be even more unhelpful than overly small categories (such as previously attempted categories for all males or females), and should not be created. Also, just because there's a good number of possible entries doesn't necessarily mean a category should be made: offbeat connections might be interesting (such as the now-deleted "Characters who have kissed Mario" category), but they are often tenuous or of little functional use to wiki navigation. | *Non-series/game/console/etc.-specific categories need a minimum of '''five entries''' (including any subcategories' entries), however they ''should'' have many more than that, since small lists can simply be placed on an article that's central to the subject at hand (for example, the six [[Dixie Kong's Photo Album#Aquatic Attackers|Aquatic Attackers]] are listed on that very page, which they all link back to). It should also be noted that '''overly broad categories''' can be even more unhelpful than overly small categories (such as previously attempted categories for all males or females), and should not be created. Also, just because there's a good number of possible entries doesn't necessarily mean a category should be made: offbeat connections might be interesting (such as the now-deleted "Characters who have kissed Mario" category), but they are often tenuous or of little functional use to wiki navigation. | ||
Pages should never be categorized into non-existent (red-linked) categories. Either a category has enough entries to exist and is created, or it doesn't and the page is instead categorized one level up the category tree (so long as that category still makes sense and isn't in the format "X by Y" e.g. [[:Category:Games by genre|games by genre]], in which case categorizing in that particular branch is abandoned). | |||
Do not apply categories to [[MarioWiki:Userspace|userspace]] pages other than automatic maintenance categories or those specifically designated for user pages (e.g. [[:Category:User languages|user languages]]). Userspace drafts should place categories between <code><nowiki><!-- HTML comment tags --></nowiki></code> to disable them. | |||
==Order on pages== | ==Order on pages== | ||
While most pages only have a couple categories, major subjects can have quite a few, in which case, it is important to know how to organize the categories in a way that is easy to sort through for both readers and editors. | While most pages only have a couple categories, major subjects can have quite a few, in which case, it is important to know how to organize the categories in a way that is easy to sort through for both readers and editors. | ||
First comes the miscellaneous, non-game/series categories. For pages with a multitude of categories, the essentials should be picked out and placed first; for example, being a [[:Category:Koopas|Koopa]] [[:Category:Kings|king]] is part of [[Bowser]]'s core identity, and should come before the more minor or trivial things, like how he's a [[:Category:Parents|parent]] and [[:Category:Magicians|uses magic]]. In most cases, however, the only real essential category will be the species (for subspecies and characters) or its equivalent ( | First comes the miscellaneous, non-game/series categories. For pages with a multitude of categories, the essentials should be picked out and placed first; for example, being a [[:Category:Koopas|Koopa]] [[:Category:Kings|king]] is part of [[Bowser]]'s core identity, and should come before the more minor or trivial things, like how he's a [[:Category:Parents|parent]] and [[:Category:Magicians|uses magic]]. In most cases, however, the only real essential category will be the species (for subspecies and characters) or its equivalent (e.g. [[:Category:Blocks]] for [[? Block]]). After the essentials, the other misc. categories can be grouped together by any similarities in content (i.e. all the jobs together, all the family stuff together, all the ability-related categories together, etc.); logic and personal judgement can be used for this. Most pages won't have enough categories for much reasoning to be required, however. | ||
After the misc. categories come the game/series-specific categories, which are simply arranged in alphabetical order. As well as being the simplest method of organization, this tends to group together all the categories from the same series (or even game, as is the case with Bowser in various RPGs, in which he is both a boss and a playable character). It also provides an alternative to the chronological order found in the navigation templates and the History section (the latter of which is also divided by series, providing a third way or organization), so if users can't find what they're looking for with one method, they have another to choose from. Any categories pertaining to merchandise (such as [[:Category:Trading cards|trading cards]] or [[:Category:Publications|publications]]) should also be included with the game/series-specific categories. | After the misc. categories come the game/series-specific categories, which are simply arranged in alphabetical order. As well as being the simplest method of organization, this tends to group together all the categories from the same series (or even game, as is the case with Bowser in various RPGs, in which he is both a boss and a playable character). It also provides an alternative to the chronological order found in the navigation templates and the History section (the latter of which is also divided by series, providing a third way or organization), so if users can't find what they're looking for with one method, they have another to choose from. Any categories pertaining to merchandise (such as [[:Category:Trading cards|trading cards]] or [[:Category:Publications|publications]]) should also be included with the game/series-specific categories. | ||
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:''Navigation templates should '''not''' contain categories meant for the pages they are placed on.'' | :''Navigation templates should '''not''' contain categories meant for the pages they are placed on.'' | ||
So, for example, [[Template:SPM]] should not contain [[:Category:Super Paper Mario]]. This defeats the purpose of having subject-specific categories for a game. Even templates for which a single category is applicable to all their articles ( | So, for example, [[Template:SPM]] should not contain [[:Category:Super Paper Mario]]. This defeats the purpose of having subject-specific categories for a game. Even templates for which a single category is applicable to all their articles (e.g. [[:Category:Goombas]] for [[Template:Goombas]]) should not have that category, as this is inconsistent with the game templates, can interfere with category order on the articles, and can result in redundancy if users add the categories directly to the pages as well, since you can't tell that the templates provide the categories when you're editing until you Preview or Save. | ||
Notice templates, on the other hand, ''can'' contain categories, as these do not pertain to the article's subject matter, but to the quality of the page itself and are only applicable when the template is applicable. Other types of templates used outside of the mainspace can also have categories. These categories are added using <code><nowiki><includeonly>[[Category:Name]]</includeonly></nowiki></code>, which means the pages the template is put on are categorized, but the template itself is not. | Notice templates, on the other hand, ''can'' contain categories, as these do not pertain to the article's subject matter, but to the quality of the page itself and are only applicable when the template is applicable. Other types of templates used outside of the mainspace can also have categories. These categories are added using <code><nowiki><includeonly>[[Category:Name]]</includeonly></nowiki></code>, which means the pages the template is put on are categorized, but the template itself is not. | ||