Template:Shared intro/doc

Template:Shared lead simplifies re-use of an article lead among multiple articles. Its target use case is list articles when there are multiple lists associated with one topic, to make it easier to create and maintain a useful common introduction—specifically, to avoid or replace "this is a list" leads.

It makes use of transclusion and labeled sections, with a key design goal being to hide as much complexity as possible, and be self-documenting, to make it easier for editors who encounter it to find where the lead's editable content is. In Wikipedia parlance, it keeps content in mainspace, and out of template space.

Usage

First, choose one article to contain the material to be shared. We'll call this the source article. Follow the guidance in WP:BEGIN and WP:FIRST in writing a useful summary intro; a typical lead for a list might summarize the introduction to the subject matter associated with the list. For example, "List of My Mother the Car characters" might draw from the article for the My Mother the Car series, and in turn become the source article that lists of sequels, automobiles used in the series, shooting locations, and so on may share.

In the source article, the material to be shared should now be tagged as a labeled section by enclosing it with "<section begin>" and "<section end>" markup, using the section label "shared lead".

Example:

<section begin="shared intro" />A rail accident (or train wreck) is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track, when the wheels of train come off the track or when a boiler explosion occurs. Train accidents have been widely covered in popular media and in folklore.<section end="shared intro" />

Once this has been set up, in each article that is to use the shared intro, add the line

{{shared lead|''<source article name>''}}

where the introductory paragraph would normally be placed.

Parameters

{{Shared intro | source article name }}

Examples

• Lists of rail accidents is the source article for its related lists; List of rail accidents (1930–1939) is an example of an article sharing that intro.