Template:Infobox ship career/doc

This template is part of the WikiProject Ships ship infobox. It adds a Career box to the infobox. Each section, except Infobox Ship Begin, can be repeated as necessary to support multiple careers, multiple sets of characteristics, etc. The header of the Career box can be hidden by setting its "Hide header=yes". This allows you to repeat certain fields by adding a second Career box with a hidden header.

This ship infobox supports a very large number of fields, including some specialty fields that will rarely be used. Some fields simply don't make sense in some cases. Some different sets of code have been prepared using only the most common fields. Select the most appropriate set below and copy and paste the entire code to the top of a ship article, then fill in as many fields as possible. Empty fields should generally be kept so that a future editor can fill them in unless they make no sense for the ship in question.

The "Full" code contains every field the template supports. If you want, you can copy one of the simplified sets of code and add a few fields from the "Full" code.

If you have ideas for improvements or would like to add brand new fields to these templates, please post on Template talk:Infobox ship begin to discuss the changes and how they should be implemented.

Usage

Code for individual ships

For infoboxes of individual ships, please copy the appropriate example for the type of ship:

Warships (except submarines). Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> History General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Submarines. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> History General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Age of sail. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> History General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Commercial vessels. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> History General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

If none of the above fit, you may use this full setup:

Full code for individual ships. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> History General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Code for ship classes

For infoboxes of ship classes, please copy the appropriate example for the type of ship class:

Warship classes (except submarines). Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> Class overview General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Submarine classes. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> Class overview General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Age of sail classes. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> Class overview General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Commercial vessel classes. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> Class overview General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

If none of the above fit, you may use this full setup:

Full code for ship classes. Select show to expand.
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> Class overview General characteristics </syntaxhighlight>

Parameters

Further information: Template:Infobox ship begin/Usage guide

Most fields are self-explanatory, but here are some tips (see the usage guide for a complete explanation of all parameter fields):

1. Ship image If your article does not have an image in this field, the ship will automatically be listed at the hidden category Category:Ship infoboxes without an image. Editors can use the category to easily see a list of infoboxes where no image is attached and work to find pictures.
2. Ship caption and image alt, the caption and alt for the ship's picture, should be left blank if no extra information about the picture is available; don't just fill in the ship's name.
3. Ship country is necessary when a ship served under multiple countries, but not really necessary otherwise.
4. Ship class should include both the class and the type of ship. For example, Balao-class diesel-electric submarine provides complete information. It can be replaced with Ship type, which displays as "Type:", for ships that aren't members of a class.
5. Ship name is necessary when a ship served under multiple names, but not really necessary otherwise.
6. Ship fate and Ship status generally shouldn't both be filled in. Whichever one sounds most appropriate for the situation should be filled in. Use Ship fate when the ship sank or was scrapped, and use Ship status when the ship is active, kept in reserve, or currently a museum.
7. Ship displacement and Ship tonnage are not the same thing. Displacement is the mass of a ship in a particular condition, like when it's fully loaded for battle. It is generally used for military vessels. Tonnage is a measurement of the cargo capacity of a vessel and isn't exactly correlated with weight: a ship of a particular tonnage will have a different mass depending on whether it's full of grain or iron. Entries in either parameter need to specifically identify the units in which they are being measured, such as long tons, metric tons or tonnes (unacceptable in articles using American English, use metric tons) or gross register tons or whatever. If possible, use templates such as {{GT}}, {{NetT}} and {{DWT}}.

Alternative spellings

Some fields provide alternative spellings and should never both be filled in:

1. "Ship honors" and "Ship honours"
2. "Ship draft" and "Ship draught"
3. "Ship armor" and "Ship armour"

Removing extra fields

It's generally a good idea not to remove fields, because another editor might be able to provide the information later. However, in the case of mutually exclusive fields, like "Ship armor" and "Ship armour", the unused field can be removed if desired. Also, if a section is repeated (to show multiple periods in commission, for example), fields that are inappropriate to duplicate can be removed if desired. Keep in mind that a ship from the Age of Sail would not need the fields for aircraft or electronic warfare instruments and conversely an aircraft carrier would not need the fields for a sail plan. A surface ship would not require fields for submarines etc.

Special capabilities

Repeating sections

This infobox allows you to repeat sections. To repeat, just make a copy of the section to be repeated. You can repeat the Image, Career, or Characteristics sections. Here is an example, with extra fields removed for clarity:

USS Bang (SS-385)

File:Uss bang.jpg
History
U.S.
Name	USS Bang (SS-385)
Laid down	30 April 1943
Launched	30 August 1943
Commissioned	4 December 1943
Decommissioned	1 October 1972
Stricken	18 November 1974
Fate	Transferred to Spain, 1 October 1972
History
Spain
Name	SPS Cosme Garcia (S34)
Acquired	1 October 1972
Fate	scrapped 1983
General characteristics
Displacement	1,526 tons surfaced 2,391 tons
Length	311 ft 8 in (95.00 m)
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Complement	66

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="overflow:auto">

File:Uss bang.jpg
History
US
Name	USS Bang (SS-385)
Laid down	30 April 1943
Launched	30 August 1943
Commissioned	4 December 1943
Decommissioned	1 October 1972
Stricken	18 November 1974
Fate	Transferred to Spain, 1 October 1972
History
Spain
Name	SPS Cosme Garcia (S34)
Acquired	1 October 1972
Fate	scrapped 1983
General characteristics
Displacement	1,526 tons surfaced 2,391 tons
Length	311 ft 8 in (95 m)
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.3 m)
Complement	66

</syntaxhighlight>

Hiding section headers

It is possible to hide the headers for the Career and General Characteristics sections, in order to repeat fields. For example, a ship might have been commissioned, decommissioned, recommissioned, and decommissioned again. To have the second commission and decommission dates, use additional a second Infobox ship career template with its header hidden, like this:

USS Wisconsin at sea, circa 1990 USS Wisconsin at sea, circa 1990
History
Laid down	25 January 1941
Launched	7 December 1943
Commissioned	16 April 1944
Decommissioned	1 July 1948
Recommissioned	3 March 1951
Decommissioned	8 March 1958
Recommissioned	1 August 1986
Decommissioned	30 September 1991
Stricken	17 March 2006
Fate	Museum ship
General characteristics (1943)
Displacement	45,000 tons
Length	887.2 ft (270 m)
Beam	108.2 ft (33 m)
Draft	28.9 ft (8.8 m)
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h)
Complement	1,921 officers and men
Armament	big guns

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="overflow:auto">

USS Wisconsin at sea, circa 1990 USS Wisconsin at sea, circa 1990
History
Laid down	25 January 1941
Launched	7 December 1943
Commissioned	16 April 1944
Decommissioned	1 July 1948
Recommissioned	3 March 1951
Decommissioned	8 March 1958
Recommissioned	1 August 1986
Decommissioned	30 September 1991
Stricken	17 March 2006
Fate	Museum ship
General characteristics (1943)
Displacement	45,000 tons
Length	887.2 ft (270 m)
Beam	108.2 ft (33 m)
Draft	28.9 ft (8.8 m)
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h)
Complement	1,921 officers and men
Armament	big guns

</syntaxhighlight>

Header captions

The General Characteristics section can be given a caption using the Header caption field. See the USS Wisconsin example above, which has a header caption of (1943) to indicate that the characteristics provided are as of 1943.

Custom fields

West Virginia in San Francisco Bay, circa 1934. West Virginia in San Francisco Bay, circa 1934.
History
Ordered	5 December 1916
Laid down	12 April 1920
Launched	17 November 1921
Commissioned	1 December 1923
Sunk:	7 December 1941
Raised:	17 May 1942
Decommissioned	9 January 1947
Stricken	1 March 1959
Nickname(s)	"Wee Vee"
Fate	sold for scrap
General characteristics
Displacement	33,590 tons
Length	624 ft (190 m)
Beam	97.3 ft (29.6 m)
Draft	30.5 ft (9.3 m)
Speed	21.0 knots (39 km/h)
Complement	1,407 officers and men
Armament	big guns

It is possible to add custom fields to the infobox using standard Wiki table syntax. This is not encouraged, because infoboxes are intended to standardize the appearance of ship articles, but it can be done if needed. See the below example, where "Sunk:" and "Raised:" fields are added to the ship's career: <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="overflow:auto">

West Virginia in San Francisco Bay, circa 1934. West Virginia in San Francisco Bay, circa 1934.
History
Ordered	5 December 1916
Laid down	12 April 1920
Launched	17 November 1921
Commissioned	1 December 1923
Sunk:	7 December 1941
Raised:	17 May 1942
Decommissioned	9 January 1947
Stricken	1 March 1959
Nickname(s)	"Wee Vee"
Fate	sold for scrap
General characteristics
Displacement	33,590 tons
Length	624 ft (190 m)
Beam	97.3 ft (29.6 m)
Draft	30.5 ft (9.3 m)
Speed	21.0 knots (39 km/h)
Complement	1,407 officers and men
Armament	big guns

</syntaxhighlight>

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Infobox ship career in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Infobox ship career

This template is part of the WikiProject Ships ship infobox. It adds a Career box to the infobox. Each section, except Infobox Ship Begin, can be repeated as necessary to support multiple careers, multiple sets of characteristics, etc. The header of the Career box can be hidden by setting its "Hide header=yes". This allows you to repeat certain fields by adding a second Career box with a hidden header.

Template parameters

This template prefers block formatting of parameters.

Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Hide header	Hide header	If you need to repeat fields by using multiple copies of the "Career" subtemplate, enter "Yes" in this field to prevent display of the blue bar at the top of the second template. At least one "Career" header should be left visible.	Boolean	optional
Ship country	Ship country	The nation a ship is associated with; either the nation a warship belongs to, or the nation of registry for civilian ships. However, in case of civilian ships flying flags of convenience, this field should not be used. The country is placed in the infobox header. Do not use this field to indicate ranges.	String	optional
Ship flag	Ship flag	The ensign (maritime flag) associated with a ship	String	optional
Ship class	Ship class	If the ship belongs to a recognized ship class, use this field to identify the class. The field displays as "class & type", so the type should be added here as well.	String	optional
Ship name	Ship name	The name of the ship	String	optional
Ship namesake	Ship namesake	If the ship's name originates from a particular person, location, event, or object, it may be added here. However, descriptions longer than a few words (e.g. a person's name or "Finnish for "potato"") should be placed in the article body.	String	optional
Ship owner	Ship owner	The company or organisation that owns the vessel. When multiple entries are made in this field, include year ranges. Leave this field blank for warships, as the combination of the |Ship country= and |Ship flag= fields will generally be enough for readers to identify ownership.	String	optional
Ship operator	Ship operator	The company or organisation that operates or runs the ship. If the owner of the vessel is also the operator, this field may be left empty. If it is necessary to mention the charterer of the ship in the infobox, use a separate custom field for that.	String	optional
Ship registry	Ship registry	The nation and port of registry for a civilian vessel. This is generally found painted on the ship's stern. The nation of registry should be expressed as text, not as a flag symbol. A flag symbol may be used in addition, but only if such usage meets Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Icons. When multiple entries are made in this field, include year ranges	String	optional
Ship route	Ship route	If a civilian or merchant vessel has a long-term (multiple years +) association with a particular voyage path or route. Do not use this field for modern cruise ships, as their routes change on a regular basis.	String	optional
Ship ordered	Ship ordered	The date that the ship was ordered from the shipbuilder.	String	optional
Ship awarded	Ship awarded	For United States Navy vessels, the date that the contract to build the ships was signed/approved.	String	optional
Ship builder	Ship builder	The shipyard or other construction facility where the vessel was built. Usually, only the building company is listed here. The location of the shipyard may also be added, but avoid too much detail: anything more than a single 'location link' can be discussed in the body of the article or referred to with a link (for example [[Vickers-Armstrongs]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]] or [[BAE Systems Australia]], [[Williamstown, Victoria]], but not [[Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]], [[Greenock]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom]])	String	optional
Ship original cost	Ship original cost	The financial cost of building the ship, usually at the time of construction and using the currency of either the orderer or the builder. If other values are used (e.g. conversions), they should be specified and, if necessary, further discussed in the article	String	optional
Ship yard number	Ship yard number	An identifying number assigned for the ship by the builder during construction	String	optional
Ship way number	Ship way number	If the particular slipway where a ship was built has been identified with a number, it may be added here. Rarely used for modern vessels.	String	optional
Ship laid down	Ship laid down	The date on which the keel was laid down onto the slipway by the builder. For most ships, this is the point where construction of the vessel starts, and is usually accompanied by ceremony. Although modular construction techniques mean that fabrication of modern vessels can start prior to this, the first time a module is placed on the slipway or building dock is still recognised as the date a ship is laid down.	String	optional
Ship launched	Ship launched	The date a ship is launched, floated out, or other circumstance where the completed hull enters the water. Construction is not normally completed by this date. Take care not to confuse it with dates recognising the ship's entry into service (such as commissioning or maiden voyage)	String	optional
Ship sponsor	Ship sponsor	The individual (usually a woman and sometimes referred to as a "launching lady") who does the whole ceremonial "smash-the-bottle,-launch-the-ship" thing as part of the launching ceremony. This is not to be used for any companies or organisations providing sponsorship of a vessel in exchange for advertising or naming rights.	String	optional
Ship christened	Ship christened	The date of the ceremony in which the ship formally and/or ceremonially receives her name (see Ship naming and launching). Only use this field if the naming/christening happened at a separate point in time to either the launching or commissioning ceremonies.	String	optional
Ship completed	Ship completed	The date construction work finished	String	optional
Ship acquired	Ship acquired	The date of delivery by the shipbuilder to the owner or operator. If it is the same as the completion date, this field may be left empty. Alternatively, if the ship changes ownership and multiple, separate "Career" subtemplates are being used, the date the new owner/operator came into possession of the ship. Do not use this method if the change of ownership is being handled through multiple entries in the |Ship owner= field	String	optional
Ship commissioned	Ship commissioned	The date a warship was commissioned into naval service. Do not use for civilian merchant vessels	String	optional
Ship recommissioned	Ship recommissioned	If a naval vessel was decommissioned from service, then reactivated, use this field to add the new commissioning date Used best with multiple copies of the "Career" subtemplate (|Ship commissioned= and |Ship decommissioned= fields in the first template, |Ship recommissioned= and |Ship decommissioned= in the second). Do not use for civilian merchant vessels	String	optional
Ship decommissioned	Ship decommissioned	The date a warship was decommissioned or paid off from naval service. Do not use this field if events related to the ship's fate (such as loss in action) mean the ship was never formally decommissioned. Do not use for civilian merchant vessels.	String	optional
Ship maiden voyage	Ship maiden voyage	The dates and locations of the start and end of the ship's maiden voyage: the first recognised voyage in full service, usually carrying passengers or cargo. The transfer of a completed ship from the shipyard to its owner is not normally recognised as a maiden voyage; this is part of the sea trial or shakedown phase, which ensures the ship is working as built. Most commonly used for civilian passenger-carrying vessels	String	optional
Ship in service	Ship in service	The date a civilian vessel began operations. Alternatively, this may be treated as a date range indicating the start and end points of a ship's career. If being used in this manner, ignore the |Ship out of service= field.	String	optional
Ship out of service	Ship out of service	The date a civilian vessel ceased operations. If the |Ship in service= field is being used with a date range instead of a set date, do not use this field.	String	optional
Ship renamed	Ship renamed	If the ship changes names, the new names and corresponding dates may be listed here. If multiple names are listed in the |Ship name= field, ignore this field.	String	optional
Ship reclassified	Ship reclassified	When a warship's classification is altered, the date and new classification may be listed here	String	optional
Ship refit	Ship refit	If the ship underwent a major modification or refit, the start and end dates may be listed here.	String	optional
Ship struck	Ship struck	When a ship is removed from an official register (such as the United States Navy's Naval Vessel Register), the date of removal (or striking) from the register should be listed here. This field does not include collisions, groundings or attacks a ship has experienced.	String	optional
Ship reinstated	Ship reinstated	If, after a ship has been stricken from a register, she is returned to service and is re-listed on that register, the date of reinstatement should be listed here Used best with multiple copies of the "Career" subtemplate.	String	optional
Ship homeport	Ship homeport	The home port of the vessel (if different from |Ship registry=): For civilian ships, this will be the primary port from which the ship operates (i.e. for cruise ships, the port in which cruises start and end). Port of registry (the one painted on the stern) should be listed in |Ship registry=. For warships, this will be the ship's assigned naval base. When multiple entries are made in this field, include year ranges. For ships that change their home port on a regular basis (more than once every couple of years), consider ignoring this field and elaborating in the body of the article	String	optional
Ship identification	Ship identification	Any identification numbers or codes for the vessel are listed here. This may include IMO numbers (use {{IMO number}}), MMSI numbers (use {{MMSI}}), Maritime call sign, and pennant/hull numbers (although consider not using the field for hull numbers if these are indicated in the lead sentence of the article).	String	optional
Ship motto	Ship motto	If the ship has a motto, it should be listed here. Wrap non-English mottos in {{lang}} templates followed by the English translation	String	optional
Ship nickname	Ship nickname	If the ship has any nicknames, they should be listed here. Take care to ensure these are sourced (either in the infobox, or in the body of the article), and consider adding related context and/or circumstances to the article itself.	String	optional
Ship honors	Ship honors Ship honours	Used to list any battle honours, battle stars, unit citations, or other unit awards awarded to the ship for her service. Do not list awards given to individuals, even if the award was for service aboard the vessel. Mention these awards in the relevant part of the ship's history. Avoid listing annual capability or competition awards (such as the Battle Effectiveness Award or the Gloucester Cup) to avoid bloat. Battle honours of a previous ship with the same name might be appropriate. British English (honours) and American English (honors) alternatives are provided; delete whichever is inappropriate.	String	optional
Ship captured	Ship captured	When the ship falls into enemy hands, and whose hands they are. Keep it brief by only indicating the capturing nation and the date (i.e. "Antarctica, 30 February 2012"). Detail relating to the capture should be in the article. Follow up with a new "Career" subtemplate to discuss the ship's career with her captor.	String	optional
Ship fate	Ship fate	Used to indicate that a ship is no longer operational, and will not return to service in the future. This is usually when something pretty permanent happens to the ship, like sinking or scrapping. Rule of thumb: "Is the ship permanently below the surface, or in pieces?" Only list the event and the date it occurred (for example: "Sank following collision on 10 February 1964", or "Sold for scrap in 1975". Details such as location, cause, etc. should be discussed in the article. In the majority of cases, |Ship status= and |Ship fate= are mutually exclusive. Unlike other redundant fields, leave |Ship fate= in the article, as the ship's life will end one day.	String	optional
Ship status	Ship status	Used to indicate that a ship is currently in service, or has been removed from service but is available for future use or preserved in some form. Rule of thumb: "Is the ship above the water and intact?" For active ships, consider using {{Ship in active service}} or other means to indicate the last known date (generally year) the ship was active. However, if the ship is expected to remain in service in the near future and its decommissioning will not likely go unnoticed, simply |Ship in service= should be enough. For inactive ships, indicate briefly what the ship is 'doing' (laid up, in reserve, preserved as museum ship, awaiting disposal, etc.) and, if deemed necessary, where it is moored. In the majority of cases, |Ship status= and |Ship fate= are mutually exclusive. If the |Ship fate= field is used, delete this field.	String	optional
Ship notes	Ship notes	Any other important information not covered by the other infobox fields, but not important enough for a custom field. This field should not be used for citations/references: either the citations should be attached to the specific entry, or the infobox should be treated as part of the lead section, with the citations attached to the information in the body of the article.	String	optional
Ship badge	Ship badge	An image or description of any naval heraldry, such as the ship's badge or crest, may be added here	String	optional