UniWiki:Manual of Style/Layout: Difference between revisions

==Body sections==

{{Shortcut|MOS:BODY}}

{{further|Help:Section|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Article titles, headings, and sections}}

[[File:Wikipedia layout sample bodies.png|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=The same article, with the central left highlighted: it contains just text in sections.|Body sections appear after the lead and table of contents (click on image for larger view).]]

Articles longer than a stub are generally divided into sections, and sections over a certain length are generally divided into paragraphs; these divisions enhance the readability of the article. The names and orders of section headings are often determined by the relevant WikiProject, although articles should still follow good organizational and writing principles regarding sections and paragraphs.

=== Headings and sections ===

{{further|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Section headings}}

Headings introduce sections and subsections, clarify articles by breaking up text, organize content, and populate the [[WP:TOC|table of contents]]. Very short or very long sections and subsections in an article look cluttered and inhibit the flow of the prose. Short paragraphs and single sentences generally do not warrant their own subheading.

Headings follow a six-level hierarchy, starting at 1 and ending at 6. The level of the heading is defined by the number of equal signs on either side of the title. Heading 1 (<code>=Heading&nbsp;1=</code>) is automatically generated as the title of the article, and is never appropriate within the body of articles. Sections start at the second level (<code>==Heading&nbsp;2==</code>), with subsections at the third level (<code>===Heading&nbsp;3===</code>), and additional levels of subsections at the fourth level (<code>====Heading&nbsp;4====</code>), fifth level, and sixth level. Sections should be consecutive, such that they do not skip levels from sections to sub-subsections; the exact methodology is part of the [[WP:ACCESS|Accessibility]] guideline.<ref>For example, skipping heading levels, such as jumping from <code>==Heading&nbsp;2==</code> to <code>====Heading&nbsp;4====</code> without <code>===Heading&nbsp;3===</code> in the middle, violates [[Wikipedia:Accessibility]] as it reduces usability for readers on screen readers who use heading levels to navigate pages.</ref> Between sections, there should be a ''single'' blank line; multiple blank lines in the edit window create too much white space in the article. There is no need to include a blank line between a heading and sub-heading.

Wikipedia has no general standards or guidelines for what section headings are expected in the bodies of articles or what order they should take, because the diversity of presentation in various Wikipedia subjects is too great. The usual practice is to name and order sections based on the precedent of some article which seems similar. There was no early standard proposed, and there is no general outline to follow. Contributors are advised to follow their instincts in proposing an order for sections in the body then seek community consensus in establishing a final order.

 

 

===Section templates and summary style=== <!-- Linked from [[Wikipedia:How to copy-edit]] -->

When a section is a [[WP:SS|summary]] of another article that provides a full exposition of the section, a link to that article should appear immediately under the section heading. You can use the {{tlx|Main}} template to generate a "''Main article''" link.

If one or more articles provide further information or additional details (rather than a full exposition, see above), references to such articles may be placed immediately after the section heading for that section, provided this does not duplicate a wikilink in the text. These additional references should be grouped along with the {{tlx|Main}} template (if there is one), for easy selection by the reader, rather than being scattered throughout the text of a section. You can use one of the following templates to generate these links:

* {{tlx|Details}}{{snd}} this generates a "''For more details on this topic, see''" link

* {{tlx|See also}}{{snd}} this generates a "''See also''" link

For example, to generate a "''See also''" link to the article on [[Wikipedia:How to edit a page]], type {{tld|See also|Wikipedia:How to edit a page}}, which will generate: {{See also|Wikipedia:How to edit a page}}

{{shortcut|MOS:PARAGRAPHS|MOS:LINEBREAKS}}

{{See also|Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Paragraphs}}

Sections usually consist of paragraphs of running [[prose]]. Between paragraphs—as between sections—there should be a ''single'' blank line and the first line of each paragraph is ''not'' indented. [[Bullet point#Bullet points|Bullet points]] should be minimized in the body and lead of the article, if they are used at all; however, a bulleted list may be useful to break up what would otherwise be a large, grey mass of text, particularly if the topic requires significant effort on the part of readers. However, bulleted lists are typical in the reference and further-reading sections towards the end of the article. Bullet points are usually ''not'' separated by blank lines, as that causes an accessibility issue ([[WP:LISTGAP]]).