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

This is an example from List of Indonesia-related topics:

Palaces in Indonesia

• Istana Bogor
• Istana Luwu
• Istana Maimun
• Istana Merdeka
• Istana Negara, Jakarta
• Istana Wakil Presiden

Prisons

• Kambangan Island

Shopping malls

• Shopping malls in Jakarta
• Shopping malls in Bandung
• Shopping malls in Surabaya
• Shopping malls in Batam

Towers

• Monumen Nasional
• Wisma 46

Limitations

Tracked in Phabricator
Task T75182

Tracked in Phabricator
Task T23485

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

Family	Type	Handles wiki  table code?†	Start template	Column divider	End template
"Col"	Table	Yes	{{Col-begin}}, {{Col-begin-fixed}} or {{Col-begin-small}}	{{Col-break}} or {{Col-2}} .. {{Col-5}}	{{Col-end}}
"Col-float"	CSS float	Yes	{{Col-float}}	{{Col-float-break}}	{{Col-float-end}}
"Columns"	Table	No	{{Columns}}	–	–
"Columns-list"	CSS columns	Yes	{{Columns-list}} (wrapper)	–	–
"Columns-start"	CSS float	Yes	{{Columns-start}}	{{Column}}	{{Columns-end}}
"Div col"	CSS columns	Yes	{{Div col}}	–	{{Div col end}}

^† I.e., can the columns handle the wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}}) and/or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.) will need to be used instead.