Template:Synonym data
This template provides a semantic tile grid showing alternative names and forms for a material, tissue, or structure. It appears on every page below the skeleton template content as a collapsed sidebar, enabling discoverability of synonyms and variant names.
The Synonym data template serves three core functions:
- Search Discovery: Users searching for a material under any variant name (capitalization, brand, regional, or form) will find the correct page through redirects linked to synonym entries.
- International Access: Multi-language support ensures users worldwide can navigate TissueDB regardless of their native language or regional terminology.
- Variant Management: Synonym entries become the source for redirect pages — each synonym variant gets a redirect entry pointing to the canonical page, eliminating duplicate content and search confusion.
Usage Context
[edit source]{{Synonym data}} is called from the page source, not from inside skeleton templates. Example placement on a Materials page:
{{TissueDB Materials
| description = ...
| tissue_rows = ...
}}
{{Synonym data
| case = Agar-Gelatin Mix, agar-gelatin mix, AGAR-GELATIN MIX
| trade = Premium Lab Mix
| regional = Agar-gelatine (French)
| forms = Powder (dry mix), prepared gel, solidified block
| medical = Sterile-prepared variant
}}
{{Page data
| keywords = ...
}}
Five Synonym Categories
[edit source]| Category | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
case |
Capitalization variants | Agar-Gelatin Mix, agar-gelatin mix, AGAR-GELATIN MIX |
trade |
Brand names and commercial products | Kraft Foods gelatin, premium agar powder, medical-grade mix |
regional |
Language variants and localized terms | Agar-gelatine (French), Agar-Gelatina-Mischung (German), Agar-Gelatina mezcla (Spanish) |
forms |
Physical/product forms | Powder, liquid, solidified block, pre-packaged mix |
medical |
Clinical or medical-specific variants | Sterile-prepared variant, medical-grade, USP-grade agar |
Each category is optional. Leave empty categories out of the template call.
Parameter Reference
[edit source]| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
case |
Wikitext (comma-separated) | Optional | Capitalization and case variants of the primary name. Minimum 2 variants recommended. |
trade |
Wikitext (comma-separated) | Optional | Brand names, commercial product names, trade names. |
regional |
Wikitext (comma-separated) | Optional | Non-English language variants with language name in parentheses. Format: "Term (Language)". |
forms |
Wikitext (comma-separated) | Optional | Physical forms, product states, package types (Powder, Liquid, Pre-cut, etc.). |
medical |
Wikitext (comma-separated) | Optional | Clinical or medical-specific variants, certification levels (Sterile, USP-grade, etc.). |
Note: All parameters are optional. Stub pages often include only case and regional. Full pages populate all five categories to maximise discoverability.
Expanded Parameter Descriptions
[edit source]Capitalization Variants (case)
[edit source]The case category captures how the same term appears in different contexts. Include at least 3 variants:
- Original name as published:
Agar-Gelatin Mix - All lowercase (user search input):
agar-gelatin mix - All uppercase (for emphasis or acronyms):
AGAR-GELATIN MIX - Alternative spacing or hyphenation:
Agar Gelatin Mixture
Brand and Trade Names (trade)
[edit source]The trade category lists commercial product names. Important: Brand names belong in the page body (description or materials list), not in the page title. The title uses the generic clinical/descriptive name; trade names appear only in synonym data and body text.
Regional and Language Variants (regional)
[edit source]The regional category includes translations and localised terminology in multiple languages. Always include the language name in parentheses.
Format: Term (Language)
| Language | Example Variants |
|---|---|
| French | Agar-gelatine (French), Melange gelatine-agar (French) |
| Spanish | Agar-Gelatina mezcla (Spanish), Mezcla de Agar y Gelatina (Spanish) |
| German | Agar-Gelatina-Mischung (German), Gelatine-Agar-Gemisch (German) |
Physical Forms (forms)
[edit source]The forms category lists physical states and packaging variations:
- Powder (fine granules or coarse), Liquid concentrate, Prepared gel, Solidified block, Flakes, Sheets, Pre-cut patches
Medical and Clinical Variants (medical)
[edit source]The medical category documents clinical grades, certifications, and sterility standards:
- Sterile-prepared variant, Medical-grade, USP-grade (United States Pharmacopeia), Pharmaceutical-grade, Food-grade, Laboratory-grade
Complete Examples
[edit source]Minimal Stub Example
[edit source]A stub page (typically created before full content is available) includes only 2 synonym categories:
{{Synonym data
| case = Cotton Batting, cotton batting, COTTON BATTING
| regional = Ouate de coton (French)
}}
Full Example (Cotton Batting)
[edit source]A fully populated page includes all 5 categories:
{{Synonym data
| case = Cotton Batting, cotton batting, COTTON BATTING, cotton batting fabric, batting cloth
| trade = Quilter's Cotton Batting, Hobbs Heirloom Quality Batting, Fairfield 100% Cotton Batting
| regional = Ouate de coton (French), Algodon acolchado (Spanish), Baumwoll-Vlies (German), Cotone imbottito (Italian)
| forms = Sheet (standard 45" width), pre-cut patches, bulk roll, bonded cotton batting, needle-punched batting
| medical = Surgical-grade cotton batting, sterile-packaged variant, medical-quality batting, unbleached organic cotton
}}
Placement Rules
[edit source]The Synonym data template must be placed in a specific location on the page:
- All material content and skeleton template
- References section (if present)
{{Synonym data}}— placed here{{Page data}}template
This placement groups metadata and editorial information at the end of the page while keeping reader-facing content at the top.
The Synonym data template is a databox — a metadata container that renders as a collapsed sidebar tile grid. It is NOT a skeleton template and does not contain page structure; it contains only reference and discovery metadata.
Creating Redirects from Synonyms
[edit source]Every synonym variant listed in the Synonym data template should have a corresponding redirect page pointing to the canonical page title. This makes the synonym data actionable — users who search for or link to a variant name will be automatically directed to the correct page.
Redirect Examples
[edit source]If the canonical page is TissueDB/Materials/Red Dye, create these redirects:
| Redirect Page Title | Targets |
|---|---|
| TissueDB/Materials/Red food coloring | Redirects to Red Dye (variant name) |
| TissueDB/Materials/Colorant alimentaire rouge | Redirects to Red Dye (French synonym) |
| TissueDB/Materials/Colorante rojo | Redirects to Red Dye (Spanish synonym) |
When a user searches for "Red food coloring" or clicks a link to TissueDB/Materials/Red food coloring, they are silently redirected to the canonical page TissueDB/Materials/Red Dye. This eliminates duplicate page maintenance and confusion.
Rendering Behaviour
[edit source]The template renders as a collapsed tile grid in the right sidebar. Users can expand it to see all synonym variants, then collapse it again.
Applies To
[edit source]- TissueDB Materials pages
- TissueDB Tissues pages
- TissueDB Structures pages
See also
- Template:Databox — Meta template used by this template
- Template:Documentation for databoxes — Template that generates the documentation of this template