# வார்ப்புரு:Infobox Former Country/doc

### Detailed instructions

These are the fields of information in the Infobox former countries template with a set of instructions on how to use them. Here is a brief explanation on how to read the table:  
- Field name
- the fields of information that carry information used by the template
- Usage
- **required** means that the template will not work properly if it is excluded
- **optional** means that the template will work properly without it, but available information should be entered to make it as complete as possible (actively excluding or deleting information is not endorsed because it is called optional in this table)
- Type
- **variable** means that the template will only take fixed values; this can be dates, years, numerical or according to a defined list
- **free** means that the template will accept values given freely without having to adhere to the strict discipline required for variables
- **wikilink** means that a working wikilink must be entered either to an article or to the file name of an image
- Value
- examples or lists of values accepted by variables
- **free text with wikilinks** means that text and wikilinks can be entered freely without the kind of restrictions that applies to variables
- **label** is a short label typically fitting in a single line (no line break)
- **entry** is one or a few short labels separated by commas or line breaks (no more than a few lines)
- **sentence** is a short descriptive sentence (no more than a few lines)
- **free text** means that text can be entered, but wikilinks must not be used
- Description
- an instruction or a small guide how the particular field of information is used  
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ==== Location ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| These variables are only used for generating categories for this article |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| ==== Status ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| The entries here again determine category placement. For some values, related text will be displayed in a bar underneath the name. |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| ==== Politics ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| ==== General information ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| ==== History ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| **Start and end** |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| ==== Images ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| All of these variables are optional (but some are more optional than others). If there is no available image, place the WPFC banner on the article's talk page (if it isn't there already), with the parameters (including only the relevant parameters) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| **Flag** |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Heraldry** |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Map** |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| ==== Preceding and succeeding entities ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| These fields are optional, but very important. Entries here affect the flag-navigation feature of the date bar at the top of the infobox. |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| ==== To which entries should I link? ====
It is not the intention here to list every single previous/following entity—that would make the infobox look very silly in many cases. Here are some guidleines for what to do (and what not to do). There are no strict rules so please exercise caution and common sense when using this feature.
#For most cases, the main and/or official predecessor/successor (under international law) is sufficient, since that is what most readers would expect to see. In the case of any potential confusion, list only this.
#**Example:* not every single state formed after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire should be listed in the infobox for the Ottoman Empire. Such a list is better described in the article text. Instead, only the official successor state would be given (Turkey)
#In some cases, most readers would expect to see every state that was formed, not just the official predecessor/successor. If so, list all states. If only parts of other countries were taken to form the new entity (or if an already existing entity received some of the land from a dissolved entity), list these states only when there are not so many other states to list.
#**Example:* the official successors of Austria-Hungary would be only Austria and Hungary. But from the breakup of Austria-Hungary, two other new states were completely formed (Czechoslovakia and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs), one state was formed from part of Austria-Hungary (Poland, including territory ceded from Germany and relinquished from Russian rule), and two already-existing states gained territory from Austria-Hungary (Italy and Romania). This gives a total of 7 successor states, which is rather high. In order of priority, the states listed should be: [Austria and Hungary], [Czechoslovakia and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs], [Poland], and finally [Italy and Romania].
#Do not list entities that were formed/dissolved outside the life-span of the discussed state.
#**Example:* the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia does require the listing of all countries involved, since that is what people would expect. But only the states formed at the time when the SFYR broke up should be given. Therefore, "Serbia and Montenegro" is a successor entity, not "Serbia" and "Montenegro" separately since that breakup occurred later.
#If an entity simply became a subdivision of another country (state, province, etc.), then link to that subdivision. Only do this if it the transition is very clear.
#**Example:* the Republic of Texas was annexed by the USA and reconstituted as the US state of Texas. The successor here is not the USA, but the modern state of Texas.
#If the entity did not exist for a period before reforming (specified when you use the life_span parameter above), do not list the intermediate states.
#If the predecessor and successor are the same, and this predecessor/successor continued to exist during this period, do not list either. Instead, make it clear what this state was somewhere in the events section (if necessary).
#**Example:* the Confederate States of America broke away from the United States of America before becoming again part of the USA after the American Civil War. Detailing predecessor and successor states here as the USA is redundant, since the USA still existed in some form during this period, so say nothing. |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| ==== Area and population ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| ==== Footnotes ==== |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| **Field Name** | **Usage** | **Type** | **Values** | **Description** |  |  |
| - valign=top | **footnote_a**
**footnote_b**
...
**footnote_h** | optional | free | sentence | Fields for footnotes identified using lowercase letters "a" to "h" (Example<sup>a</sup>). All support wikilinks. | } |