Template - Definition and Overview

For the list of templates used in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Template messages.

A template is some form of device to provide a separation of form or structure from content.

In publishing for example, a template may be a predefined layout to give you an idea what to write where with boxes and lines; a single-page newsletter template (for instance), might have a few columns, space for a picture and gaps for the headline and name of the newsletter.

Templates can be used by humans or by automated systems; many web-based software packages now use a templating system to separate the logic of the program from the displayed formatting. Typically, these templates will include variables (often denoted {VARIABLE}), and possibly a few logical operators to allow better adaptability of the template.

In programming, templates allow the programmer to save time and space in source code by simplifying code through overloading functions with an arbitrary typeparameter.