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This is the "slash" template, which produces "<code>&nbsp;/</code>", i.e. a [[:wikipedia:non-breaking space|non-breaking space]] followed by a [[:wikipedia:Slash (punctuation)|(forward-)slash character]]. It is most often used to indicate alternatives within a (horizontal) list of items, such as:
: ''{{hlist|class=nowrap |item 1 |item 2 |item 3a{{\}}3b{{\}}3c |item 4 |item 5 |(etc)}}''
The template is named using the [[:wikipedia:backslash|backslash]] character (" \ ") as [[Wikipedia:Page name#Technical restrictions and limitations<!--or [[Filename#Reserved characters and words-->|slashes cannot be used]] in page names.

== Usage ==

To maintain good linewrapping, there should be no space between the template and whatever precedes it. There's also no need to include a space after the template, although doing so should not affect its function.
: <code><nowiki>[[Salt]]{{\}}[[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki></code> &nbsp;...produces...&nbsp; [[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]]{{\}}[[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]]

If linewrapping (i.e. a [[:wikipedia:Word wrap|line-break]]) is required, the template ensures it occurs ''after'' the slash, not before:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] / 
:[[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]]

For long slashed lists, each list item can be put on its own line with no spaces between each item and the template, like this:
 <pre> [[Salt]]{{\}}
 [[Black pepper|Pepper]]{{\}}
 [[Curry]]{{\}}
 [[Saffron]]</pre>

(It doesn't matter if there are no or some spaces at the end of the lines, after the templates.)

As before, it will render one space on each side of the slashes, like this:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] / [[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]] / [[:wikipedia:Curry|Curry]] / [[:wikipedia:Saffron|Saffron]]

Also, if it line breaks, then the line break will come ''after'' one of the slashes, not before, like this:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] / [[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]] / 
:[[:wikipedia:Curry|Curry]] / [[:wikipedia:Saffron|Saffron]]

===Incorrect usage===
If the template is used slightly wrong, it will, in some cases, still behave well. For instance, if there are zero or several spaces after the template, like these examples:

 <nowiki>[[Salt]]{{\}}[[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki>
 <nowiki>[[Salt]]{{\}}   [[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki>

Both of them will render exactly as before, with just one space on each side of the slash, like this:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] / [[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]]

And it will still only line break ''after'' the slash, like this:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] / 
:[[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]]

However, putting one or more spaces before the template will cause problems, like these examples:
 <nowiki>[[Salt]] {{\}}[[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki>
 <nowiki>[[Salt]]   {{\}}[[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki>
 <nowiki>[[Salt]] {{\}} [[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki>
 <nowiki>[[Salt]]   {{\}}   [[Black pepper|Pepper]]</nowiki>

Then, it will render with ''two'' spaces before the slash and one after, like this:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] &nbsp;/ [[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]]

Also, if it line breaks, it might break ''before'' the slash, like this:
:[[:wikipedia:Salt|Salt]] 
:&nbsp;/ [[:wikipedia:Black pepper|Pepper]]

== Technical details  ==

The space before the slash is a [[non-breaking space]]. That means it will not line break and will not collapse together with normal spaces that come before the template.

The space after the slash is a normal space. That means it wraps (allows line breaks) and it will collapse together with normal spaces that come after the template to form one single space.

Under some circumstances, slashed link lists misbehave. They might get unexpected line wraps or they might expand outside the box they are enclosed in. The how-to guide: [[Wikipedia:Line-break handling]], explains when that happens and how to fix it.


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[[Category:Typing-aid templates]]
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