Manual of Styles

From Sky Haven

The Manual of Style is the style manual for all Library of the Lawgrove content. If any contradiction or conflict arises, this page always has precedence.

The Manual of Style presents the Library of the Lawgrove's style, to help Librarians write and maintain articles with consistent and precise language, layout, and formatting, making the Library easier and more intuitive for users. Plain English [1] works best. Avoid ambiguity [2], jargon, and vague or unnecessarily complex wording.

Style and formatting should be consistent within an article. Where more than one style is acceptable under this Guide, editors should not change an article from one of those styles to another without a good reason. Edit warring over optional styles is unacceptable.

Legislation[edit | hide all | hide | edit source]

With a couple exceptions, the following is the generalized form all legislation infoboxes should take:

{{Infobox legislation
|image               = File: Seal of Sky Haven.png
|imagesize           = 150px
|enacted_by          = [[Government/The Lawgrove|The Lawgrove]]
|short_title         = Amendment Y to ORIGINAL LEGISLATION
|bill_date           = DATE OF INTRODUCTION
|required_majority   = Simple majority/Two-thirds
|vote_begin          = DATE OF OPENING OF VOTING
|votes               = U Yea, V Nay, W Abstain<ref>FORUM DISCUSSION URL</ref>
|date_enacted        = DATE OF PASSAGE
|introduced_by       = [[AUTHOR]], [[AUTHOR/COSPONSOR]], [[AUTHOR/COSPONSOR]]
|status              = passed/in force/pending/not passed/repealed/spent/original
|amendments          = [[Amendment X to THIS LEGISLATION|CITATION]], [[Amendment Y to THIS LEGISLATION|CITATION]], [[Amendment Z to THIS LEGISLATION|CITATION]]
|before              = [[Amendment X to ORIGINAL LEGISLATION|Amendment X]]
|after               = [[Amendment Z to ORIGINAL LEGISLATION|Amendment Z]]
|original_text       = THIS LEGISLATION (Original)
}}

Instead of |date_enacted=, dead bills upon which votes occurred should use |vote_end=. Generally, only Amendments use the before ,after , and short_title parameters, and only amended Acts, Edicts, and the Constitution use the amendments and original_text parameters. The following are appropriate uses of the status parameter:

  • passed: to be used for passed Resolutions and all passed forms of amendment (unless repealed or expired, which generally do not apply to amendments)
  • in force: to be used for passed Acts which have not been repealed or expired, the current Constitution, and effective treaties
  • pending: to be used for all legislation under consideration
  • not passed: to be used for dead legislation, whether a vote occurred or not
  • repealed: to be used for repealed legislation
  • spent: to be used for legislation which expired by its own mechanisms
  • original: for original text pages only
Original text pages should use the following code directly after the infobox:
{{Original|Latest=MAIN LEGISLATION}}
The author of a long and/or highly technical piece of legislation may elect to use __NOTOC__ at this point to avoid a bad-looking table of contents displaying.

Let's take the Carta Caelorum as an example, as it includes the original_text and amendment parameters.

{{
The Carta Caelorum
Enacted byThe Lawgrove
Date enacted9 February 2021
Legislative history
Introduced on22 December 2020
Introduced byThe Octarchon
Voting began9 February 2021
Required majorityTwo-thirds
Vote results8 Yea, 0 Nay, 0 Abstain
Amendments
Amendment 1
Text as originally enacted
Status: In force
{{{{Infobox legislation 
|image               = File:Seal of Sky Haven.png
|imagesize           = 150px
|enacted_by          = [[Government/The Lawgrove|The Lawgrove]]
|short_title         = The Carta Caelorum
|bill_date           = 22 December 2020
|required_majority   = Two-thirds
|vote_begin          = 9 February 2021
|votes               = 8 Yea, 0 Nay, 0 Abstain
|date_enacted        = 9 February 2021
|introduced_by       = The Octarchon
|status              = in force
|amendments         = [[Amendment 1 to the Carta Caelorum|Amendment 1]]
|original_text       = Carta Caelorum (Original)
}}

Acts[edit | hide | edit source]

Acts are without exception named in the format XYZ Act.

Except in cases of peculiar anachronisms (such as pre-Third Constitutional formatting preserved in an Original Text document), Acts should appear in a form similar to what follows:

{{Infobox legislation
|many_lines_of_information
}}
__NOTOC__ or __TOC__ (per author choice; can appear before or after short description)
''Short description of functions of the Act (italicization is typical but up to author).''

== Article 1. Primary Function A ==
=== Section 1. Something Regarding Primary Function A ==
Text of this section.
::'''Clause 1.''' Additional information best expounded separately of the Section.
::'''Clause 2.''' More information best expounded separately of the section.

=== Section 2. Something Else Regarding Primary Function A ===
Text of the section.
::'''Clause 1.''' Clauses rarely appear standalone, but in this case it is warranted.

=== Section 3. Something More Regarding Primary Function A ===
Text of the section.

== Article 2. Primary Function B ==
=== Section 1. Something Regarding B ===
Text of the section.

=== Section 2. Something Else Regarding B ===
Text of the section; introduction of a list:
::'''Clause 1.''' List Item 1; and
::'''Clause 2.''' List Item 2; and
::'''Clause 3.''' List Item 3.

=== Section 3. Something More Regarding B ===
Text of the section, necessitating a list of a different form:
::'''Clause 1.''' List Item 1
::'''Clause 2.''' List Item 2

[[Category:Appropriate Category]]

===Act Amendments===
Act Amendment titles are without exception to be phrased as <code>Amendment X to the Y Act</code>. 

Act Amendments should use essentially the format above for Acts. Text substitutions, the most typical amendments made, should use a form approximately following this:
<pre>=== Section 3. Changing Something ===
Article 1, Section 2 of the SLU Modernization Act shall be amended to read as follows:
::New Text of Article 1, Section 2.
::::'''Clause 1.''' Text.
::::'''Clause 2.''' Text (if a section substituted has clauses, the author typically does not include them unless they are also substituted in some way).

or

=== Section 4. Changing Something Else ===
Article 5, Section 1, Clause 3 of the SLU Modernization Act shall be amended to read as follows:
::New Text. or ::'''Clause 3.''' New Text.

Additions should be phrased as approximately (After) Article X, Section Y(, Clause W) of the Z Act, a Section/Clause/Article shall be inserted/appended to read as follows:. Removal of particular material should be phrased approximately as follows, with a renumbering clause at the end of the bill: Article X, Section Y(, Clause W) of the Z Act shall be struck from the Act. The MediaWiki Quote template, {{Quote}}, should not be used for legislation indentation.


Constitutional Amendments[edit | hide | edit source]

Constitutional Amendment titles, for the duration of effectiveness of the Carta Caelorum are always to be phrased Amendment X to the Carta Caelorum.

Generally, Constitutional Amendments are written similarly to Act Amendments. They typically do not use Articles, and changes are entirely consistent of insertions, substitutions, and the striking of clauses/sections.

Historical Records[edit | hide | edit source]

Election Records[edit | hide | edit source]

Most all elections are to follow the naming system MONTH YEAR OFFICE Election. For instance, an election for Majordomo/Magnadomo in February 2021 will take the name February 2021 Majordomo/Magnadomo Election. Minordomo and Magistracy confirmations are similar but named MONTH YEAR OFFICE Confirmations.

Infobox[edit | hide | edit source]

All election records should have the following code, with appropriate values inserted (and adjusted for number of candidates standing) at the beginning of the page. indicates the winner, indicates the runner up, third place, and so on until the candidates are exhausted. Correctly written inboxes will typically link to the next and previous elections. Start and end dates are of voting and do not include nominations—that information is in the election description. In approval elections, use |needed_votes = Majority of approval instead of what is written below, and set two candidates as Approve [[NATION]] and Reject [[NATION]], still putting first the option with the greatest number of votes.

{{Infobox election
|type                = presidential
|title               = SHORT NAME OF OFFICE("Speaker" and "Delegate")
|election_date       = {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y|p=y|br=yes}} - {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y|p=y|br=yes}}

|before_election     = [[OFFICEHOLDER PRIOR TO ELECTION]]
|after_election      = [[NATION ELECTED]]

|election_name       = NAME OF OFFICE election, MONTH YEAR
|previous_election   = NAME OF OFFICE election, MONTH YEAR
|previous_year       = MONTH YEAR
|next_election       = NAME OF OFFICE election, MONTH YEAR
|next_year           = MONTH YEAR

|votes_for_election  = Member States eligible to vote
|needed_votes        = Majority of
|turnout             = NUMBER OF VOTERS voters ({{"decrease" or "increase" over previous election}}NUMBER of increase or decrease)

<!-- 1 -->
|image1              = [[File:WINNING CANDIDATE Flag.png/svg/jpg|150px]]
|candidate1          = '''[[WINNING CANDIDATE]]'''
|popular_vote1       = '''NUMBER'''
|percentage1         = '''WX.YZ%'''

<!-- 2 -->
|image2              = [[File:CANDIDATE Flag.png/svg/jpg|150px]]
|candidate2          = [[CANDIDATE]]
|popular_vote2       = NUMBER
|percentage2         = WX.YZ%

<!-- 3 -->
|image3              = [[File:CANDIDATE Flag.png/svg/jpg|150px]]
|candidate3          = [[CANDIDATE]]
|popular_vote3       = NUMBER
|percentage3         = WX.YZ%

<!-- 4 -->
|image4              = [[File:CANDIDATE Flag.png/svg/jpg|150px]]
|candidate4          = [[CANDIDATE]]
|popular_vote4       = NUMBER
|percentage4         = WX.YZ%

<!-- SEE BELOW INSTRUCTIONS IN CASE OF VOTE REDISTRIBUTION -->
}}

There are a couple of peculiarities to formatting Minordomo confirmations. First, you will use three infoboxes instead of one: for each of the Minordomos. The title is Minordomo of XYZ, and the election name should be MONTH YEAR Minister of XYZ election, but previous and next elections are MONTH YEAR Minordomo Confirmations. In the case of no challenger to a candidate, enter "Re-Open Elections" as the opponent and use the Flag of Sky Haven.

Description of Election and End Code[edit | hide | edit source]

While there are many angles from which one can describe an election, the Library requires only that which is essential. You may go into further detail should you wish, but always include the following:

  • The opening and closing dates of nominations
  • The nations nominated
  • The nations who declared candidacies
  • The opening and closing dates of voting
  • The final first preference results, and description of redistribution or tie-break if applicable
  • A link to the nominations thread in references, if one exists

Append the following to each election code:

<references />
{{SH Elections}}
[[Category:Elections]]

Nation Profiles[edit | hide | edit source]

Nation Profiles are the most customizable content medium for users of the Library, and, aside from a few required contents, are completely open for users to modify (their own page) as they please.

Infobox[edit | hide | edit source]

All Nation Pages share one fundamental aspect: the Nation Infobox. All Nation Pages should have the following code, with the appropriate values inserted, at the beginning of their Nation Page:

{{Infobox Officeholder
| name               = NAME
| image              = NAME Flag.png/jpg/svg
| image_size         = 150px
| founding_date = {{Start date and age|YEAR|MONTH|DAY|df=y|p=y|br=yes}}
}}

Furthermore, if the Nation in question has held government offices, the following code should be inserted, with the appropriate values inserted, into the above Infobox immediately following the image_size parameter:

| order1             = ORDINAL NUMBER
| office1            =  OFFICE
| term_start1        =  DD MONTH YYYY
| term_end1          =  DD MONTH YYYY
| predecessor1        = [[PREDECESSOR]]
| successor1          = [[SUCCESSOR]]
| delegate1 = [[DELEGATE]]

For Nations who have held more than one government office, simply duplicate the code above, and change the number in each line (for example, office1), increasing in number for each additional office added.

Categorization[edit | hide | edit source]

Upon creation, and whenever updated, all content on the Library should be placed in the proper Category to ensure organization and accessibility.

To place a page into a Category, simply insert the code [[Category: ]] at the end of the content, with one of the following Category Names appearing after the colon:

  • Constitution‏‎
  • Election‏‎
  • Law
  • Nation‏‎
  • Original Legislation‏‎
  • Public Records‏‎
  • Regional History
  • Repealed Legislation
  • Submitted Bills‏‎
  • Treaties and interregional agreements‏‎

Other Provisions[edit | hide | edit source]

Abbreviations[edit | hide | edit source]

Write out both the full version and the abbreviation at first occurrence.

Dates[edit | hide | edit source]

All dates are to be in the form of Day Month Year

References[edit | hide | edit source]

When possible, include a footnote reference (using the <ref></ref> tags) to all known existing sources of a particular piece of information.

  1. Plain English (or layman's terms) is language that is intended to be clear and concise. It attempts to avoid complex vocabulary. It attempts to be free of clichés and needless technical jargon, and should be appropriate to the audience's developmental or educational level and their familiarity with the topic. The term is commonly used when discussing government or business communication.
  2. Ambiguity is a type of meaning in which a phrase, statement or resolution is not explicitly defined, making several interpretations plausible.