Help:Collapsing

This page is about how to collapse content when editing Wikipedia pages. For the Manual of Style on collapsing content, see MOS:COLLAPSE.

A collapsible element contains a toggle a reader can use to show or hide the element's content. Elements are made collapsible by adding the mw-collapsible class, or alternatively by using the {{Collapse}} template, or its variants {{Collapse top}} and {{Collapse bottom}}.

Use of these features in article content is governed by the guidelines Wikipedia:Manual of Style § Scrolling lists and collapsible content generally, and more specifically by Wikipedia:Spoiler.

Collapsible tables

The mw-collapsible class can make any element collapsible, but tables are particularly simple to make collapsible. Adding the mw-collapsible class to a table automatically positions the toggle, and selects which parts to collapse.

A common use is to make a collapsible layout table, which always displays an introduction or summary, but hides the rest of the content from immediate view. The introduction or summary is in the first row, and the content is in subsequent rows. The content is then easily accessible by using the 'show' button.

In the examples below, the use of the class wikitable is merely for appearance; it is not needed for mw-collapsible to function.

Code entered	Output produced
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible" | <strong>Lorem ipsum</strong> |- | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet |}	Lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

More complex data tables can also be collapsible.

Code entered	Output produced
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |+ class="nowrap" | Winter Olympic Games |- | ! scope="col" | City ! scope="col" | Country |- ! scope="row" | 1994 | Lillehammer || Norway |- ! scope="row" | 1998 | Nagano || Japan |}	Winter Olympic Games City Country 1994 Lillehammer Norway 1998 Nagano Japan

Collapsing by default

Just using the mw-collapsible class leaves the element expanded by default, but it can be collapsed by the reader. It is also possible to make the element collapsed by default, and optionally expanded by adding other classes along with mw-collapsible. There are several methods for doing this, depending on the situations in which you want the element to collapse. However, content should not be collapsed by default per MOS:DONTHIDE.

"mw-collapsed"

Adding the mw-collapsed class will cause the element to always be initially collapsed, no matter what happens around it. It is the simplest method for doing so. Using the examples above:

Code entered	Output produced
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" | <strong>Lorem ipsum</strong> |- | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet |}	Lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |+ class="nowrap" | Winter Olympic Games |- | ! scope="col" | City ! scope="col" | Country |- ! scope="row" | 1994 | Lillehammer || Norway |- ! scope="row" | 1998 | Nagano || Japan |}	Winter Olympic Games City Country 1994 Lillehammer Norway 1998 Nagano Japan

"autocollapse"

Using this technique causes the page to reflow/jump around and should generally be avoided.

Adding the autocollapse class causes an element to collapse if there are 2 or more collapsible elements on the page. The example below, therefore, collapses because there are numerous collapsible elements on this page.

Code entered	Output produced
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible autocollapse" | <strong>Lorem ipsum</strong> |- | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet |}	Lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

"innercollapse" and "outercollapse"

Using this technique causes the page to reflow/jump around and should generally be avoided.

Using this pair of classes, it is possible to make an element collapsed by default only when it is contained within a particular outer element. An element with the mw-collapsible and innercollapse classes is collapsed by default if it is contained within an element with the outercollapse class; otherwise, it is uncollapsed by default. This is mainly useful for templates, which are often nested.

Code entered

Output produced

{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible innercollapse" | This <code>innercollapse</code> element is |- | <em>uncollapsed</em> by default |} <div class="wikitable outercollapse" style="padding:1em; background:#ccc;"> This is an element with the <code>outercollapse</code> class. {| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible innercollapse" | This <code>innercollapse</code> element is |- | <em>collapsed</em> by default |} </div>

This innercollapse element is uncollapsed by default This is an element with the outercollapse class. This innercollapse element is collapsed by default

Other notes

Tables with captions

A table without a caption will collapse to its first row. A table with a caption will collapse to its caption, with no rows, therefore no width. Use class="nowrap" or {{nowrap}} to keep the caption from being squeezed into a vertical column when the table is collapsed.

Code entered	Output produced
{|class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" |+ class="nowrap" | Somewhat long table caption ! Name !! Score |- | John || 59 |- | Bob || 72 |}	Somewhat long table caption Name Score John 59 Bob 72

Next example uses {{nowrap}} where the end brackets become the wrap point. <style=max-width:Xem; will not work.

Code entered	Output produced
{|class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" |+ {{nowrap|A longer table caption needs to wrap}} for cell phones, etc. ! Name !! Score |- | John || 59 |- | Bob || 72 |}	A longer table caption needs to wrap for cell phones, etc. Name Score John 59 Bob 72

Sortable tables

Collapsible tables can be combined with the sortable tables functionality without difficulty. However, because the hide/show button is placed with mw-collapsible in the right header cell, its positioning can look a bit peculiar if the cell is not wide enough:

Code entered	Output produced
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible sortable" style="width:5em" <!--table width too narrow, on purpose here--> |- ! Name !! Score |- | John || 59 |- | Bob || 72 |}	Name Score John 59 Bob 72

A possible alternative is to add a caption over the table. See the following example.

Code entered	Output produced
{|class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" |+ class="nowrap" | Caption ! Name !! Score |- | John || 59 |- | Bob || 72 |}	Caption Name Score John 59 Bob 72

Limitations

• This functionality requires the end-user's browser to have JavaScript enabled. If JavaScript is disabled, the default behaviour is to show the content.
• It doesn't work on mobile browsers (or desktop browsers in mobile mode) either.

See also

Documentation:

• Wikipedia:Manual of Style § Scrolling lists and collapsible content – style guidelines for collapsing content
• Help:Table
• Help:Table of contents

Templates:

• Category:Collapse templates (34)

External links

• mw:Manual:Collapsible elements
• mw:ResourceLoader/Default modules#jquery.makeCollapsible