Template:Spaced en dash/doc

This template looks like this " – ".

It works similarly to the html markup sequence " – ". That is, a non-breaking space, a short dash and a normal space. However this template includes some extra code that makes it behave slightly better than the html markup sequence.

This template is used when you want something stronger than a middot "·", but shorter than a mdash "—".

Normal usage

The recommended usage is to use no space before the template and one space after the template, like this:

[[Salt]]{{ndash}} [[Pepper]]

It will render one space on each side of the dash, like this:

Salt – Pepper

If it line breaks then the line break will come after the dash, not before, like this:

Salt –

Pepper

Incorrect usage

If the template is used slightly wrong it will in most cases still behave well. Like these examples:

[[Salt]]{{ndash}}[[Pepper]]
[[Salt]]{{ndash}}   [[Pepper]]

Both of them will render exactly as before, with just one space on each side of the dash, like this:

Salt – Pepper

And it will still only line break after the dash, like this:

Salt –

Pepper

But if the template is used very wrong, like these examples:

[[Salt]] {{ndash}}[[Pepper]]
[[Salt]]   {{ndash}}[[Pepper]]
[[Salt]] {{ndash}} [[Pepper]]
[[Salt]]   {{ndash}}   [[Pepper]]

Then it will still only render just one space on each side of the dash, like this:

Salt – Pepper

But if it line breaks it might break before the dash, like this:

Salt

– Pepper

Technical details

The space before the dash is a "non-wrapping" but "collapsing" space. That means it will not line break, but it will collapse together with normal spaces that come before the template to form one single space. It is not simply a   since that one will not collapse.

The space after the dash is a normal space. That is it wraps and it collapses.

See also

• {{·}} - The similar middot template. Mostly used for dotted lists.
• {{mdash}} - The similar mdash template. Mdash "—" is a longer dash than the ndash "–".