View source for Template:Birth date/doc

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{{Warning|''Do '''NOT''' use this template when the exact date of birth is disputed or unknown; consider {{tlp|Birth year}} instead.''}}
{{High-use}}
{{Template shortcut|dob}}
{{Tracks Wikidata|P569}}
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'''{{NAMESPACE}}:{{BASEPAGENAME}}''' will return a person's date of birth. Using this template rather than simply inserting the date into articles allows for the inclusion of hidden [[metadata]] about the date. This metadata can be used by web browsers and other software tools to extract the details, and display them using some other website or mapping tool, index, or search them.

For an article about a living person, consider using {{tlp|Birth date and age}} instead. 

== Usage ==
; Unnamed parameters for year, month, day
: <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}|<var>year of birth</var>|<var>month of birth</var>|<var>day of birth</var>|<var>additional parameters</var><nowiki>}}</nowiki></code>

; Named parameters for year, month, day
: <code><nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}|year=<var>year of birth</var>|month=<var>month of birth</var>|day=<var>day of birth</var>|<var>additional parameters</var><nowiki>}}</nowiki></code>

=== Additional parameters ===
The '''df''' (day first) and '''mf''' (month first) parameters indicate the intended date format to display. The appropriate parameter should be set to "y" or "yes", e.g. {{para|df|y}} or {{para|df|yes}}.

The default output of this template is to display the month before the day. This default may not be appropriate for articles about people from parts of the world where the day precedes the month in a date. In such articles the parameter, "df", should be set to display the day before the month.

The parameter "mf", while not actually used by the template, will indicate that month first format is intended. Using these parameters can assist [[WP:BOT|bots]] or other automated processing to detect which date format is intended; leaving the format as default may lead an editor or bot to change the format to an unintended value.

Do not specify both "df" and "mf" parameters in the same use of the template, as these formats are mutually exclusive.

=== hCard microformat ===
This template also returns the date, hidden by CSS, in the [[WP:ISO 8601|ISO 8601]] standard.<ref>{{cite web | date = April 7, 2013 | url = http://microformats.org/wiki/date-pattern | title = Date Design Pattern | website = Microformats Wiki}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | date = August 28, 2009 | url = http://microformats.org/wiki/hcalendar-issues-closed | title = hCalendar closed issues | website = Microformats Wiki}} Specifically rejects supporting the Julian calendar.</ref> For example:
: <code><nowiki>(<span class="bday">1993-02-24</span>)</nowiki></code>
Note: For the "foundation", "built" and similar set-up dates of companies, buildings etc., use {{tl|start date}} (this will work for year-only or month-year dates). Because the ISO 8601 standard requires the [[Gregorian calendar]], this template should not be used if the date is given in the [[Julian calendar]].

For further information, visit [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Microformats|the microformats project]].

{{Section references}}

=== Notes ===
* '''Do not use with non-Gregorian dates''' because the resulting hCard hidden date will be false.
* The template will appear broken when the parameters are left blank.
* When only the month or year of a person's birth and/or death are known, or if it is desired not to state a person's full dates of birth for privacy reasons, consider using the templates {{tlp|Birth year}} or {{tl|Birth year and age}} instead.

== Examples ==
Unnamed parameters for year, month, day:
{{nowiki template demo|format=inline|code=<nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}<nowiki>|1993|2|24}}</nowiki>}}
{{nowiki template demo|format=inline|code=<nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}<nowiki>|1993|2|24|df=yes}}</nowiki>}}
{{nowiki template demo|format=inline|code=<nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}<nowiki>|1993|2|24|mf=yes}}</nowiki>}}

Named parameters for year, month, day:
{{nowiki template demo|format=inline|code=<nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}<nowiki>|year=1993|month=2|day=24}}</nowiki>}}
{{nowiki template demo|format=inline|code=<nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}<nowiki>|year=1993|month=2|day=24|df=yes}}</nowiki>}}
{{nowiki template demo|format=inline|code=<nowiki>{{</nowiki>{{BASEPAGENAME}}<nowiki>|year=1993|month=2|day=24|mf=yes}}</nowiki>}}

== TemplateData ==
{{TemplateData header}}
<templatedata>
{
	"description": "This template will return a person's date of birth. Using this template rather than simply inserting the date into articles allows for the inclusion of hidden metadata about the date. This metadata can be used by web browsers and other software tools to extract the details, and display them using some other website or mapping tool, index, or search them.",
	"params": {
		"1": {
			"label": "Year of birth",
			"description": "The year in which the person was born.",
			"type": "number",
			"example": "1993",
			"required": true,
			"aliases": [
				"year"
			]
		},
		"2": {
			"label": "Month of birth",
			"description": "The month (number) in which the person was born.",
			"type": "number",
			"example": "2",
			"required": true,
			"aliases": [
				"month"
			]
		},
		"3": {
			"label": "Day of birth",
			"description": "The day (number) in which the person was born.",
			"type": "number",
			"example": "24",
			"required": true,
			"aliases": [
				"day"
			]
		},
		"df": {
			"label": "Day first",
			"description": "When set to 'y' or 'yes', the date of birth is output in a DMY format.",
			"type": "string",
			"example": "y",
			"required": false
		},
		"mf": {
			"label": "Month first",
			"description": "When set to 'y' or 'yes', stresses that the default MDY date format is intended for the date of birth.",
			"type": "string",
			"example": "y",
			"required": false
		}
	}
}
</templatedata>

== Tracking categories ==
* {{Category link with count|Pages using age template with invalid date}}
* {{Category link with count|Date of birth not in Wikidata}}
* {{Category link with count|Articles without Wikidata item}}

== See also ==
* {{tl|Birth-date}} which accepts formats like "1 April 1990" or "April 1, 1990"
* {{tl|Birth date and age}} or {{tl|Birth-date and age}} for living people
* {{tl|Death date and age}} or {{tl|Death year and age}} for dead people
* {{tl|Recent birth}} or {{tl|Recent death}}

{{Birth, death and age templates}}

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==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Date mathematics templates]]
[[Category:Templates generating microformat dates]]
[[Category:Templates that add a tracking category]]
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