Template:Pipe

This one-character template consisting of just "|" allows a parser function like #if to supply conditional output that includes the pipe character used in table markup. If a "|" appears within a parser function call, then it is interpreted as a separator between function parameters, whereas supplying the pipe character through transclusion of this template will allow it to become a pipe at the right time: when the function output is being parsed as part of a table. Vexing but seemingly unavoidable, this template has been created four times by four different users, and deleted three times before the need for it finally became permanent. Its first three incarnations were under the name "Template:!", which is the standard name on MediaWiki installations because of the similarity between the exclamation point and the pipe character, but this time it has been named "Pipe" for clarity's sake.