Normally, for proper sorting, dates must be entered in YYYY-MM-DD format. However, that format does not conform to the for date display. This template automatically creates the hidden <span style="display:none">1776-07-04</span> for sorting purposes and then displays the date like this: July 4, 1776. To hide the output, use the {{dtsh}} template instead.
Date display can be modified using two named parameters.
To use international date formats, use the format=dmy parameter.
To turn off the suppression of word wraps, use the nowrap=off parameter.
The year, month and day can either be entered separately or as a single date.
{{dts|year|month|day|BC}}
{{dts|date}}
1st parameter – Year (optional if month is given)
Year number – number in the range -9999 through 9999: the numbers -9999 through 0 are used without "bc" and represent astronomical years -9999 through 0, the numbers 1 through 9999 represent that year AD, or BC with the fourth parameter set to bc or BC
2nd parameter – Month (optional if the day is not given either)
Full month name – February or february
Abbreviated month name – Feb or feb
Month number – 2 or 02
3rd parameter – Day (optional)
Day number – 7 or 07
4th parameter – optional with value BC or bc
Used with a positive year number
Thus e.g. for the year 5 BC we can use "5|bc" or "-4".
A time period (year or month and year) is sorted according to its start, and time periods with the same starting moment are in order of descending length: a year comes before its first month; a month comes before its first day.
1st parameter – the full date in international, US or YYYY-MM-DD format
It uses {{#time:}} and so is limited to what the parser function can handle (e.g. it won't go beyond 100 AD).
International format is left as it is. YYYY-MM-DD format defaults to US format.
The template formerly linked dates automatically. To turn linking off the parameter link=off was used. In accordance with current guidelines linking is no longer supported. Please do not use this parameter. Please remove it from existing transclusions.
During early 2009, Template:Dts generated month names for invalid month numbers, such as number 23 displaying "November". No warning is displayed, for the formatted page, that such invalid dates are being used on the page.