**SPIP**
# Article proposé
L’article "**Insert a footnote**
(https://www.spip.net/ecrire/?exec=article&id_article=6484)" est proposé
à la publication depuis le vendredi 18 janvier 2019.
* * *
## Insert a footnote
vendredi 18 janvier 2019 , par [naema](.././?page=auteur&id_auteur=8207&)
## General principle
SPIP provides a typographic shortcut to insert a footnote, such as :
`"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely
players."[[William Shakespeare]]`
will display the following text : "All the world’s a stage, and all the
men and women merely players." [1]
SPIP automatically generate :
* the superscripted number
* the direct link to the footnote
* the display of the footonote text and the link to part of the text
where the footnote was inserted.
## Specific case
As mentioned in the SPIP online-help, you can also insert a footnote by
using a syntax that will override the numbering of the footnote into any
other symbol or text of your choice. At the beginning of the footnote,
insert the reference in-between < >, eg. :
`Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet[[<*>dummy text.]].`
will display the following :
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet [*] .
This syntax could be particularly useful when you wish to insert a footnote
that already appears somewhere else in your text \[3\] (you only want to
re-call the footnote without duplicating it).
`This syntax could be particularly useful when you wish to insert a
footnote that already appears somewhere else in your text [[<3>]]`
## The HTML generated code
`<span class="spip_note_ref"> [<a href='#nb2' class='spip_note'
rel='footnote' title='William Shakespeare.' id='nh2'>2</a>]</span>.`
and further below :
`<span class="spip_note_ref">[<a href='#nh2' class='spip_note' title='Notes
2' rev='footnote'>2</a>] </span>William Shakespeare`
## Footnotes and Templates
Beware, footnotes will only appear in your text if the #NOTES tag is
specifically set in the template for this article.
**P.-S.**
According to Wikipedia a footnote
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note_(typography)) can be used to provide :
* additional information pertaining to the subject of the text,
* attribute a quote or a viewpoint,
* as an alternative to parenthetical references to acknowledge
information gained from another source, or
* to escape the limitations imposed on the word count of various academic
and legal texts which do not take into account notes. Aggressive use of
this strategy can lead to a text affected by "foot and note disease" (a
derogation coined by John Betjeman). At SPIP, we’re not fond of
typographic or writing diseases — try and make sure to limit the risk !
[1] William Shakespeare
[*] dummy text.
— Envoyé par SPIP (https://www.spip.net/)
