[Mediawiki-l] Multicol template question

[Scott]

I hope this is the appropriate forum for such questions. 

 

I installed MediaWiki 1.9.3 this last week. Our hosted server is running PHP
5.1.6 and MySql 5.0.27.  Extensions installed so far: Cite, Inputbox, and
now ParserFunctions.  

 

After seeing the Multicol template at work in the Wikipedia tutorial.* I
thought I'd like to add it.  Copied:  Multicol, Multicol-break, and
Multicol-end.  What I don't understand is the variable within the template
that reads like {{{1:20px}}}.  Can somebody explain what that is?  With it
in I get 3 broken </div> tags.  With that entry replaced by just the value
the template works.  Is it calling another template?

 

Be kind to the newbie and use small words,

 

Thanks!

 

-Scott

 

* (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Tutorial_%28Wrap-up_and_more_info%29
)