Editing Template:Infobox ship begin/Usage guide (section)

==Infobox ship class overview==
To be used on [[ship class]] articles only.

'''Name'''
* The name of the ship class.

'''Builders'''
* The shipbuilders involved are listed here.

'''Operators'''
* The companies (for civilian ships) or navies (for warships) that use or used ships of the class.

'''Class before'''
* Used to indicate the preceding class in cases where there is a direct design or type lineage across classes.
* Alternately, used to indicate the ships that this class replaced.

'''Class after'''
* Used to indicate the succeeding class in cases where there is a direct design or type lineage across classes.
* Alternately, used to indicate the ships that have/will replace this class.

'''Subclasses'''
* Any subclasses, design variants, or direct derivatives may be listed here.

'''Cost'''
* The cost of building the ships, usually at the time of construction and using the currency of either the orderer or the builder. If other values are used (e.g. conversions), they should be specified and, if necessary, further discussed in the article.
* Provide context to indicate if the value is per vessel, or overall.

'''Built range'''
* The date range between the start of construction on the first ship, and the completion of the last.

'''In service range'''
* For civilian ships and non-commissioned military vessels, the dates between the first vessel beginning operations, and the last ending.

'''In commission range'''
* For commissioned military warships, the date range between when the first was commissioned, and the last decommissioned.

===Total Ships===
For the following "Total Ships" fields, do not list the names of individual ships.  When appropriate, include dates for classes that are currently under construction.

'''Total ships planned'''
* Number of ships planned.  This field requires regular maintenance until all of the class is built.

'''Total ships on order'''
* Number of ships ordered.  This field requires regular maintenance until all of the class is built.

'''Total ships building'''
* Number of ships under construction. This field requires regular maintenance until all of the class is built.

'''Total ships completed'''
* Number of ships that have been or were built.  This field requires regular maintenance until all of the class is built.

'''Total ships cancelled'''
* Number of planned or ordered ships that were cancelled.  This field requires regular maintenance until all of the class is built.

'''Total ships active'''
* Number of ships currently operational.  This field requires regular maintenance until all of the class is retired.

'''Total ships laid up'''
* Number of ships currently non-operational (placed in reserve, etc.) but expected to return to service.

'''Total ships lost'''
* Number of ships destroyed as a result of attack or accident.
* Do not include scuttlings and other intentional sinkings here.

'''Total ships retired'''
* Number of ships currently non-operational (placed in reserve, etc.) but not expected to return to service.

'''Total ships scrapped'''
* Number of ships [[ship breaking|broken up for scrap]], intentionally sunk, or scuttled.

'''Total ships preserved'''
* Number of ships that exist as [[museum ship]]s or are similarly preserved.