As I work on Wikipedia, I notice "holes" that should be fixed; until now, they got added to a "To Dos" list on my computer. However, lacking free time, I've decided to make the list public. If any item here strikes your fancy, feel free to pursue it. When you finish, please mark it with {{done}} and sign with four tildes (~~~~).
Currently, this template only works with libraries in Slovenia, yet the
COBISS network includes several countries. I had a COBISS id for a Macedonian book--the template didn't work for me.
Perhaps add a "country=" parameter such as
Template:ASIN uses.
Example: Suppose I can't remember the name of the inline template that creates a link to a book's page on Amazon. To me, the logical place to look is the
"See also" section of the Amazon.com Wiki article. Nope, nothing there.
Edit the "See also" section of appropriate articles and templates to add the following templates:
If I remember correctly, the Kazahk Wiki was the only Wiki whose software "resisted" my edit to fix a broken ISBN. Research it.
If true, suggest to Kazahk Wiki that they relax their system a little.
Kazahk Wikipedia - "Book sources"
If I remember correctly, WorldCat has a page for the Kazakh encyclopedia, but the Kazahk Wiki's "Book sources" page does not list "Find this book at WorldCat". Research it.
If true, suggest to Kazahk Wiki that they add "Find this book at WorldCat" to their "Book sources" page.
(added 18 June 2015)
"Book sources" page - Makeover
One seemingly astute, relatively new editor complained to me that the "Book sources" page is not inviting. Unfortunately, I agree. The (pedantic) introductory paragraphs obscure the wonderful links below. Move any useful information from these introductory paragraphs to existing ISBN and other articles. If necessary, add a link to these articles in the "Book sources" page’s "See also" section (like every other Wiki article).
Add some color to the "Book sources" page. Template pages have a background color. Wiki's home page is colorful. The "Book sources" page is so important that only a select group of people can edit it--so give it an appealing image worthy of its stature.
"Book sources" page - Links
Add new links
Especially for countries that have only one link and it's dead (e.g. Russia)
Especially for “major” countries that don’t have any links (e.g. India)
Wikipedia has an article "
Peter F. Armistead, Sr., House". Wikimapia includes an entry for this landmark (
[1]), and the Google Maps satellite image that it displays nicely highlights the entire area covered by this landmark.
Research whether {{Coord}} only allows editors to specify a single point. Can editors use {{Coord}} to specify a polygonal area?
If {{Coord}} only allows editors to specify a single point, it should be enhanced to include a "permpoly" parameter. Permpolys are inherently defined in Google Maps. Wikimapia uses the "permpoly" parameter;{{Coord}} should, too.
Relatedly, tools.wmflabs.org/geohack needs to be enhanced to process the "permpoly" parameter in a {{Coord}} call.
(added 20 June 2015)
CheckWiki errors in "See also" section
Add the following CheckWiki errors (in the correct order and identifying the error number) to the "See also" section of appropriate articles and templates:
WikiProject Check Wikipedia: ISBN wrong checksum in ISBN-10
WikiProject Check Wikipedia: ISBN wrong checksum in ISBN-13
WikiProject Check Wikipedia: ISBN wrong length
WikiProject Check Wikipedia: ISBN wrong syntax
Perhaps write a new article (in Help?), which includes these links, about how to fix an ISBN
In the message's "Specific concerns can be found on the talk page", link "talk page" to the section specified in the "talk=" parameter. See {{Verify sources}} for an example.
I had an id for a book at Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico (see
Giuseppe Amisani sbn = IT\ICCU\ART\0001755), but I could not find an inline template to use within a citation. Does such a template exist?
If an inline template for Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico does not exist, create it.
Couldn't find a template even on the Italian Wiki
Example: SBN IT\ICCU\MIL\0205279
"SBN" should wikilink to "Servizio bibliotecario nazionale", but there's no English translation of the Italian article. Therefore, wikilink to "
Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico" instead and put a note in the template documentation.
"IT\ICCU\MIL\0205279" should be an external link http://opac.sbn.it/bid/MIL0205279
Discussion ongoing...
I checked how it works in
The Faithful Hussar--basically a dead link. Check each transclusions (only 5); assuming they all fail, convert to a different Library of Congress template
Created new inline template "
Template:NCID" for generating an external lookup link to the Japanese bibliographic database
CiNii. In progress Added new template to these articles:
Shinigami (already used the template for two NCIDs, but they were previously broken because the template was never implemented)
Researched the situation with "Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376 ISBN 9771682584003". Wrote results to editor
User talk:Andre Kritzinger#9771682584003 Revisited. Editor will contact me about any changes; will open a new "To Do" at that time.
Created new inline template "
Template:BnF" for generating an external lookup link to
Bibliothèque nationale de France. In progress Added new template to one citation only in these articles:
Currently, WPCleaner requires a "Full analysis" of a Wiki article for all CheckWiki errors. Allow users to specify a subset of CheckWiki errors to process.
Implement a dialog box that includes one checkbox per Checkwiki error. By default, every checkbox is checked (i.e. Full analysis). Include functionality (e.g. a button) to "select all" or "unselect all".
Upon exit, WPCleaner should remember the last settings in this dialog box.
NicoV previously mentioned the possibility of creating User:Knife-in-the-drawer/WikiCleanerConfiguration, but "not really tested, may not work as expected". If that approach is preferred rather than a dialog box...
Create a master WikiCleanerConfiguration that includes all CheckWiki errors enabled (i.e. Full analysis)
Test it
Include documentation related to disabling a CheckWiki error for the analysis
When I click in the "Page" text box, I wish its contents were selected automatically. (By analogy, in Chrome, when I click in the address text box, Chrome automatically selects its contents.)
or
I wish the "Page" text box were much wider.
"Analysis" window
It's not possible to adjust the width of the left column that includes the "Check Wikipedia" panel. I can grab the right edge with the cursor and the double-arrowhead appears, but when I try to slide the edge, it won't budge.
As part of enhancing the "Analysis" window to allow adjusting the width of the left column, when I exit WPCleaner, it should remember the layout of my "Analysis" window
Current error/total errors
When I select an error in the "Check Wikipedia" panel, I wish the "Analysis" window would show something like "1 of 5" or "1/5". By analogy, in Chrome or Adobe Acrobat, when I use ctrl-f to perform a search, they both nicely show "current item of x items".
Perhaps place the "1/5" between the "Previous occurrence" and "Next occurrence" buttons in the toolbar.
(added 25 June 2015)
nowiki wrapper ignored
When I include a {{Citation style|date=June 2015|details=...}} template in an article to warn about multiple definitions of a ref name (e.g. <ref name="Scottish Architects">, WPCleaner flags it with two errors:
Link equal to link text
Reference tags without correct match
Given that the ref name is wrapped in "nowiki", I expect no flags from WPCleaner. The template displays without problems in the article.
Resolved
None yet
CheckWiki requests
Unresolved
(added 22 June 2015)
Invalid ISSN
Currently, Wikipedia has no checks in place for an invalid ISSN. The template {{issn}} allows an invalid ISSN without displaying an error message.
Checkwiki doesn't look for any ISSN errors.
(added 26 June 2015)
Multiple definitions of a "ref name"
Currently, Wikipedia has no checks in place for multiple definitions of a "ref name" in an article. This error is particularly nefarious because the final definition cloaks all preceding definitions.
Resolved
None yet
WikiData To Dos
Unresolved
(added 18 June 2015)
[edit] and [add]
For every "Statement", the [edit] and [add] links are off the screen to the right. Not very "ergonomic". The name of the statement (e.g. "sex or gender") resides in a large, dark-gray box with lots of empty space--why can't the links appear there?
The worst case is the [edit] link associated with the labels; it's far far to the right. The first time that I needed to make changes to labels, I wasted 30-45 minutes figuring out how to get into edit mode. To confuse matters more, WikiData tempts us with
In more languagesConfigure
directly above the labels. It offers two clickable links that new users will assume probably invoke an edit mode somehow.
(added 19 June 2015)
"Labels" table
For any given WikiData entry, my "Labels" table shows English, Czech, German, Polish. I never configured the "Labels" table to show only those languages. However, given that they represent my native language and geographical location, WikiData is probably trying to "aid" me. Research whether WikiData automatically configures the "Labels" table.
If WikiData automatically configures the "Labels" table, it shouldn't. The "Labels" table should behave just like every statement in a WikiData entry. It should show ALL currently defined labels. If we want to define a label for another language, we should click on an [add] link...just like every statement.
Require at least one label
At present, it is possible to save a WikiData entry without defining a single label. Why?
If the only reason is "an entry must be completely empty before it can be redirected", then WikiData needs a rethink. 1) Require at least one label before an entry can be saved. 2) Adjust the prerequisites for a redirect.
Duplicate entries
Every time I go to WikiData, I encounter duplicate entries. Clearly, average users think that, for any given article on Wikipedia, a separate entry must be created on WikiData for each language.
WikiData needs to rethink its design--and I don't have a solution right now off the top of my head--to significantly minimize the proclivity of users to create a separate entry for each language.