Topic on Project:Village Pump

Some documentation needs clarified

8
Fabartus (talkcontribs)

Sorry, but couldn't find any but seeming mutually contradictory information on the replace string extension. Is it alive on en.Wikibooks (meaning I have a likely precedence flaw) or not is WAS my 'Need'... but I answered my own question remembering I used it successfully a couple of months ago in another template.  

I'm continuing because...
the one reference page has two box headers which seem to contradict themselves at the very page top, and the bugzilla linked there seems to be open and unresolved--but with a mention that everything there was now incorporated into the wiki magicword system, but that and one other.

If I'm making the right mappings from my history:

  1. Extension:Replace Text probably has the two warring box notices right up top... as I went to Bugzilla from there.
  2. Wikitext parser/Core parser functions - says it should work (but someone ought to reconcile these!)
  3. Extension:String Functions#replace is a very unhelpful section header with an apparently included empty sub-page.

I'd take it on, but making sure of my ground in this realm of computer science geeks is like translating German to English to read how an Electrical geek like me has to use it! best regards,

This post was posted by Fabartus, but signed as FrankB.

88.130.104.217 (talkcontribs)

Is it correct that you have not asked a question?

Fabartus (talkcontribs)

Well a truly discerning read, especially of the links would have detected the message that there needs be a clarification, specifically on the string extensions of the parser functions. So no, my communication was more along the lines of a statement that this was a terrible situation that stinks!

  • However, it would appear here at least, programming standards apparently no longer include the ethic that No job is done until the paperwork is finished, so I'll just take me hits on my leisure time as a lesson, and further just finished donating a bit more of that scarce resource just so others don't get screwed over by that same lack of professional ethics. Please enjoy the embedded pic, which sums it up almost as good as an icon with someone holding their nose.
  • Lua scripts and CSS measures don't fix misleading references for a world wide audience that depends on these pages for reliable information. Sigh.
  • Further, the one thing apparently not fixed is the ability to replace spaces with underscores to reliably construct either a Wikimarkup section link, or a usable externally linkable url in templates, both of which I have need of in Wikibooks pages involving keyword-keyword pairs or keyword-phrase pairswho'd have thought a space could turn into such a nasty enemy to productivity! // FrankB 18:53, 25 September 2014 (UTC)

This post was posted by Fabartus, but signed as FrankB.

88.130.113.0 (talkcontribs)
No job is done until the paperwork is finished

Being involved in the documentation of Open Source projects myself, I can only agree. However, it is an obvious truth that developers do not like writing manuals nor documenting features. Basically, if you found something to be improved, I recommend: Go ahead and just do it! Chances are people will just be fine with it (which often means you never hear a word, but that is yet another topic).

As for the space issue, if you consider this a bug, you might want to file a BUGREPORT!

Fabartus (talkcontribs)

Given the bugzilla length, and the related (and reading between the lines, there are several that merged) I don't know how another might help. Further, that was why I posted here. Someone with a better handle on developments the last four years (not to mention scripting mysteries) needs to evaluate this and make that kind of call.

I will be glad to document trials of several templates where I'd expected b:template:Underscores to work the task, but it's no longer 'called' and I'd have to examine my saves (and contribs) and whatnot to refigure the trials. I'd not likely saved more than once or twice, then had to revert, so there will be some small trail. Mostly I debug in preview, so... those won't be visible. I might have an offline file or two as well. I use a programmers editor to match up curly-braces et.al. and other nesting in such templates. Easy peasey and saves a lot of grief. The rare revert will show up about that date though, so we could tell a sensible tale. //

This post was posted by Fabartus, but signed as FrankB.

88.130.94.206 (talkcontribs)

:-)

Rical (talkcontribs)
SPage (WMF) (talkcontribs)

@Fabartus / FrankB, I have no idea what you are saying or asking for.

I edited Extension:StringFunctions to clarify the (old) decision not to enable string functions and the workaround. It's confusing that ParserFunction's string functions are documented in an old extension's page, but since they aren't enabled by default nor on any WMF wikis it would be very confusing if they were documented on the same page as all the ParserFunctions that are generally available. As Rical says above and as that page now says

As a workaround, use String-handling templates or Module:String.

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