Forum:Link Templates

User:SuperSajuuk has updated and expanded the link templates for common articles as those listed in Appearances. Many of these have useful parameters so for instance :
 * yields
 * while yields
 * and yields

I wanted to do a quick pro / cons discussion and get some input before adopting them more widely. Some benefits are:
 * Reduced source file size for editting
 * Quicker to type
 * Standardized formatting that can be easily updated

Drawbacks are:
 * Unfamiliar/Unclear usage for new users
 * Obscured (uneditable?) in visual editor
 * Small increase in page rebuild time (very minor especially as pages are cached)

Neutral impacts:
 * No difference in page load time or page format for viewers

You can see an example of the changes on this revision

Anyone have thoughts on using these templates as the general format for most articles? Thanks --Ironyak1 (talk) 13:50, May 9, 2016 (UTC)
 * The rebuild time is very minor, if not a moot point, since the pages are cached anyway. Null edits can be used to quickly fix issues with the templates if they're updated.
 * The point about VisualEditor is moot, as Wikia's VE is very buggy and hasn't been updated in a very long time, so it's still missing loads of features. Nothing that we can do about that, except ask users to switch their preferences to the Source Editor (if they have an account).
 * That's the only points I feel that should be clarified. Switching the links to templates heavily reduces byte size, and if done throughout all articles (ie references, appearances etc), pages will be smaller and load better on those with not-so-great broadband connections. :)
 * However, due to the vast number of links that would need to be updated, this would definitely be something that would be better updated through a bot to reduce the feeds being filled up in link->template type edits. Of course, users can do that manually as and when they see them, but a bot would be good to get the vast majority quickly with the least disruption. --Sajuuk 13:58, May 9, 2016 (UTC)


 * Agreed that the page rebuild times are minor/moot - just thinking through possible issues to consider.
 * As seen in RC, many new users use Visual Editor so the point is not moot. However, as the links should be consistenly formatted, having them uneditable by VisEd may be beneficial.
 * For clarity, the change over ONLY affects the source byte size and as such only affects editing. This will not improve page load times for viewing the final page.
 * As this only affects editing, the change over can be done as pages are edited and do not have to be done in bulk across the entire site at once. IF widely adopted, they could become part of the Layout Guide and propagated wih new page edits and additions.
 * While I find these templates and parameters useful, they need to be well named so it is clear as possible without looking at the template source which link is being included. This work should be done BEFORE they are widely utilized to limit the number of updates or variants needed.
 * Finally, the continuing attempt to argue that almost every recent changes needs, or would be better, wih a bot, appears to be just another attempt to justify your bot request instead of considering alternatives. For me, this undercuts your suggested changes as being biased instead of actually supporting them. Hopefully that request can be resolved soon so we can see how these possible changes best fit together. Cheers --Ironyak1 (talk) 16:11, May 9, 2016 (UTC)