Community Wishlist Survey 2021/Citations/Integrate Template:Sfn into the visual editor

Integrate Template:Sfn into the visual editor

  • Problem: w:Template:Sfn is not supported by the visual editor; therefore, it is hard to edit articles written with this template for users who write in the visual editor.
  • Who would benefit: Users who prefer visual editor, readers who want to check references in bigger articles.
  • Proposed solution: Add the support of Template:Sfn and all the linked templates in the other language versions. I could imagine that references would be easily added with a tool, just by selecting an item from Bibliography and specifying pages.
  • More comments: Feel free to rephrase my suggestion as I am not a native English speaker.
  • Phabricator tickets:
  • Proposer: PuchaczTrado (talk) 12:45, 17 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Discussion

  • Yes! This is my number one reason now for not working almost entirely in VE. MichaelMaggs (talk) 15:14, 18 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Can someone please clarify steps to reproduce the problem? When I go to this en.WP article in VE and click on footnote 1, I get a dialog that allows me to edit the sfn template behind that footnote number. It looks OK to me, but I do not use VE except for testing. Jonesey95 (talk) 15:38, 18 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
    In VE, try to set up a new sfn citation by clicking on the Cite button. I don't think it's possible. In contrast with a standard citation, an entirely new sfn reference needs a separate bibilography entry to link to, which can't easily be done in VE. Though, as you say, once a cite is there, it can be edited. MichaelMaggs (talk) 16:14, 18 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
    I see what is happening. To insert an sfn template in VE, it looks like you need to go to Insert - Template and type sfn. It should work fine that way. So it looks like you are asking developers specifically to allow the insertion and re-use of sfn templates using the Cite button in the VE toolbar. If so (or if not), someone may want to clarify the problem description before voting starts, otherwise you will probably get a bunch of comments similar to this one. Jonesey95 (talk) 03:24, 19 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I think you're waiting for book referencing to be finished by WMDE (particularly phab:T245299) and is accordingly probably out of scope for CommTech. --Izno (talk) 17:27, 20 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Yes, this is such a huge inconvenience. I'm not familiar with the WMDE task, but any way to make it easier to work with sub-references in general and in VE specifically is very much needed. It would make editing so much easier for experienced editors and would help many inexperienced editors understand the importance of sub-referencing. Ergo Sum (talk) 04:04, 1 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • FYI: Template:Sfn. BoldLuis (talk) 11:29, 11 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Honestly, I don’t add images, so personally, no problem if you delete picture icon and replace it with sfn icon on the toolbar, if merging sfn under [”] icon is a resource eater. FYI instead of changing between wikitext and VE modes, on VE I enter {{ then "Sfn" in the box so that system offers me sfn input form. Maybe I trained myself too much and forgot we could have it on the VE toolbar, which, as mentioned on this page, will encourage citation page number to be specified. Reliability is what this request will help us fulfill. --Omotecho (talk) 21:38, 18 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Voting