User blog:Christian Sirolli/New Referencing System

Note:
 * This is still being researched and the full extent of the proposed system's implementation is not yet fully known.

Recently I have proposed an idea to implement a way to add Foot Notes, which are separate from References. After approval from the community and administrators, I investigated and experimented with different ways to implement it. I would have preferred to add a MediaWiki page that changes the format of References that have a certain group applied to it. But I discovered through experimentation (and much help from the very kind and helpful Wikia Staff member, Kirkburn) that this simply does not work. It would require a change in the Media Wiki software (the main software behind Fandom and Wikipedia), which could take forever to change. While the developers actually may think it is a great idea and attempt to implement it in the software, it is unlikely that would. I may try to talk to them about it.

One way that I have confirmed would work, requires that we completely change the way our local Referencing system works. Allow me to explain how by first showing what the current system looks like and what the proposed system would look like. Then I will show how we would implement it and how users use it. Lastly, I will show the pros and cons of adopting this proposed system.

Bible Wiki's Current Referencing System
As we can see on the MediaWiki page Cite references link one, the current system uses this format for references: ↑ $3 (Link) Which looks like this: $1 is the reference's ID, which is given to it by the software, $2 is the ID of the inline portion of the reference, as represented by a number, and $3 is the content of the reference. This system only supports using verses, and additional notes can be added to the reference without breaking it only if it is wrapped in nowiki tags.
 * 1) ↑ $3 (Link)

This format really should have been applied to another MediaWiki page, Cite references link many, which solves the problem of a reference not being linked to BibleGateway when it is used multiple times.

Editors use this system by adding a ref tag in the text and typing a verse inside the tags. The reference is shown when a references tag is placed at the bottom of the article, under a Verses header (although it will still show the references even without the specified location and header). Editors are able to use the Reflist template instead of the references tag, which allows editors to easily change the font size of the text and add columns.

This system is a closed system, which prevents any additions without a major change like the one I am proposing.

The Proposed Referencing System
The system I am proposing converts the current system into an open system, which allows for simple integration of any additions we may need and places the control of references back into the hands of the administrators instead of being subject to the will of Fandom. It also reflects Wikipedia's referencing system in a way. The main difference is that editors won't need to use the reference tag nor worry about groups. This also allows for the addition of the originally proposed Notes system.

The MediaWiki pages mentioned above should have their default values instead of what Bible Wiki administrators asked for when the current system was implemented. Only three new templates will need to be made for this to work, which I will explain in just a moment. Optionally, we can create redirects to the templates to help with adding references if so desired. This is similar to what was done with the Template:Lang and Template:Testament Label Icon, where redirects are used as shortcuts, whereas the templates true names are primarily for describing it. This system would also need one new MediaWiki page.

The three templates this system would need are Template:VerseRef, Template:NoteRef, and Template:Notelist. Template:VerseRef contains the formatting needed for normal verse references and some additional logic needed since it replaces the ref tag. Template:NoteRef is very simple, and is used when a Note is needed. It is to be used alongside of Template:Notelist, which will described in just a moment. Template:NoteRef simply contains the ref tag, the group name used to distinguish it from normal references, and the logic needed for naming the notes. Template:Notelist is to be used at the bottom of an article, above the Verses section and under a Notes header. It contains the references tag with the group name used to find and collect the notes, which also use the same group name.

The MediaWiki page is from Wikipedia and is called MediaWiki:Cite link label group-lower-alpha. It is the MediaWiki page that changes the list type from numbers to lower-case letters.

Implementing and Using the Proposed System
To implement this, administrator Superdadsuper would need to ask Fandom to add MediaWiki:Cite link label group-lower-alpha from Wikipedia. Then he will need to delete MediaWiki:Cite references link one, which can be deleted by an administrator but not edited by one. I have tested this out on my own wiki, Test Site Wiki. After this - or during it - I can add the necessary templates, as mentioned above. Once it is all done, Superdadsuper can use Auto Wiki Browser to change all of the references across Bible Wiki, by replacing the ref tags with the Verse template. To help editors use the template, we can add these templates to the following MediaWiki pages:
 * MediaWiki:Editor-template-list (it is a good idea to populate it with all 4 main referencing templates)
 * More currently being researched...

The Pros and Cons of the Proposed System

 * Pros
 * More flexibility with reference system
 * Allows us to reference nonbiblical sources for Biblically supportive content
 * Cons
 * Adding normal verse references will now require adding a template (although the process can be simplified as needed)
 * Implementing this requires a major change to every article and our own editing habits.

Feel free to add in the comments anymore pros and cons y'all can think of.