Wikipedia talk:Template index

Horizontal list layout?

I found it difficult to parse the table-based layout of the main index in order to find a specific category, so I attempted to bring it closer to something like Wikipedia:List of policies and guidelines. This would also bring improved accessibility and mobile readability (although these might be less of a concern for an editor audience). The changes were reverted by @Grandpallama, who suggested a discussion. So is there a preference for horizontal lists or tables? Ninepointturn (talk) 04:39, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

This is a heavily used template index, so I don't think it should have the layout completely changed without consensus from the community. It also serves a different purpose from the list of policies that you cite, as this is specifically an index to find the appropriate template codes; turning it into a list is a significant conceptual change for its design and purpose. For me, it was disruptive to come to the page to quickly grab an edit-warring template only to find the layout completely altered.

For new users who have difficulty finding a particular template, there is a search field. Given the index design and intent of this page, I'm not sure readability is a primary concern. Grandpallama (talk) 18:27, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

Edit request

WP:TEMPLATES redirects here. Please indicate HELP:Templates and WP:WikiProject Templates as well

Add the hatnote

{{Redirect|WP:TEMPLATES|the WikiProject|WP:WikiProject Templates|instructions about templates|Help:Templates}}

"WP:TEMPLATES" redirects here. For the WikiProject, see WP:WikiProject Templates. For instructions about templates, see Help:Templates.

-- 65.92.246.142 (talk) 22:19, 6 April 2022 (UTC)

Not done. Both the WikiProject and the Help page are already on the page. Viewer⁷¹⁹/_Contribs! 11:53, 7 April 2022 (UTC)

Position of {{TOC}}

@Thinker78: Can you please explain, in this edit, why do you think that {{TOC right}} is "more useful"?

I have changed the TOC position to the right, because I think the page looks less cluttered that way, both in desktop view and in mobile view.

But then, if many editors say that {{TOC left}} looks cluttered, you may go ahead and revert my edit. Thank you —CrafterNova ^{[ TALK ]  [ CONT ]} 09:30, 22 October 2022 (UTC)

@CrafterNova I did it because I could not initially locate the TOC. I thought maybe it was some bug or something. It didn't occur to me to look to the right, because I hadn't seen TOC there before. Because the trouble I had locating the TOC when I wanted to see it, I moved it to the left, thinking other editors could have a hard time as well for it being to the right. Thinker78 (talk) 15:51, 22 October 2022 (UTC)

@Thinker78: I can relate. Sometimes I'm also unable to work with complex templates, but not as bad as I did when I started editing in July 2020. You can be better too. See Help:A quick guide to templates and Help:Template. Just look at source codes of simple templates at first such as {{template link}} and {{section link}}. You can also start with {{TOC}} itself. Copy and paste the source codes in your sandbox and experiment with them. Familiarizing with wikitext took me about 3 or 4 months. How much time it will take for you depends on how much free time you have.

And yes, there are many bugs in template transclusions and page displays, especially on mobile devices. Many complex templates, such as {{navbox}}es don't appear at all in mobile view.

I didn't about these bugs until Mathglot pointed out the mess I did at Talk header template documentation page, and that discussion took place on my talk page at User talk:CrafterNova/Archive2022/September § Talk header template doc —CrafterNova ^{[ TALK ]  [ CONT ]} 16:26, 22 October 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the idea about experimenting with template codes. I may look into it. I have long wanting to do it. But the issue about moving to the left was a pure display issue, at least initially. When I was looking perplexed for the TOC, I didn't check the code. Afterwards, I did some research and I think it is when I found the TOC right code being used and the template documentation. Then I used the TOC left version. Thinker78 (talk) 16:51, 22 October 2022 (UTC)

@Thinker78: No prob. Also, see Fuhghettaboutit's Toolbox which is very handy for all sorts of things on Wikipedia. You are welcome ;) —CrafterNova ^{[ TALK ]  [ CONT ]} 06:42, 24 October 2022 (UTC)

dictionary reference templates

I couldn't find links or templates for citing other dictionaries similar to the ones for Wiktionary. So the equivalent to this Wiktionary category: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_reference_templates --Espoo (talk) 09:55, 8 April 2023 (UTC)

Espoo, here's how to find the templates you're asking about from the top of the category tree for templates (top-down): Category:Wikipedia templates → Wikipedia templates by task → Citation templates → Specific-source templates → Dictionary source templates.

Or, the other way around (bottom-up), from one of the templates: Wiktionary's Category:English reference templates has wikt:Template:OED reference templates near the top of the category. Oxford English Dictionary is a "big deal", therefore we can assume that English Wikipedia would have a template for it. Go to Template:OED, scroll down, find Category:Dictionary source templates at the bottom. —⁠andrybak (talk) 23:25, 14 June 2024 (UTC)