Template:Smw subpage end/doc

For subst use only.

• Example usage: Copy/paste a geography infopage box from Wikipedia into an /smw subpage for a place. EG:The Hague/smw Add {{/smw}} at the end of The Hague article. After saving, location information is now accessible by SMW.

• Instructions:

1. Copy the following to the beginning of the smw page prior to the infobox.

   {{subst:smw subpage start}}

2. Copy the following to the end of the /smw page.

   {{subst:smw subpage end}}

Background

We need a way to automatically extract content from wikipedia infoboxes, but do not want to overwrite any data that is already in the article for that placename. We also need the smw code to execute on the main page. Transcluding a subpage does that (using a subpage as a template). A pywikipedia bot could easily create these subpages.

Optionally, admins could lock just these subpages if they become targets of vandalism. Because only the subpage is locked, the rest of the article would be unaffected and could be edited. A form could be constructed for these subpages. The extracted property values would be bot converted (via subst of a query on the current values).

Phased transition:

1. Use smwsubpage start and end on the main page to enclose the potentially visually broken template code (eg Geobox2 has not been fixed for htmltidy bugs).
2. move the infobox to the /smw subpage
3. add the template and convert parameters from the various infoboxes into common form template(s).

Advantages SMW subpages

• allow contributors to create place articles free of Wikipedia article "clutter".
• properties on popular places would be prime targets of vandalism. This allows an architecture where admins could keep the properties locked over very long periods, while not blocking contributors from adding needed microhistory regarding their ancestors to the placename article.
• allows a default form that is oriented to those interested in the placename tree.
• makes it easy to make sure that the smw page never affects display. Parsing template endings can be challenging for bots to identifiy if these are embedded in the main article.

Disadvantages

• more complex structure for articles- no one will
• solution in search of a problem? people aren't editing articles anyway. Why not defer until we actually need the selective locking? Until then, if there is vandalism, lock the whole article. If lots of articles are locked and the {{editprotected}} mechanism is not working, then do the subpages.
• Are we at the point where we need a specialized form? Why not put it all on one page- eg where the various local library/ cemetery/ bureau of records sources of information are- the stuff that goes in the subpages used by Template:Navbox county2-en for example. hmmm. Maybe whenever wikitext is necessary for a property, make syntax so that it will instead load from a subpage like what we have for Greene County, Ohio/landmarks.