Wikibooks:Reading room/Administrative Assistance/Archives/2008/June

Templates TOCleft, TOCright, and TOClimit not working as needed - Probably needs an admin to fix
Hello. I am trying to limit the Tables of Contents in some really long lists in the Wikibooks Bartending Manual.

I followed the help on Meta for working with TOCs for articles. It led me to exactly what I was looking for on Wikipedia. I didn't notice (at first) that it was under a heading of "Wikipedia specific". Here's the help section: [w:Wikipedia:Section#Limiting_the_TOC|Limiting the TOC]

I tried just updating the TOCright template using Wikipedia's as the source, but I think the problem is this: class="toclimit-"

Wikipedia probably uses either JavaScript, CSS, or something to dynamically reduce the size of the TOC based on that class.

Is there a way to patch Wikibooks to support that highly useful feature? If not, is there a Wikibooks way of doing something similar of which I am not aware?

The page I'm editing is Bartending/Cocktails/Glossary. Unless somebody changes it back, you will see that the TOC on the right runs A-Z, except that under B, all the drink names are now showing. That is because I changed them from ; to ===== as per an earlier comment posted on the Talk page. Changing the drink names to heading 5's does make sense. The formatting looks identical, but more importantly, it makes it possible to link directly to the drink here.

That is an important feature for what I'm trying to do. Namely, help improve both Wikibooks and Wikipedia by moving tiny "recipes" over from Wikipedia into our bartending manual (which is why I need to link to the individual recipies), and link from the manual back to Wikipedia for drinks that already have an encyclopedic article about the drink. This has been a goal of both the Wikipedia WikiProject Mixed Drinks and the Wikibooks WikiProject Bartending for over a year now.

I would really appreciate some help. Since I'm a little new to the bureaucratic processes here at Wikibooks, I wasn't sure where else to make this request. If this is the wrong place, please don't bite me. Just help me move the request wherever it belongs. Thanks! --Willscrlt (Talk&middot;Cntrb ) 08:35, 23 May 2008 (UTC)


 * After looking at this a bit more, it seems like it's just some CSS (and maybe some JavaScript) that needs to be added to the monobook styles. How does that get done, and who does it? I'm not talking about recreating the wheel here... just copy the bits already working from the English Wikipedia over to here. There actually are several things I've noticed that don't quite work the same from a template level here that work fine at the English Wikipedia and some other Foundation wikis. Fortunately, several things do work here that don't on others (i.e., some, but not all, of the Monobook tweaks are installed here that help with templating). -- Will  scrlt ( Talk ) 16:32, 8 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Any administrator here can edit the global CSS and JS files. If you tell us what we need to change, I (or another admin) can make it happen. Let us know. --Whiteknight (Page) (Talk) 17:48, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

Random book
Is the Random book button in the navigation box working? I just get "error on page" when I try it. 82.10.79.163 (talk) 22:00, 10 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Hmmm. I just tested it and it worked for me, but that's no guarantee of anything. What browser are you using? If there is a problem, we need to diagnose it and fix it. --Whiteknight (Page) (Talk) 22:02, 10 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Doesn't work for me either. I'm using IE 6.  Error message (from clicking bottom left) as follows:
 * Line: 29
 * Char: 6
 * Error: Object doesn't support this property or method
 * Code:0
 * URL: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page
 * --AdRiley (talk) 11:10, 12 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Line 29 is before MediaWiki:Common.js is loaded and on that page line 29 is a "}".
 * Line 29 in MediaWiki:RandomBook.js was  before I made some changes.
 * Does it work now or has the placement of the error changed any? --dark lama  14:58, 12 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Same error but on line 16 now. --AdRiley (talk) 15:26, 12 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Interestingly if I sign out I get a different message:
 * Line: 10


 * Char: 4


 * Error: 'XMLHttpRequest' is undefined


 * Code:0


 * URL:http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page


 * --AdRiley (talk) 15:31, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Orphaned pages
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Classification%2C_selection_and_evolution http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Photosynthesis

Both now at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Biology/Central_Concepts/Photosynthesis http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-level_Biology/Central_Concepts/Classification%2C_selection_and_evolution

Sorry for the screw up!

--Greenie (talk) 07:50, 12 June 2008 (UTC)


 * It's okay, thanks for pointing this out! I'll fix the orphans for you. --Whiteknight (Page) (Talk)

Typo in banner for WMF board election
"publically" should be typed "publicly" in this banner at the top of all pagesElectricmic (talk) 15:23, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Voting has begun for the WMF board election. Review candidate statements and Vote! Unified login is publically available now. Go and merge your accounts!


 * Good call, thanks for the tip. I've fixed it now. --Whiteknight (Page) (Talk) 15:27, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Request for page deletion
Please delete the page in WikiBooks  Template:Prettypre .

I have fallen for the can't make a parameter code work within preformatting tags pitfall.

It's too late for me; I am a blunderer!

But it's not too late for you: Save yourselves! Learn it now!

I thank you, Armchair (talk) 17:23, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I figured out what your problem is. Check out User:Whiteknight/Template sandbox and User:Whiteknight/Sandbox for the solution. It doesn't have all the fancy formatting (although you could probably use some kind of HTML span or something to add the fancy stuff). --Whiteknight (Page) (Talk) 17:46, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi, I am sorry but I cannot understand your solution. I was trying to make an improved preformatted text template by using style rules in the preformatted text tag. In fact, that part is entirely practical; all of the font and colorings could be changed.

The problem in making a template to do this is that, although the styles are honoured, when you reach the point where you do the multi-bracketted parameter specification in the template design, because the template's outside tags are preformatting tags, the parameter design code is treated as if it were just text. That is, there is no way to make such a template.

The preformatting tag formats can be improved as an inline style though, if a better format is all that is needed. For example, inline styling within the tags gives: This text is in preformatting tags, and note that there is no dotted border now. There is a 10pt Arial font. The background and text are now coloured. This is the text in plain tags: This text is in preformatting tags, and note that there is no dotted border now. There is a 10pt Arial font. The background and text are now coloured. Wouldn't it be nice if a template were possible. I now think that it would be impossible. Thanks for your comments anyway; Regards, Armchair (talk) 17:51, 25 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Its not impossible. I tweaked it some the other day, and tweaked it some more today. Here is the exact styling using :


 * --dark lama  18:52, 25 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Nice one!-but I still cannot follow how you did it.  You seem to have another template there that I am not familiar with.   Good job!  Now, while genius is upon you, do you think you could get the powers that be to introduce a line-continuation character for markup the way that VBA has?  Regards, Armchair (talk) 12:52, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Normally text is already considered one continuous line if there is no blank lines in-between. Like I am doing here. In the future questions like this should really be asked in the Technical Assistance Reading Room --dark lama  13:25, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Botany text
good day, you people are doing a great job.please i am a nigerian looking for a free botany textbook for my university use.please do me that favour of sending me any text book on botany free of charge to this address,31 ovenseri,off oliha qtrs ,benin city,edo state.Nigeria.my email address is makoidyllic@yahoo.com.please send me an alert when you people have started processing my program.
 * Sorry, we do not have printed texts. You may be interested in Botany. – Mike.lifeguard  &#124; talk 01:03, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

Submitting a Photograph
Hi. I am a new contributor with no privilages. I have some recent photographs of a Peregrine Falcon that I would like to submit for inclusion in the appropriate page. How can i do this and do I need an Administrators help. Thanks simony. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Simony (discuss • contribs) 07:41, 24 June 2008
 * The best approach is to upload the photo to The Commons, as they do not have a waiting period (Wikibooks has something like a four day waiting period between registration and upload privs). Anything uploaded to the commons is directly usable here, as well as at Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects.  --Jomegat (talk) 12:33, 24 June 2008 (UTC)
 * As Jomegat said, go to the commons. It can be a bit of a hassale(as it was for me) but it makes everything a little bit easier, especially if you work on more than just wikibooks. We have this policy of waiting a few days so people won't load pornography, and other uneeded and unwanted images. Red4tribe (talk) 13:52, 26 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Actually, we're less concerned with porn etc. than with things being uploaded with no license/source info, false info, copyvio, etc. The idea with requiring autoconfirmed is that folks will be forced to wait and might read the relevant policy or even just the info at Special:Upload before uploading. If they do we'll hopefully end up with less junk. &mdash; Mike.lifeguard &#124; talk 01:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)