User talk:BulldozerD11

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Templates Galore
Hey there Dozer!

With templates in general, the best way to go about it is to manually write out an 'inspiration' page that looks exactly how you'd like the template to format things. Then, it's much easier to move all that nasty code from the page into a template. Trying to build a template without knowing how the end product should look is like trying to tackle two difficult things at once. Once you have an inspiration, or example page, it's fairly easy to make it into a template that other, similar, pages can use.

Where were you thinking the edit buttons should be? The problem with using edit buttons on templates is that there's no specific section of the template you can 'point' at for the edit link. So if you wanted to add the owner for 9924, you can put a button that points to the whole list, but then you have to scroll through the whole list to figure out where to put it in. We have the same problems on Marvel, where we'd like to have a button you could click to enter the character's height or weight, but we haven't figured out how to do it yet, sadly. All that being said, you could definitely add an 'edit the list' link to the template, so that people would go straight to the list, but you'd still have to scroll through it to find the part you want to put in.

It's true, Wikia uses different versions and skins of MediaWiki software, so for the most part, Wikipedia templates don't translate well, if at all. In all honesty, if you've gotten any of them to work, you should congratulate yourself. :) I'm not too sure what that color template was supposed to do.

All food for thought. I'll take a look at trying to make the edit links in the templates again, and see what I can come up with. :)

&mdash; Nathan (Peteparker) (Earth-1218) (talk &bull; contribs &bull; email) 03:46, 7 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Below message copied here, as reply above is to this message
 * Hi Nathan

As you were so help full with some of my earlier template problems I wonder if you can help again.

1) I'd like to create a group of templates to create standardised blank (no content) page layouts for different types / makes of machine etc on the Tractors Wiki. I've seen a similar idea on one of the wikis but canot remember which :( But dont what to get bogged down in more Wikipedia ones. ;)

2) I also could do with adding edit buttons to the transcluded tables on some pages (part of navbar should do it but you know the earlier problems with that template). heres one of the tables, with edit workround. BTW the Navbar2 versions working OK and is on loads of pages (Wendy fixed a slight stacking problem for me).

3) Still got the problem with code appearing in strange places. such as this one here which dose not form the boxes correctly.

4) The Suite of Msg boxes that came from WP, I got the original author to fix one but I canot understand what he did tried to do the others but slightly different. He Claims Wikia uses a slightly different version of MediaWiki software with a poor Parser function !!  Template:Ambox Works on Trams wiki but not at tractor wiki

Would be great full if you can assist with any of these Nathan - Thanks BulldozerD11 02:31, 5 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Reply to your msg at top/my original questions (broken up for ref)


 * 1) Ok I draft someeting out (thats probably the hard bit (now see it your Marvel databse with semi automated templates). A Seperate discusion is on going over there as well
 * 2) Uberfuzzy fixed my fiddle edit button on navbar, but Tnavbars probably the answer if it can be fixed (site upgrade may do it or may make it worst !)
 * The Edit links at top of transcluded page will be ok just gets to the actual content in two cliks instead of about 6 currently. I'll wait on this and see if Uberfuzzy can fix nav template, as page is then a wikitable in anavbox frame (I think). I'll look for a WP example tomorrow(latter today I was going 2 hours ago as nearly time to gett up).
 * 3)Fixed by a user yesterday !! (Ive just fixed the Icons (uploaded missing ones after swaping to png's). template colours used in some documentation pages (imported stuff) but probably has a use to higlight items. Other templates have display issues like this Infobox company - finding faulty ones is a problem due to copying so many :(
 * 4) Ubberfuzzy has fixed Ambox and one other (I tried Tmbox but still not right) - its rest of suite of boxes. Uberfuzzy  or Parser upgrade may fix if lucky.
 * Nathan I'll get back to you on template idea over ar Marvel after getting idea as your user page buttons sort of do it. (a meta template core + then customised options list for each type of page) Or the boilerplate extension but need to look at that more. -- BulldozerD11 04:49, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

Big wikis
I'm not sure how it's showing for you, but for anonymous users and anyone who is using the shrinkwrap on Community Central, the full name of your wiki is taking two lines. This isn't so great for the visual appeal and clarity of the page. I've provided a screenshot of what happens. The 888th Avatar  (talk)  04:03, March 28, 2010 (UTC)


 * Hi Avatar i can see your point, but to arbitrarily rename a wiki from its proper name to some other corrupted version just to suit 'your' veiw of a pretty page is out of order without discussing it first. Would you like Avatar wiki renaming to Avata Wiki or would Wookipedia be happy with Wookpeda, just to fit your personal page layout view - ?


 * I'm OK with dropping the Wiki bit but to omit Construction from the wikis title and just use Tractor and Plant would be unclear as most of the world would then think it was abut horticulture (plants) or farming. Plant is a term used in the UK for machinery that in the US is often call Engineering machinery or equipment, an even longer title ! Autmobibles is car related of which there are several wikis, Vehicles tends to be associated with road going machines, Machinery wiki would be too vague etc. I considered titles such as "Classic or Vintage machinery and vehicle preservation wiki" but it was too long and infered just older machines. So unless anybody can suggest a reasonable title that relates to the content the name is "Tractor and Construction Plant Wiki" - which was the title accepted when it was created.


 * Whats this shrink wrap thing ? All wiki pages have layout issues in some browsers / screen resolutions due to the dynamic nature of the layout and number of options available ! I tried to balance the colums on a number of occasions when additions were made to that page in the past and realsie, some of it was due to names wrapping, but other were people placing names at the head of a column section, rather than the bottom of the previous one. :;


 * There are no page guide lines agree by the community from what i see for hub pages as the whole hubs ideas is under reveiw and at the moment is still focused on just promoting the fanons and games wikis, since the vast majority if the minor hobs are off on dead ends and not linked from the main navigation links. Hobbies now redirects to lifstyle which is not relevant to most of its former constituent wikis.


 * BTW The new style Hubs are looking better but till they are sorted out for all 'types/grouping' the biggest Wikis page is the only one that is relevant to my wiki with any reasonable chance of being seen by casual visitors.
 * - BulldozerD11 13:39, March 28, 2010 (UTC)