Template talk:Public watchlist
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[edit] Usage
This template is used as a front end to a "shared watchlist" page, which as its name indicates functions like a watchlist but can be accessed by any reader of the wiki.
Note that this template does not actually create the watchlist page; it simply provides a grouped set of links to see recent changes to any articles linked to from the watchlist page (the "watchlist" function), edit the page, see the page's edit history, or simply go directly to the page.
UPDATE: The template is now parameterized; if you want to place the front end to an existing watchlist page in a new location you only need to include the full page name of the watchlist page as a parameter to the template.
Thus, if you wanted to create a shared watchlist for Wikipedia:WikiProject Foo, placing the template without parameters on that page would create a shared watchlist at Wikipedia:WikiProject Foo/publicwatchlist. If you then wanted to place a front end to that watchlist on your user page, you would insert the following:
- {{public watchlist|Wikipedia:WikiProject Foo/publicwatchlist}}
[edit] Intended revisions
I'd like to make some revisions to increase the utility of this template. I'd like to make the location of the watchlist page a parameter, which defaults to {{NAMESPACEE}}:{{PAGENAMEE}}/publicwatchlist only when no other page has been specified as where the watchlist is. That way, if the watchlist had already been created, you'd simply add the name of the page as an argument to the template, and could have links to all the watchlists you're watching on your user pages. If there are no objections, I'll make this change in about a week or so.
I'd also like to mention that I've created some templates that, when subst'ed in, make it easier to set up a watchlist: {{pwli}} (for 'public watchlist item') and {{pwlr}} (for 'public watchlist redirect'). -- Antaeus Feldspar 15:38, 2 March 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Further changes
I'd like to make some further changes to the template: on the backend, I'd like to use the built-in {{FULLPAGENAMEE}} variable as an alternative to the current '{{NAMESPACEE}}:{{PAGENAMEE}}' construct; this should have exactly the same effect but be simpler (and thus be less likely to break as a result of future changes) and possibly put less load on the servers.
I'd also like to make some cosmetic changes: I envision the template output being encapsulated in a simple colored text box with some text added to explain what template generated the box and how to use it. -- Antaeus Feldspar 15:47, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
- OK, I've made the variable substitution change and the cosmetic changes. Please let me know any problems or issues that are encountered with it; if you have ideas for further improving the appearance please feel free (getting it to look even as good as it does was a challenge for me.) -- Antaeus Feldspar 14:38, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Please put back View the watchlist!
Hi, Antaeus, the View the watchlist! button is very a useful option. Typically we only want to edit one letter section, not the entire list which might be very long and frequently updated, as in WikiProject Pseudophysics watchlist. So can you add this button to the template, please? User:Bubba73 also asked for this addition in a talk page. TIA ---CH
- Sure, I can do that -- I removed it because I thought it was redundant, with the name of the watchlist page being made into a link that had the same effect as the previous "View the list!" button. However, if it isn't intuitive that the two links function the same, we can put back in an explicit "View the list" button. -- Antaeus Feldspar 20:52, 27 March 2006 (UTC)
