Template talk:Infobox software

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Infobox software template.

Put new text under old text. Click here to start a new topic.
New to Wikipedia? Welcome! Learn to edit; get help.

Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 90 days

Template:Infobox software is permanently protected from editing because it is a heavily used or highly visible template. Substantial changes should first be proposed and discussed here on this page. If the proposal is uncontroversial or has been discussed and is supported by consensus, editors may use {{edit template-protected}} to notify an administrator or template editor to make the requested edit. Usually, any contributor may edit the template's documentation to add usage notes or categories.

Any contributor may edit the template's sandbox. Functionality of the template can be checked using test cases.

Computing: Software / Free and open-source software Template‑class

	This template is within the scope of WikiProject Computing, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of computers, computing, and information technology on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.ComputingWikipedia:WikiProject ComputingTemplate:WikiProject ComputingComputing articles
Template	This template does not require a rating on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.
	This template is supported by WikiProject Software.
	This template is supported by Free and open-source software.

Remove "collapsible" parameter?[edit]

Do we really need an ability to hide screenshots in templates, which is not recommended by WP:DONTHIDE by default? It seems to me that if a screenshot doesn't fit in the infobox, it's better to take it out of the infobox and place it as a separate image. But in most cases I don't see a problem with displaying screenshots under the logo (like here diagrams.net), while display niceties should simply be solved by reducing the size of the screenshot. Looking at "collapsible" parameter here - there are a huge number of errors there. Somewhere, as you can see right away - random text is filled in, in many cases "yes" is specified there but without screenshots added, somewhere random photos are placed there (Orbiter (simulator)). Additional parameters (which are not specified in templatedata) "collapsetext" and "background" are also not used anywhere and unlikely to be needed. Solidest (talk) 16:48, 18 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

While I tentatively support removing the "collapsible" parameter, I would go as far as removing screenshot support completely. Screenshots should be in the body of the article, next to where the depicted matter is discussed (e.g. the "Features" section for GIMP). This would align it with almost every other infobox for computer-centric topics (such as video games). IceWelder [✉] 17:09, 18 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I'd also support taking screenshots out of the infobox entirely, but that should probably be a separate discussion. Solidest (talk) 23:41, 18 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Comment: I should note that this RfC isn't properly formatted; see WP:RFCOPEN. But in any case, an RfC would not be appropriate per WP:RFCBEFORE, considering no meaningful discussion has occured in the past, so an ordinary talk page discussion would suffice. InfiniteNexus (talk) 22:25, 18 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, probably shouldn't have added the RfC prefix since I meant it as a basic discussion. Removed it. Solidest (talk) 23:42, 18 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Discussion at WP:Village pump (technical) § Lua errors[edit]

You are invited to join the discussion at WP:Village pump (technical) § Lua errors. It looks like a transclusion of this infobox recently broke the Google Chrome article following good-faith additions to the article's Wikidata item. Best, ‍—‍a smart kitten_[meow] 01:06, 5 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that problem could have been fixed in this infobox. This is a basic risk of depending on Wikidata editors to populate {{Latest stable software release/Google Chrome}} with valid data. That template in turns populates {{Infobox software}} in the Google Chrome article. If you don't want that article to be subject to Wikidata errors, you can fill in the relevant |latest release version= and similar parameters in the article's infobox. – Jonesey95 (talk) 01:24, 5 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

We could make the Module more resilient against errors, but at this point I think the easier and more sensible option may be to remove version information from the infobox. Not only is Wikipedia not supposed to be a directory for this kind of information, it would also alleviate the associated micromanagement burden and remove a major vandalism entry point. IceWelder [✉] 12:08, 5 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Field labels: wrapping, order, pluralization[edit]

Currently, the template is set up to prevent any of the field labels from wrapping. Where the author or operating system fields are used, this can lead to the data being squished and can result in the infobox being substantially longer than necessary. Further to Psantora's unopposed suggestion a few years ago, I want to suggest that we remove the blanket nowrap style for labels and instead allow all labels to wrap except for "Other names", "Initial release, "Written in", "Included with", "Available in", and "As of". On the one page I have tested this on (MSN Messenger), it shortens the infobox by three lines while also making the infobox look less awkward.

I would also suggest that the type field be moved immediately underneath the other names field, from its current location at nearly the bottom of the infobox. In most cases, the software type is a two- or three-word summary of what the piece of software is used for, which is most useful for someone unfamiliar with it.

Lastly, rather than using an s in parentheses to show optional pluralization, in most cases, we can use {{pluralize from text}} to detect whether the data is plural. In cases where it is unsure, (s) could be retained.

I have added the necessary code to the template sandbox. Any thoughts? Graham (talk) 03:42, 9 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]