Template talk:A

Does anyone knows what is the difference between {{a|Linnaeus|nolink=y}} and {{aut|Linnaeus}}?--Estopedist1 (talk) 11:49, 16 September 2020 (UTC)

Template:A with the parameter nolink is useful if you want to have the full author name in the source text but you don't want to produce a red link, for example if the author is no taxon authority and has no author article in WS. Please do not change to Template:aut nor delete the nolink parameter. --RLJ (talk) 12:08, 16 September 2020 (UTC)

@RLJ: it seems to be a bit fuzzy explanation. What do you think, is this nolink-structure is adequate eg in here: Adocinae, put by user:Faendalimas?--Estopedist1 (talk) 06:42, 18 September 2020 (UTC)

it is definitley misused in here: Adocus--Estopedist1 (talk) 06:44, 18 September 2020 (UTC)

In Adocinae and Adocus {{a|Cope, E.D.|nolink=y}} is equivalent with {{aut|Cope, E.D.}} (Template Aut is now derived from Template:A, but with one parameter only).

I think when citing literature, authors should be mentioned with their full name in the source text, whenever possible. If they are not relevant for Wikispecies, their mention should not produce unnecessary red links.

Here is an example of the way I use the nolink parameter:

• {{a|Karl Peter Buttler|Buttler, K.P.}}, {{a|Michael Thieme|Thieme, M.|nolink=y}} & collborators 2018. ''Florenliste von Deutschland – Gefäßpflanzen, Version 10.'' Frankfurt am Main, August 2018, published on the internet (http://www.kp-buttler.de).

Karl Peter Buttler (†) was a botanist with an article on WS. Michael Thieme is a computer administrator managing the technical issues of the cited website, apparently having little relevance for the purpose of Wikispecies. Without the nolink parameter I would have a red link. {{a|Michael Thieme|Thieme, M.}} gives Thieme, M., {{aut|Michael Thieme|Thieme, M.}} gives Michael Thieme, because Template Aut takes only the first parameter, so I unfortunately would have to revert the parameters: {{aut|Thieme, M.|Michael Thieme}} results in Thieme, M. --RLJ (talk) 09:25, 18 September 2020 (UTC)

• I believe the idea of the nolink was to have one template for all, the A template, so basically the nolink makes the template behave like the aut template. Personally I think there are too many of these. I prefer one template for all these. Also it prevents duplicate redirects, but still permits the same general formatting without the link. Cheers Scott Thomson (Faendalimas) ^talk 20:29, 18 September 2020 (UTC)
  • @RLJ: probably user:Faendalimas found the point and this "nolink-y"-structure is redundancy and clutter. However, in order to really prevent linking of no authorities, we probably need something like {{a|Michael Thieme|Thieme, M.|nolink=y|reason=no taxon authority}}. Prevent linking is problem, when eg the reference has several authors and first or middle of them is actually not taxon authority, eg {{Ackerfield & Wen, 2002}} (I am not checked maybe Ackerfield actually is taxon authority)--Estopedist1 (talk) 05:38, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

Jennifer Ackerfield. Currently, the "nolink-y"-structure is not redundancy and clutter, see source text of Template:Aut. --RLJ (talk) 07:28, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

empty cat param

The documentation states that an empty cat parameter places the page in the taxa by author hierarchy. However, I just did a little testing and that doesn't (still?) seem to be the case? Only giving the cat parameter a value results in the category being set. To me this seems like the sanest behaviour, but maybe there's (many?) uses of this template out there with an empty cat parameter, where the author expected the page to get a category?

So, if others can reproduce, we should decide if we either fix the documentation, or fix the template... Azertus (talk) 17:39, 22 August 2023 (UTC)

It looks me to me like the documentation is incorrect. The wikicode {{#if: {{{cat|}}} | [[Category:{{{1}}} taxa]] | }} adds the category only if the parameter cat is defined and non-empty. Monster Iestyn (talk) 19:42, 22 August 2023 (UTC)

Thanks for confirming! I'd already added an example of the cat param to the docs. I'll remove the mention of empty parameters. Azertus (talk) 19:53, 22 August 2023 (UTC)

weird 'f'-rendering under small-cap

I have so long been bothered by rendering of 'f' from this template: I want Hook.f. to be displayed as 'HOOK.f.' and O.Hoffm. as 'O.HOFFM.'. The current situation, however, is the other way around: rendered like 'HOOK.F.' and 'O.HOffM.'. Could anyone solve this issue? --Eryk Kij (talk) 11:57, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

Use {{a|Joseph Dalton Hooker|Hook}}.f. for Hook.f.

I'm not clear what's wrong with O.Hoffm. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:17, 15 March 2024 (UTC)