Template:Sfn 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.
The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
{{sfn}} and {{harvid}} seem to be out of sync on handling special characters. See Collective work for several examples that now show up as redlinks. Thus
Are you sure? I'm not seeing any errors in Collective work. In your examples above, you don't include a target, so here is the target from Collective work:
{{citation|ref={{harvid|Bernard Safran: Paintings – safran-arts}}|title=Bernard Safran: Paintings|work=safran-arts.com |url=http://www.safran-arts.com/index.html|access-date=5 June 2017}}
I don't see that sfn generating a link with an url encoded dash, the way you have it. Rather, it generates a link to #CITEREFBernard_Safran:_Paintings_–_safran-arts. If you are referring to footnote 1 in the top image caption, it links to the short footnote, which links to the full citation, so everything looks fine and I see no error here. Mathglot (talk) 05:28, 21 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
There is something odd going on. I do not see the problem on my laptop, but see the screenshot to the side which I just took on my phone, which I think is up to date Android/Chrome. Aymatth2 (talk) 17:41, 23 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
That error message is not caused by {{sfn}} but rather is caused by User:Ucucha/HarvErrors.js at User:Aymatth2/common.js#L-1 in your common.js page. Remove that line from your common.js and then refresh the page in the screen-cap. The error message should go away. If it does, try a different harv error script or report the error to Editor Ucucha.
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
Follow up: I wonder if the problem described above is the same problem that is described at phab:T348928 where MediaWiki is incorrectly url-encoding the short-form link when it should be anchor-encoding the link:
It gets worse. Since when has é been a "special character"? (A rhetorical question! before someone comes back with "1247" .)
At Lunar month, citation 8 gets an error
Chapront-Touzé & Chapront (1988). Harv error: link from CITEREFChapront-Touz%C3%A9Chapront1988 doesn't point to any citation
but the cited source is certainly there. Exactly the same article read on desktop view sees no problem and [8] resolves as expected. It does not compute, Captain. --𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 14:31, 12 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This is exactly the issue described (and apparently ignored) at phab:T348928.
'é' (U+00E9: Latin small letter e with acute) is not a 'special character' per se, but is a multibyte character. When rendering the html for the different views, MediaWiki differently encodes fragment wikilinks: anchor encoding for desktop view, uri encoding for mobile view. This is not something that can be fixed here.
Even though it can't be fixed here, I thought it worth putting it on the record for future archive searches. 𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 17:33, 12 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
There seems to be an issue with {{sfn}} when using the |ps and |pp parameters together. By default, in using both, you end up with two sentences without a space between them (see the Lindskoog example below). Some editors have tried to fix this by adding an extra |loc={{sp}} parameter, but then this gives you a comma you probably didn't intend. The comma either trails at the end of a sentence when you don't have a |ps parameter (pp. 18–19 example), or else separates two sentences when you do, instead of them being separated by a period (Gormley).
Also, when you have two {{sfn}} templates with the same |pp parameter but different |ps parameters, the engine renders them as the same citation, so the version with the |ps becomes unreadable (see the James Russell example).
Markup
Renders as
The book<ref>{{cite book|title=The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe|p=24|year=1950|last=Lewis|first=C. S.}}</ref> explores{{sfn|Lewis|1950|pp=18–19|loc={{sp}}}} the themes of lions,{{sfn|Lewis|1950|pp=18–19|loc={{sp}}|ps=This is explored further by James Russell.}} witches{{sfn|Lewis|1950|pp=32–33|ps=This is explored further by Kathryn Lindskoog.}} and wardrobes.{{sfn|Lewis|1950|pp=64–66|loc={{sp}}|ps=This is explored further by Beatrice Gormley.}}
== Notes ==
{{reflist-talk}}
The book[1] explores[2] the themes of lions,[2] witches[3] and wardrobes.[4]
Notes
References
^Lewis, C. S. (1950). The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. p. 24.
^ abLewis 1950, pp. 18–19, . Cite error: The named reference "FOOTNOTELewis195018–19 " was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
^Lewis 1950, pp. 32–33This is explored further by Kathryn Lindskoog.
^Lewis 1950, pp. 64–66, This is explored further by Beatrice Gormley.
I would suggest that the preferred rendering should be:
Lewis 1950, pp. 18–19.
Lewis 1950, pp. 18–19. This is explored further by James Russell.
Lewis 1950, pp. 32–33. This is explored further by Kathryn Lindskoog.
Lewis 1950, pp. 64–66. This is explored further by Beatrice Gormley.
Like |postscript= in the cs1|2 templates, the purpose of |ps= and |postscript= in {{sfn}} and related templates is to control the rendering of terminal punctuation; a single character: a dot, a comma, a semicolon, etc.
You would be better served to write:
...explores{{sfn|Lewis|1950|pp=18–19}}...lions,<ref>{{harvnb|Lewis|1950|pp=18–19|ps=.}} This is explored further by James Russell.</ref>...
Ah I see the confusion, I took Would it be possible to add a parameter to the template as meaning this template, and that the OP meant Cite AV Media as reference to mean the cite that SFN is linking to. -- LCU ActivelyDisinterested«@» °∆t°11:56, 11 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hello, in Madam La Compt there is the following message: "Cite error: The named reference "FOOTNOTEMcDermott1949128" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page)."
There are some {{sfn|McDermott|1949|p=128}} and one {{sfn|McDermott|1949|p=128|ps=. Note 100.}}
As a short-term solution I added another copy of the source and |ref={{harvid|McDermott (note)|1958}}</nowki> and <nowiki>{{sfn|McDermott (note)|1949|p=128}}–CaroleHenson (talk) 15:43, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Sfn templates work by matching to the details in the source text of the cite (kind of that's just the simple way of putting it), as Cite Q has no author or year details in source text a false positive error will always occur. It's an issue that has been raised on the Cite Q template talkpage a few times. Until it is fixed you can add dummy duplicates of the missing text details to the cite, or use {{sfn whitelist}} to suppress the false positive error messages. -- LCU ActivelyDisinterested«@» °∆t°22:21, 5 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. I've tried assigning "CNN Newsource" to different properties in Wikidata, so far without suppressing "{{cite journal}}: |author= has generic name (help)" from:
No, sfn whitelist is unrelated; it suppresses the harv linking errors that you always get with sfn+cite Q. Your problem is badly formatted metadata that squeezes the information from the citation into the wrong parameters. The citation should probably have publisher=KMIZ and agency=CNN Newsource. I suspect there is a mismatch between how wikidata represents reference metadata and how the citation templates expect to see it, causing cite Q to try to hammer round pegs into square holes. I don't know enough about how cite Q works to persuade it to format the citation correctly. Why not just use {{cite news}} and fill in the metadata locally? —David Eppstein (talk) 00:04, 6 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Why is this discussion happening in twop places. Don't do that. Continue at Template talk:Cite Q.
The second instance of SfnRef is not the correct template to use, it should just be Sfn. The first instance seems like it should work to creat an anchor that the Sfn template can link to, but I also think it is unnecessary. The cite book template should be able to create the template by itself because there is nothing unusual about the citation. Jc3s5h (talk) 21:27, 18 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Where? Are you getting errors because you mistakenly used {{sfnref}} when you should have used {{sfn}}?
In your examples, the {{cite book}} template emits a CS1 maint: ref duplicates default message because {{SfnRef|Von Bernewitz |Geissman |2000}} produces exactly the same CITEREF anchor ID as the {{cite book}} template does for itself. The {{cite book}} template should be rewritten:
{{cite book|first1=Fred |last1=Von Bernewitz |first2=Grant |last2=Geissman |title=Tales of Terror: The EC Companion |publisher=[[Gemstone Publishing]] and [[Fantagraphics Books]]|location=[[Timonium, Maryland]], and [[Seattle, Washington]]|date=2000 |isbn={{format ISBN|9781560974031}}}}
Thank you for the advice. I didn't know that judging based on the documentation, I thought I had to use SfnRef because there's more than one author. But that helps me out a lot. thank you.Blue Pumpkin Pie (talk) 00:49, 19 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This has to do with the cite templates rather than {{sfn}}, but the solution is to use the plain hyphen-minus (U+002D) instead of U+2010. Kanguole17:09, 2 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Is this the correct template to use for an undated, single-author work? If not, which template do I use? There's an issue where using the template with "n.d." for not dated lists that as a second author. The other issue is that multiple different sources from the same author are used.--3family6 (Talk to me | See what I have done) 16:37, 2 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Are you sure? Always good to give real life examples when something that you think should work doesn't. I think it works so I have contrived a test (using {{harvp}} for clarity and simplicity; {{sfnp}} renders the same format):
{{cite book|last=von Helden |first=Imke |year=2010 |editor-last=Scott |editor-first=Niall W.R. |url=http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mmp1ever1290310.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028202550/http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mmp1ever1290310.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-10-28 |chapter=Barbarians and Literature: Viking Metal and its Links to Old Norse Mythology |title=The Metal Void |pages=257–263 |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-904710-87-5 }} →
Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Blood Fire Death". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
Huey, Steve. "Marching Out". AllMusic. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
von Helden, Imke (2010). "Barbarians and Literature: Viking Metal and its Links to Old Norse Mythology". In Scott, Niall W.R. (ed.). The Metal Void(PDF). Oxford. pp. 257–263. ISBN978-1-904710-87-5. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2014-10-28.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Remove the parentheses from n.d.(a). {{sfn}} expects the CITEREF disambiguation letter in the same format for n.d. that it expects for a numerical year: 2024a so n.d.a.
Fixed your von Helden reference; its a book not a journal.
Lua error in Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list at line 841: Template list not yet created.
Hi all, anyone know what this message means? I can't see that I'm using sfns any different to earlier occasions (indeed, I always C&P the format from a previous article deliberately!) In source edit mode everything's fine, but in VE you get... this. Bizarre. Any help appreciated! SerialNumber54129A New Face in Hell18:50, 13 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry for all the pings! I've saved it to SB, weirdly now there's no problem editing in VE, no red ink. Basically it only seems to appear when it's an unsaved page in VE? But that's something new to me if so, I must say. SerialNumber54129A New Face in Hell19:21, 13 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Editor User:Hike395 recently made significant changes to Module:Footnotes/anchor id list so I think that the responsibility for repair lies there. I expect that the 'new' code relies on content actually existing. When previewing content written using the source editor, Module:Footnotes/anchor id list is able to fetch the wikitext content. There is no content when 'previewing' with that abomination that is VE. I am not aware of any similar errors occuring with the older module code.
Thanks Trappist... I assume that's why there's now no drop down links available either. (By the way, I tend to agree with you re the abomination, but it's quite handy when I'm in the final stages of copy-editing—it makes it easier to see through the code.) I'm sure User:Hike395's significant changes are a significant improvement, somewhere. Thanks for your help, both, even if there's not much I can do about it! SerialNumber54129A New Face in Hell20:24, 13 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know what you mean by drop down links; {{sfn}} and the Module:Footnotes do not control or provide any 'dropdowns' whatever they might be.
No links@Trappist the monk: well, of course, I don't know the proper name for the phenomena, and you never use it anyway, so of course you wouldn't. I meant, see image, that when you typed something in to link in VE, a drop down of available pages would appear to choose from. SerialNumber54129A New Face in Hell20:56, 13 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I can confirm this is an error message that I added. In theory, it should never occur, but clearly Visual Editor does something very odd. I will attempt a fix. — hike395 (talk) 23:51, 13 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]