User:V111P/js/WebRef: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:54, 3 February 2018

Latest revision as of 18:13, 8 May 2022

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[[File:WebRef citation tool.png|thumb|A text box with the Cite Web template is displayed on top of the page after activating the bookmarklet.]]

'''WebRef''' is a [[scripting language|script]] automating the filling of the {{template|cite web}} template. You runuse the script on the page you want to cite. A form will be displayed on top of that page with a text box containing the prefilled cite template. You should review the prefilled values and fill the missing ones and then press the "Compact & Copy" button (except for [[WP:LDR]] cites).

Not all the information can be autofilled on all sites, however it's easy to just drag or copy and paste the information from the page when the form with the cite template inis on the same page.

For some sites, in order for the script to be able to fill all the information (including the name of the author and the date of the article), you have to configure the script to let it know where to find that information. - toTo do that, press the ''Site setup'' button and follow the instructions.

The script can be used as a [[bookmarklet]] with the following address:

<div style="width:95%; overflow:auto; border: 2px solid #088">

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="javascript">javascript:(function(){var d=document,s=d.createElement('script');s.src='//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:V111P/js/webRef.js&action=raw&ctype=text/javascript&smaxage=43200&maxage=86400';d.body.appendChild(s);})();</sourcesyntaxhighlight>

</div>

To test the script, using a desktop/laptop computer, you can just execute [[User:V111P/js/webRef.js|its source code]] (or the code above, after removing the <code>javascript:</code> part) in your browser's JavaScript console (which in most browsers can be opened by pressing the F12 key). Make sure you are on a page with (only one) article on it, for example on a news site.

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* In Firefox click on any bookmark in the bookmark menu. (It will be more convenient if you turn on the Bookmarks toolbar from ''View/Toolbars/Bookmarks toolbar'' and create the bookmarklet there.) Select ''New Bookmark'', enter a name (for example ''WebRef'') in the Name field, enter the script given above in the address field (Location).

* In Internet Explorer you can create a bookmark of any page in the usual manner (Add to favorites), then right-click it in the favorites menu, choose Properties, enter the JavaScript given above in the URL field, change the name (in the General section) to ''WebRef''.

* In Google Chrome and Opera (Windows and Linux) - press Ctrl+D and then the button Edit (for Chrome) or Properties (for Opera), and change the name to ''WebRef'' and address as forto the otherscript browsersabove.

* In Google Chrome (Mac) – press Cmd-D then the button More, and change the name to ''WebRef'' and address to the script above.

There is a second set of instructions further below if you have problems with these.

== Quotation ==

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The caveat is that these words, after ^^, can be [[regular expression]]s. What that means is to use the characters '''\ . ? * + | ^ $ ( ) [ ] { }''' you need to prepend them with <code>\</code>. Otherwise they have special meanings. A period for examples means "any one character". An example: we want to remove everything after the first period: <code>span.byline-name^^^^\.</code> - here we use <code>\</code> to escape the special-character meaning of the period.

== How to create the bookmarklet -- super easy instructions! ==

==Not escaping spaces in URLs properly?==

I've noticed that spaces in URL's often don't get escaped properly. For example:

[[File:WebRef citation tool.png|thumb|The bookmark (bookmarklet) doesn't take you to a different page, all it does is run the JavaScript saved in it: a text box with the Cite Web template pops up at the top of the page you are currently on, after clicking on the bookmark.]]This is actually super easy to set up. I do computer support for friends and family, so let's first ditch all the jargon: for all intents and purposes a bookmarklet is nothing more than a bookmark with special instructions -- in this case a JavaScript put in the place where you usually have the URL.

<pre>

<ref name="book_TheB">{{Cite web

This is what you need to do:

| title = The Bronx, in Bits and Pieces

* In your '''second favorite browser''', the one you don't use a lot for editing Wikipedia, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:V111P/js/WebRef

| author =

* In your '''favorite browser''' open any web page that you ''haven't'' bookmarked yet. Make a bookmark -- I put mine on the Bookmarks bar for easy access.

| work = Google Books

* Right-click the new bookmark and in FireFox go to Properties, in Chrome or Opera to Edit. You'll see that the first line is headed Name and contains the name of the webpage you just bookmarked. Replace the name of the webpage with whatever makes sense to you, I called my bookmark ''Wiki WebRef''.

| date =

* The second line is called Location or URL, depending on your browser. Delete the URL that is in it so that you have a blank line. Go to your other browser and '''copy the entire text in the green box'''. Then go back to your main browser and paste this into the Location or URL line of the bookmark. It will look like it won't fit, but it does.

| accessdate = 2018-02-03

* Hit Save and you are done!

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=WeVTP3GyFH0C&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=faile+mansion&source=bl&ots=Gi_ATxuIsJ&sig=nMvLUfi4Y0Ckl8G377s-9IspZqA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiC78nhzofZAhWKxFkKHW3nCBgQ6AEwDnoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=faile mansion&f=false

| language =

To use WebRef, click on the WebRef bookmark when you are on the page you want to cite. The special WebRef bookmark doesn't take you to another page, it runs the JavaScript in the bookmark and opens a text box with the Cite Web template.

| quote =

}}</ref>

If WebRef doesn't include the author's name, click on the 'Authors' button and enter the name(s) just as they appear on the webpage. "Jane Doe" will be converted automatically to "last = Doe | first = Jane."

</pre>

Make sure to check the dates because WebRef doesn't always pick up the correct publication date, even when it is shown on the webpage.

Thank you '''V111P''' for giving us such an easy to use way for creating references! If you still have problems setting this up -- and after reading the troubleshooting tips below, I'd be happy to help. If you installed WebRef after reading my guide, I'd love to hear from you.

-- [[User:Peter NYC|Peter NYC]] ([[User talk:Peter NYC|talk]]) 01:50, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

== Troubleshooting ==

[[File:WebRef citation tool.png|thumb|The bookmark (bookmarklet) doesn't take you to a different page, all it does is run the JavaScript saved in it: a text box with the Cite Web template pops up at the top of the page you are currently on, after clicking on the bookmark.]]If you have problems getting WebRef to work, first go to a site that is known to be easy to use with WebRef, the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com. Click on a news article on the main page, and then click on your WebRef bookmark.

If the textbox does not pop up:

* Make sure that you are not blocking JavaScript in your browser settings.

* If you use JavaScript blocking browser extensions such as [[NoScript]] or ''ScriptSafe'' turn them off temporarily and '''reload the page'''.

* Ad blockers such as [[Adblock]], [[Adblock Plus]] or [[uBlock Origin]] could be blocking JavaScript, so you may have to turn them off temporarily and '''reload the page'''.

* Pause the [[Ghostery]] browser extension if you use it, because it is known to interfere, and then '''reload the page'''.

Sometimes you need to reload the webpage '''twice''' after turning off extensions. Good luck!

The url field has ''q=faile mansion''. The embedded space should be escaped to a + (or maybe some %hex code).

Other than that, this is a truly awesome tool. Thanks for making it available! -- [[User:RoySmithPeter NYC|RoySmithPeter NYC]] ([[User Talktalk:RoySmithPeter NYC|(talk)]]) 1501:5450, 325 FebruaryMay 20182019 (UTC)

== See also ==