Forum:CT:Reworking the category header with JavaScript

Forums > Consensus track archive > CT:Reworking the category header with JavaScript
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The result of the debate was Support Votes 1-3. —spookywillowwtalk 22:57, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

So, it's been kind of a long-standing issue that our header templates, maintenance tags and infoboxes, because they're defined at the top of the page, will add their categories to the start of a page's category list. For those who have the top-of-the-page category list hidden (wasn't even aware that was a thing til yesterday), it may not matter much, but for all of our casual users on desktop, it kind of makes that list near-useless. A few months ago I tossed out the idea of hiddencat'ing all of our maintenance categories, but that wasn't the right solution to the problem.

So may I present... the right solution (I hope): JavaScript magic that will, on page load, rewrite the header category list to move all maintenance and header-template categories to their own lower line. It'll also adjust the category count, and remove the dropdown if it's no longer needed. There are some formatting decisions that we'll vote on, but the main vote is whether or not to adopt the JavaScript.

Here are some examples of how it'll look.

Current View With the JavaScript
CatExample-Ember-Current CatExample-Ember-Normal
CatExample-Anakin-Current CatExample-AnakinNormal

NOTE: Just as an update, I've been editing with the JavaScript enabled locally, and right now I'm thinking it'll (in most cases) look better with the two lines next to each other, left-to-right. I've shown an example in Discord, but the CSS changes are easy to tweak and may be subject to changes. Cade GalacticRepublicEmblem-Traced-TORkit Calrayn 22:17, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

Vote #1: Implement the JavaScript

Support

  1. As proposer. This will make the category header much more user-friendly, for both the casual reader and the experienced editor; I use the header categories quite often in my maintenance work and I think that splitting out the OOU/maintenance categories will be helpful for both readers looking for subject categories and for editors looking for things to fix. Cade GalacticRepublicEmblem-Traced-TORkit Calrayn 22:49, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
  2. OOM 224 22:57, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
  3. I use this thing a lot and this change would be so convenient Panther436 RedNihilEye (talk) 00:10, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  4. —spookywillowwtalk 01:28, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  5. Master FredceriqueCommerce Guild(talk) (he/him) 01:58, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  6. CometSmudge (talk) 02:00, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  7. Yasen Nestorov (talk) 04:32, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  8. Imperators II(Talk) 07:50, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  9. ThrawnChiss7 Mitth symbol Assembly Cupola 22:39, 19 March 2025 (UTC)
  10. Lewisr (talk) 22:42, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Oppose

Vote #2: Reduce Font Size

This vote is about whether or not to reduce the font size on the second line. Ordinarily I'd just go ahead and make the CSS change, but this feels like something the community should decide. The specific size itself can be tinkered with, but this vote is about whether or not we want to reduce the font size at all.

Normal Font Size Smaller Font Size
CatExample-AnakinNormal CatExample-Ember-Small
CatExample-Ember-Normal CatExample-AnakinSmall

Support (Small Font)

  1. Cade GalacticRepublicEmblem-Traced-TORkit Calrayn 22:49, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
  2. OOM 224 22:57, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
  3. Panther436 RedNihilEye (talk) 00:10, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  4. —spookywillowwtalk 01:28, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  5. Master FredceriqueCommerce Guild(talk) (he/him) 01:58, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  6. CometSmudge (talk) 02:00, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  7. Yasen Nestorov (talk) 04:32, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  8. Imperators II(Talk) 07:50, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  9. ThrawnChiss7 Mitth symbol Assembly Cupola 22:39, 19 March 2025 (UTC)
  10. Lewisr (talk) 22:42, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Oppose (Same Size)

Vote 3: Canon/Legends on Second Line

This was also tossed out as a suggestion: moving the four continuity categories to the second line, as they're the first category added to the page's wikitext since they're in Template:Top.

Support

  1. Cade GalacticRepublicEmblem-Traced-TORkit Calrayn 22:49, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
  2. OOM 224 22:57, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
  3. Panther436 RedNihilEye (talk) 00:10, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  4. —spookywillowwtalk 01:28, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  5. Master FredceriqueCommerce Guild(talk) (he/him) 01:58, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  6. CometSmudge (talk) 02:00, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  7. Yasen Nestorov (talk) 04:32, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  8. Imperators II(Talk) 07:50, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
  9. ThrawnChiss7 Mitth symbol Assembly Cupola 22:39, 19 March 2025 (UTC)
  10. Lewisr (talk) 22:42, 23 March 2025 (UTC)

Oppose

Discuss