Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/SmackBot XXXI

The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA. The result of the discussion was

Approved.

SmackBot XXXI

Operator: Rich Farmbrough (talk · contribs)

Automatic or Manually assisted: Auto

Programming language(s): AWB

Source code available: AWB

Function overview: Replace or consolidate deprecated parameters in {{Cite web}} and other cite templates

Links to relevant discussions (where appropriate): Template talk:Citation/Archive 3#Deprecated fields

Edit period(s): one time

Estimated number of pages affected: 5502

Exclusion compliant (Y/N): Y

Already has a bot flag (Y/N): Y

Function details: specifically remove field "dateformat" form cite templates.

Discussion

How does this differ from Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/SmackBot XXIII? How many pages will be affected? Why has this number changed since XXIII? Josh Parris 02:44, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

All or almost all the cases (certainly all the then pages) covered in Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/SmackBot XXIII have been fixed - that is the reason the BRFA was withdrawn. dateformat was deprecated since. It is possible that a few of the other deprecated parameters have recurred, but these would probably be very few and suitable for manual fixing. There are approximately 5,555 (!) pages currently affected. Rich Farmbrough, 11:40, 31 May 2010 (UTC).[reply]

I'm having trouble seeing the "win" here. Josh Parris 00:17, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Cite templates are very complex. They are usually implemented by cut and paste. Deprecated (and useless) parameters will not be removed by passing editors (at least not often), they will hang around indefinitely, nad get cut and pasted in to other articles too. This is all a barrier to understanding wiki-source to newer editors, as well as code cruft. Rich Farmbrough, 19:08, 3 June 2010 (UTC).[reply]

I support this request. We are trying to clean cite templates a long time now. Cite templates are really messed up, AWB alerts for the error, Rjwilmsi is cleaning hundreds of them semi-manually. We need to get a bot into the game. -- Magioladitis (talk) 07:17, 11 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. Headbomb {talk / contribs / physics / books} 08:37, 11 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Cool.

Approved for trial (50 edits). Please provide a link to the relevant contributions and/or diffs when the trial is complete. (but I don't really care if you feel you should go over, in order to iron out all the bugs) Tim 1357 ^talk 01:31, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Trial complete. Thanks, here. Rich Farmbrough, 21:34, 13 June 2010 (UTC).[reply]

Cool.

Approved. Tim 1357 ^talk 02:24, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA.