I've created this task, to group a number of issues that are currently preventing a transcription effort from preceding more quickly than it could be if certain other issues were resolved satisfactorily.

The work in question is https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Index:Ruffhead_-_The_Statutes_at_Large,_1763.djvu

which because of certain (unofficial policy gudilines) is split between 3 Wikisource.

The work itself is nigh impossible to layout in a clean way presently, because it's dual language multi column with a lot of side titles/ margin references. Interjeecting into the multi language columns are single English languge headings !

If the issues involved in getting Mediawiki and extensions into a state where this work can be transcribed would undoubtedly assist a number of other workks in progess.

The major issues are essentialy

1. Currently the English Wikisource approach to handling sidenotes is not ideal for this work, an is currently only implemented on English Wikisource (en) (The work has portions on la and fr wikisource as well. )

2. The somewhat clunky parser function methods used for 'cross-site' transclusion.

3. How and when the parser generates additional "wrapping-tags" and how it parses certain tags embeded within others.

I appreciate that Wikisource is not generally seen as a high priority, but this work has effectively been stalled for over 2 years due to the above. Compared to "paid" archival projects this is not a good incentive to the contribution of major efforts on important works like this.

Some commentary here https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T86716 is also relevant.

I'd also filed this as while back - but withdraw it on advice at the time , I feel it's relevant here.

The other Phab task concerned being https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T86767

I'm removing Cite from this task and adding it to the still-open not-duplicate of the cite-related blocker.

Closing as resolved, given that a number of other issues were dealt with under other criteria, and it's bbetter to track this on the project concerned.