On Apple mobile devices, including iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, all running the newest available software and using Safari as the browser.

Wikipedia:Requested_articles/Applied arts and sciences

Most of the links here (e.g. Agriculture, Architecture, ...) are colored blue and are links to articles in the main body of Wikipedia rather than being lists of requested articles. A few of the links work right: Education, "Flags, coat of arms, logos and trademarks", Technology and tools, Transportation and References.

Same problem happens in Wikipedia:Requested_articles/Mathematics.

Aha! I've figured out the problem. This is just an user interface weirdity. There are actually two "links" on each line, the down-arrow at the left and the title to the right of it. The down-arrow opens the requested articles and the title opens the existing article about that subject heading, if it exists.

To me the down-arrow and title look like one thing, not two and since the title is a bigger target I clicked it and didn't get what I have learned to expect. Especially since in the cases where the title is not a link to a page, it instead behaves just like the down-arrow and gives you the requested articles list. I think the user interface needs some more thought/experimentation as the current one is confusing.

Hi @Dough34, please provide full links. I assume this is about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requested_articles/Applied_arts_and_sciences and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requested_articles/Mathematics

It is still unclear to me 1) which steps you perform (step by step), 2) what you expect, and 3) what happens instead. Again, please follow https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/How_to_report_a_bug and provide clearer information, in three explicit sections. Thanks.

Also, adding a screenshot would be very welcome: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Phabricator/Help#Uploading_file_attachments

Sorry, but I've provided a detailed explanation. The formula you offer for entering problem reports is fine for bugs, but this is a confusing user interface, not a bug. I think I've described it pretty well.

I still have no idea where to see what and how. The formula is not only for bugs but also for confusing behavior.

And I have no "Apple mobile device" handy which would allow to understand what you see or expect.

In T254104#6180271, @Aklapper wrote:

Screenshot from mobile mode. It is unclear what the problem is.

So it would appear that the report is that where section headings are linked, on mobile, the expand link (i.e, the down arrow) and the linked section heading are separated enough, and that it is quite hard to expand a section without knowing specifically to avoid the linked section header text and either hit the arrow (or, I presume the rest of the element - although I don't use the mobile interface, so I'm not sure if that's the behaviour). Obviously, not all device screens are built equally...

Edit: So, having tested this a bit, yes, anything but the text in the element will expand the section, and with careless or big thumbs and/or poor touch detection, you could quite easily accidentally click the link when going for the down arrow. The solution to this is something for someone far smarter than me.

I can't find a bug but this has been a longstanding issue for some time. The recommendation is to avoid links in headings wherever possible. We don't have a design which supports both using the heading as the expand control and the link and we're unlikely to have one for some time.

I've documented this as a best practice with the preferred workaround:

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Recommendations_for_mobile_friendly_articles_on_Wikimedia_wikis#Do_not_put_links_inside_section_headings