I totally agree, and I talked about this in a talk I gave at EMWCon earlier this year, whose slides are here (see slides 13-17). Basically, I think this can be done by adding three new parameters to the #get_*_data functions: "display template", "additional values" and "display format". This would then allow us to get rid of the #external_value and all the "...external_table" parser functions.

In T315589#8167782, @Yaron_Koren wrote:

Basically, I think this can be done by adding three new parameters to the #get_*_data functions: "display template", "additional values" and "display format". This would then allow us to get rid of the #external_value and all the "...external_table" parser functions.

I think it should be done other way round: by enabling {{#external_value:}}, {{#for_external_table:}}, {{#display_external_table:}}, {{#store_external_table:}} and {{#format_external_table:}} to accept the parametres processed by {{#get_external_data:}} and emulating its call from the data display functions. I would call it standalone mode.

This way, no functionality of {{#..._external_table:}} will be lost; for it is not only of historical value.

Change 830885 had a related patch set uploaded (by Alex Mashin; author: mashin):

[mediawiki/extensions/ExternalData@master] Create standalone mode for data display functions

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/830885

Change 830885 merged by jenkins-bot:

[mediawiki/extensions/ExternalData@master] Create standalone mode for data display functions

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/830885