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`TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'from')` / `can't access property "from", attributeChanges.mw is undefined` on a specific visual diff
Open, Needs TriagePublicPRODUCTION ERROR

Description

Trying to view this visual diff: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Village_pump_(proposals)&oldid=1109118785&diff=1109271141&visualdiff&diffmode=visual

Causes an exception:

jQuery.Deferred exception: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'from')
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'from')
    at ve.dm.MWTransclusionNode.static.describeChanges (...:1434:793)
    at ve.ui.DiffElement.compareNodeAttributes (...:989:799)
    at ve.ui.DiffElement.getChangedLeafNodeData (...:977:629)
    at ve.ui.DiffElement.getChangedNodeData (...:976:828)
    at ...:982:514
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at ve.ui.DiffElement.getChangedListNodeData (...:982:355)
    at ve.ui.DiffElement.getChangedNodeData (...:976:919)
    at ve.ui.DiffElement.getChangedNodeElements (...:976:574)
    at ...:971:793

Alternative exception message on other browsers:

jQuery.Deferred exception: can't access property "from", attributeChanges.mw is undefined
ve.dm.MWTransclusionNode.static.describeChanges@...:1688:589
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.compareNodeAttributes@...:1201:824
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.getChangedLeafNodeData@...:1188:285
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.getChangedNodeData@...:1187:488
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.getChangedListNodeData/<@...:1193:804
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.getChangedListNodeData@...:1193:522
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.getChangedNodeData@...:1187:579
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.getChangedNodeElements@...:1187:223
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.renderQueue/<@...:1181:891
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.renderQueue@...:1181:836
ve.ui.DiffElement.prototype.renderDiff@...:1185:10
VeUiDiffElement@...:1177:708
onReviewModeButtonSelectSelect/<@...:72:19
mightThrow@...:641:983
Deferred/then/resolve/</process<@...:642:643

I originally ran into this when trying to view a day's worth of comments from my watchlist, and I reduced it to the (still large) diff linked above. The issue seems to be related to the use of {{pb}} template in the list items representing comments – in the wikitext diff, there is one comment with this template removed on the left side, and another added on the right. I couldn't find a more minimal test case though.

Event Timeline

matmarex renamed this task from "TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'from')" on a specific visual diff to `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'from')` / `can't access property "from", attributeChanges.mw is undefined` on a specific visual diff.Apr 27 2026, 3:53 PM
matmarex updated the task description. (Show Details)
matmarex moved this task from Triaged to To Triage on the VisualEditor board.
Restricted Application changed the subtype of this task from "Task" to "Production Error". · View Herald TranscriptApr 27 2026, 4:00 PM