Noting that we've heard a bunch of additional feedback from people:

• people are using the full-width toggle
• people would like the full-width toggle available at lower resolutions

One point of clarification to the task description: we weren't concerned about the toggle overlapping the content on special pages, rather we were worried that people would be confused because at lower widths on some special pages the toggle wouldn't have any effect (because they don't have the 960px max-width).

Perhaps ~1450px would be a reasonable browser width to start showing the toggle? Right around the size where the amount of extra space:

The corresponding experience on special pages that don't have the 960px limited width would be:

The article video above includes a TOC on the left. The toggle should appear for less-wide pages that are not showing the TOC.

Please see the screen shots at T327368, which show that the toggle is still needed at a screen width of 1230 pixels. I did some experimenting with my window width, and without the sidebar or TOC showing, the toggle would remain useful down to about 1100 pixels, at which point the (IMO still excessive) left and right padding CSS becomes the only white space that matters.

I still think 1200 is the best cutoff, as that is where the margin increases and creates space for it. Below that, you run into the problem described by @alexhollender_WMF or you would have to redesign the toggle position completely, which isn't a good short term action to take.

In T326887#8540781, @TheDJ wrote:

I still think 1200 is the best cutoff, as that is where the margin increases and creates space for it.

on articles with a table of contents, assuming the table of contents is pinned (which is the default) the toggle wouldn't do anything at 1200px

In T326887#8540797, @alexhollender_WMF wrote:

In T326887#8540781, @TheDJ wrote:

I still think 1200 is the best cutoff, as that is where the margin increases and creates space for it.

on articles with a table of contents, assuming the table of contents is pinned (which is the default) the toggle wouldn't do anything at 1200px

If this is a problem, then I guess figure out how to show the toggle only if it would do anything, i.e. if there is no TOC or sidebar visible.

In T326887#8540822, @Jonesey95 wrote:

If this is a problem, then I guess figure out how to show the toggle only if it would do anything, i.e. if there is no TOC or sidebar visible.

Hmm, the collapsing of the sidebar is mostly pure CSS+html. so telling other parts of the UI about the state of another component is rather difficult. Maybe JS could add another class to the body to communicate this (or maybe there already is one) but this does get quite complex.

Probably do 1400px asap, as that is the quick win, and then look at follow ups ?

Or just listen to the voluminous feedback on Vector 2022 and make the wide layout the default? That would be a very quick and significant win for readers.

That way, the toggle will be visible only to people whose reading experience is being degraded by lines that are too long (according to the research that WMF staff keep pointing to, but which is clearly not universally applicable).

Change 881926 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jdrewniak; author: Jdrewniak):

[mediawiki/skins/Vector@master] Change limited-width toggle to appear at 1400px

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/881926

Longer term we could perhaps show it unconditionally as part of a new sub menu https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T91201#8545267 (see prototype)

I would show the toggle always, regardless of window width - but on smaller than some threshold (1400px ?) - the toggle should ALSO hide the ToC menu.

Always having the option for expanded line width is the best, so I'm glad adding it permanently in a menu is being worked upon.
Much more important than the specific threshold (and toggling together with ToC) is for both settings to STICK for all articles for non-logged-in users. Currently having to click on every page refresh/open is getting annoying fast. So, I hope that's part of the above T91201 as well.

Change 881926 merged by jenkins-bot:

[mediawiki/skins/Vector@master] Change limited-width toggle to appear at 1400px

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/881926

Here, here and here users are reporting on enwiki that when zooming the toggle disappears. I can reproduce it. If this task will not fix it, please let me know. Thank you.

In T326887#8552589, @Patafisik wrote:

A user is reporting on enwiki that when zooming the toggle disappears. I can reproduce it. If this task will not fix it, please let me know. Thank you.

It's because the zoom causes the width to become so narrow that the button gets hidden.

Sorry, friends, this is ridiculous.

960px is awfully narrow to not have any way to expand the width unless I have 1400px available. That's demanding a wastage some 30% of the browser width.

Take the case that I have a wide window, actually find the mystery box, click it and expand the text. If I then reduce my viewport a smidge (because I'm always doing that, in fact, THAT'S the answer to the text-is-too-long-to-read-comfortably problem) then (for some reason) want to recondense the text, I can't, because you've hidden the toggle on me. And I know, it was right here a minute ago...

The toggle should be visible always, or at least at viewport widths wider than 960px.

In T326887#8558308, @Edtadros wrote:

@alexhollender_WMF, for QA testing am i validating the behavior at 1400 or 1200?

for now we've agreed on 1400px. apologies for the lack of clarity here.

Test Result - Beta

Status: ✅ PASS
Environment: beta
OS: macOS Ventura
Browser: Chrome
Device: MBP
Emulated Device:NA

Test Artifact(s):

QA Steps

✅ AC1: The limited width toggle appears at 1400px
Verified logged-in, anonymous, and numerous pages/namespaces.