[Epic] VisualEditor must stop relying on synthetic LDRs to access main content
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	awight
	Oct 9 2025, 1:44 PM

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Description

Context

In VE we're currently relying in synthetic LDRs to access the main content of sub-refs. The synthetic MWReferenceNodes currently seem to be needed in some places to guarantee that we can access the InternalItemNodes storing the main content.

Task

The task is done, when all the accessors of main content from sub-refs can retrieve that content without relying on the presence of MWReferenceNodes using that content as their main content.

Implementation

The goal is that wherever we need to retrieve the main content using the mainRefKey we can use internalList.getKeyIndex( group, key ) to get to the to InternalItemNode. See also https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/Cite/+/1194657/6

Details

Related Changes in Gerrit:

Subject	Author	Repo	Branch	Lines +/-
[refactor] Don't count synthetic refs when placing body	Awight	mediawiki/extensions/Cite	master	+4 -6
[refactor] Can render a reflist item without ref node	Awight	mediawiki/extensions/Cite	master	+8 -1
Maintain keyIndexes when rebuilding InternalList	WMDE-Fisch	VisualEditor/VisualEditor	master	+68 -27
Update VE core submodule to master (4b7ec1130)	Esanders	mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor	master	+1 -1
Add missing listIndex to "stubReference" test setup	Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE)	VisualEditor/VisualEditor	master	+16 -3
Update VE core submodule to master (20c4837bc)	Esanders	mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor	master	+1 -1
Maintain keyIndexes when rebuilding InternalList	Awight	VisualEditor/VisualEditor	master	+8 -0

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Related Objects
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Status	Subtype	Assigned	Task
Duplicate		None	T411856 [Epic] Avoid unintended content loss due the usage of synthetic ldr's
Resolved		None	T397501 [Epic] Fix issues with {{reflist}} or missing references lists and main+details sub-references
Open		None	T424501 Fix deployment blockers for global sub-ref
Resolved	BUG REPORT	Tobi_WMDE_SW	T404297 Adding main+details references to an empty article leads to content loss
Duplicate		None	T406869 [Epic] VisualEditor must stop relying on synthetic LDRs to access main content
Declined		None	T406588 [refactor] Don't remove internal item nodes from InternalList's indexes
Invalid		None	T406570 [refactor] Parsoid must always emit data-mw for reference list items
Resolved		None	T408535 Look into the failing tests when rebuilding keyIndexes
Resolved		None	T411396 Paste regressions when rebuilding keyIndexes
Resolved		None	T415521 Display InternalList keyIndex mapping and InternalItem indexes in VE debug mode
Resolved		None	T415526 [Refactoring] Create a dev only feature flag that disables synthetic refs in Visual Editor

Event Timeline

awight created this task.Oct 9 2025, 1:44 PM

Restricted Application removed a project: Patch-For-Review. · View Herald TranscriptOct 9 2025, 1:44 PM

awight added a parent task: T406871: [refactor] Stop emitting synthetic list-defined refs from Parsoid.Oct 9 2025, 1:51 PM

awight added a subtask: T406588: [refactor] Don't remove internal item nodes from InternalList's indexes.

Change #1194659 had a related patch set uploaded (by Awight; author: Awight):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] [refactor] Don't count synthetic refs when placing body

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1194659

Change #1194658 had a related patch set uploaded (by Awight; author: Awight):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] [refactor] Can render a reflist item without ref node

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1194658

awight renamed this task from [refactor] Visual Editor can avoid orphaning subrefs, without using synthetic ref to [refactor] Visual Editor must stop relying on synthetic ref.Oct 9 2025, 2:05 PM

awight updated the task description. (Show Details)

awight added a subtask: T406570: [refactor] Parsoid must always emit data-mw for reference list items.Oct 9 2025, 2:33 PM

awight added a parent task: T406866: [Epic] Stop creating new synthetic refs in VisualEditor.Oct 9 2025, 2:38 PM

awight added a project: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2025-10-14-Choco-Soufflé.Oct 14 2025, 8:23 AM

Change #1196434 had a related patch set uploaded (by Awight; author: Awight):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] [refactor] references list uses internal item

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1196434

Change #1196452 had a related patch set uploaded (by Awight; author: Awight):

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] Maintain keyIndexes when rebuilding InternalList

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1196452

awight closed subtask T406570: [refactor] Parsoid must always emit data-mw for reference list items as Invalid.Oct 16 2025, 12:23 PM

Change #1196863 had a related patch set uploaded (by Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE); author: Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE)):

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] Add missing listIndex to "stubReference" test setup

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1196863

Change #1196452 merged by jenkins-bot:

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] Maintain keyIndexes when rebuilding InternalList

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1196452

Update: 20c4837bc23a2 is merged and now we're waiting for the next VisualEditor/lib/ve submodule bump.

Change #1197291 had a related patch set uploaded (by Esanders; author: Esanders):

[mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor@master] Update VE core submodule to master (20c4837bc)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1197291

Change #1197667 had a related patch set uploaded (by Bartosz Dziewoński; author: Bartosz Dziewoński):

[mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor@master] Update VE core submodule to master (6caeeb2e4)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1197667

The attempted submodule bump revealed test failures in the Cite extension bisecting to this change :( Reverted for now via https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/VisualEditor/VisualEditor/+/1197674

Change #1197291 abandoned by DLynch:

[mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor@master] Update VE core submodule to master (20c4837bc)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1197291

Change #1198544 had a related patch set uploaded (by WMDE-Fisch; author: WMDE-Fisch):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] VE: Improve MWReferenceModel QUnit reuse test

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1198544

WMDE-Fisch claimed this task.Oct 27 2025, 11:00 AM

WMDE-Fisch moved this task from Sprint Backlog to Doing on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2025-10-14-Choco-Soufflé board.

Change #1198980 had a related patch set uploaded (by WMDE-Fisch; author: WMDE-Fisch):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] VE: Add MWReferenceModel QUnit test for internal item updates

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1198980

Change #1199001 had a related patch set uploaded (by WMDE-Fisch; author: WMDE-Fisch):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] VE: Simplify ve.dm.Transaction test runner

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1199001

WMDE-Fisch removed WMDE-Fisch as the assignee of this task.Oct 28 2025, 10:01 AM

WMDE-Fisch moved this task from Doing to Sprint Backlog on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2025-10-14-Choco-Soufflé board.

WMDE-Fisch removed a project: Patch-For-Review.Oct 28 2025, 10:03 AM

WMDE-Fisch moved this task from Sprint Backlog to Watching / Stalled on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2025-10-14-Choco-Soufflé board.

Change #1199001 had a related patch set uploaded (by WMDE-Fisch; author: WMDE-Fisch):

[mediawiki/extensions/Cite@master] VE: Simplify ve.dm.Transaction test runner

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1199001

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Oct 28 2025, 1:08 PM

Change #1202126 had a related patch set uploaded (by WMDE-Fisch; author: WMDE-Fisch):

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] Maintain keyIndexes when rebuilding InternalList

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1202126

Change #1196863 abandoned by Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE):

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] Add missing listIndex to "stubReference" test setup

Reason:

Done again as part of I9d9a60f.

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1196863

Change #1202126 merged by jenkins-bot:

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] Maintain keyIndexes when rebuilding InternalList

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1202126

Change #1212557 had a related patch set uploaded (by Esanders; author: Esanders):

[mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor@master] Update VE core submodule to master (4b7ec1130)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1212557

Change #1212557 merged by jenkins-bot:

[mediawiki/extensions/VisualEditor@master] Update VE core submodule to master (4b7ec1130)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1212557

WMDE-Fisch added a subtask: T411396: Paste regressions when rebuilding keyIndexes.Dec 1 2025, 5:54 PM

WMDE-Fisch removed a parent task: T397501: [Epic] Fix issues with {{reflist}} or missing references lists and main+details sub-references.Dec 5 2025, 9:29 AM

WMDE-Fisch moved this task from Incoming to Dev-Work on the Cite (Sub-referencing) board.Dec 5 2025, 11:26 AM

WMDE-Fisch closed subtask T408535: Look into the failing tests when rebuilding keyIndexes as Resolved.Dec 9 2025, 10:19 AM

awight updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 19 2026, 9:29 AM

lilients_WMDE added a project: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-01-20-Carrots-of-many-colors.Jan 20 2026, 10:51 AM

lilients_WMDE moved this task from Sprint Backlog to Epics / Watching / Stalled on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-01-20-Carrots-of-many-colors board.Jan 20 2026, 1:42 PM

awight created subtask T415521: Display InternalList keyIndex mapping and InternalItem indexes in VE debug mode.Jan 26 2026, 10:16 AM

lilients_WMDE added a subtask: T415526: [Refactoring] Create a dev only feature flag that disables synthetic refs in Visual Editor.Jan 26 2026, 10:52 AM

WMDE-Fisch renamed this task from [refactor] Visual Editor must stop relying on synthetic ref to [Epic] VisualEditor must stop relying on synthetic LDRs to access main content.Jan 27 2026, 12:51 PM

WMDE-Fisch updated the task description. (Show Details)

WMDE-Fisch mentioned this in T397501: [Epic] Fix issues with {{reflist}} or missing references lists and main+details sub-references.Jan 27 2026, 4:16 PM

WMDE-Fisch closed subtask T406588: [refactor] Don't remove internal item nodes from InternalList's indexes as Declined.Jan 30 2026, 12:30 PM

WMDE-Fisch closed subtask T411396: Paste regressions when rebuilding keyIndexes as Resolved.Feb 12 2026, 11:09 AM

WMDE-Fisch edited parent tasks, added: T402900: Avoid orphaning subrefs when a reference list is deleted, T404297: Adding main+details references to an empty article leads to content loss; removed: T406871: [refactor] Stop emitting synthetic list-defined refs from Parsoid.Feb 17 2026, 8:12 AM

WMDE-Fisch mentioned this in T404297: Adding main+details references to an empty article leads to content loss.

WMDE-Fisch mentioned this in T402900: Avoid orphaning subrefs when a reference list is deleted.

thiemowmde closed subtask T415521: Display InternalList keyIndex mapping and InternalItem indexes in VE debug mode as Resolved.Feb 17 2026, 9:22 AM

thiemowmde closed subtask T415526: [Refactoring] Create a dev only feature flag that disables synthetic refs in Visual Editor as Resolved.

lilients_WMDE added a project: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-02-17-Beautiful-Beetroots.Feb 17 2026, 3:26 PM

lilients_WMDE moved this task from Sprint Backlog to Epics / Watching / Stalled on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-02-17-Beautiful-Beetroots board.

thiemowmde added a project: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-03-03-Spinach.Mar 3 2026, 10:05 AM