Fix deployment blockers for global sub-ref
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	WMDE-Fisch
	Apr 27 2026, 10:20 AM

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Aklapper

Johannes_Richter_WMDE

Lina_Farid_WMDE

thiemowmde

WMDE-Fisch

Description

Context

We want to rollout the feature to all wikis eventually. Before doing that we want to make sure that some known issues are handled that would affect the users experience.

Issue suggestions

T404297: Adding main+details references to an empty article leads to content loss
T380979: Block nesting <ref> tags in the details syntax
T395872: Disable non-functional edit button(s) in ref/sub-ref ContextItem
T412007: VE unexpectedly copies reference content from one sub-ref to another if the main ref is defined within a template
T419035: VE tries to copy content to a sub-ref if the main ref is defined within a template – but delivers broken wikitext if the main ref uses a template
T424232: VisualDiff does not show change of a main+details edit
T397319: VisualDiff: Subref footnote markers show the wrong number

Wikisource specific issues:

T406115: Disallow reusing/sub-referencing <ref follow> in VE

Related Objects
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Status	Subtype	Assigned	Task
Open		None	T424501 Fix deployment blockers for global sub-ref
Resolved		None	T423906 Test various scenarios on how VE can be used with {{reflist}} and details
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
Open		None	T380979 Block nesting <ref> tags in the details syntax
Resolved	BUG REPORT	None	T425649 Dirty diff when saving a self-closing ref tag, it sometimes becomes a tag with empty content
Resolved		None	T423898 Known issues with sub-references that use template generated main references e.g. from {{reflist}}
Resolved	BUG REPORT	None	T424232 VisualDiff does not show change of a main+details edit
Resolved	BUG REPORT	None	T395872 Disable non-functional edit button(s) in ref/sub-ref ContextItem
Resolved		thiemowmde	T400888 Parsoid read views: Error "cannot use details when inside <references>" missing in Parsoid

Event Timeline

WMDE-Fisch created this task.Apr 27 2026, 10:20 AM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptApr 27 2026, 10:20 AM

Johannes_Richter_WMDE subscribed.Apr 27 2026, 12:00 PM

lilients_WMDE moved this task from Incoming to NOW on the Cite (Sub-referencing) board.Apr 28 2026, 4:02 PM

thiemowmde added subtasks: T423906: Test various scenarios on how VE can be used with {{reflist}} and details, T404297: Adding main+details references to an empty article leads to content loss.Apr 29 2026, 11:51 AM

thiemowmde added a subtask: T380979: Block nesting <ref> tags in the details syntax.May 6 2026, 6:34 AM

thiemowmde updated the task description. (Show Details)

thiemowmde added subscribers: Lina_Farid_WMDE, thiemowmde.

WMDE-Fisch updated the task description. (Show Details)May 6 2026, 10:05 AM

awight created subtask T425649: Dirty diff when saving a self-closing ref tag, it sometimes becomes a tag with empty content.May 7 2026, 11:07 AM

awight added a subtask: T423898: Known issues with sub-references that use template generated main references e.g. from {{reflist}}.May 7 2026, 11:15 AM

Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)May 8 2026, 12:16 PM

We should re-evaluate T406115: Disallow reusing/sub-referencing <ref follow> in VE given that we want to deploy to group 1 wikis soon (T425662) which will include Wikisource. Wikisource wikis are basically the only WMF projects that uses <ref follow>. Excluding Wikisource projects from our group 1 deployment might be an option if we can't fix this ahead of deployment.

I also checked T395872: Disable non-functional edit button(s) in ref/sub-ref ContextItem: It appears this edge case affects mostly wikis using templates like {{refn}}. We know that Hebrew Wikipedia and a couple of other RTL wikis are using similar templates a lot but hewiki is already excluded from our group 1 deployment. It seems like enwikisource might be affected by this issue -> once again excluding Wikisource might be an option.

Johannes_Richter_WMDE mentioned this in T425662: Global rollout - Sub-ref deployments to Group 0, Group 1 and frwiki.May 8 2026, 1:10 PM

Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)May 11 2026, 7:24 AM

Tobi_WMDE_SW closed subtask T404297: Adding main+details references to an empty article leads to content loss as Resolved.May 12 2026, 8:59 AM

In T424501#11902518, @Johannes_Richter_WMDE wrote:

I also checked T395872: Disable non-functional edit button(s) in ref/sub-ref ContextItem: It appears this edge case affects mostly wikis using templates like {{refn}}. We know that Hebrew Wikipedia and a couple of other RTL wikis are using similar templates a lot but hewiki is already excluded from our group 1 deployment. It seems like enwikisource might be affected by this issue -> once again excluding Wikisource might be an option.

Per T395872#11911301 this is actually relevant for all wikis given that the main reference can be defined in templates like infoboxes.

Tobi_WMDE_SW renamed this task from Collect possible deployment blockers for global sub-ref to Deployment blockers for global sub-ref.May 12 2026, 9:18 AM

Tobi_WMDE_SW added a project: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-05-12-Fungi.

Tobi_WMDE_SW moved this task from Sprint Backlog to Epics / Watching / Stalled on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-05-12-Fungi board.

lilients_WMDE renamed this task from Deployment blockers for global sub-ref to Fix deployment blockers for global sub-ref.May 12 2026, 9:40 AM

lilients_WMDE added a project: Epic.

lilients_WMDE added a subtask: T424232: VisualDiff does not show change of a main+details edit.May 15 2026, 2:17 PM

lilients_WMDE added a subtask: T395872: Disable non-functional edit button(s) in ref/sub-ref ContextItem.

lilients_WMDE mentioned this in WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-05-12-Fungi.

Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)May 18 2026, 8:35 AM

Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)

thiemowmde added a subtask: T400888: Parsoid read views: Error "cannot use details when inside <references>" missing in Parsoid.May 21 2026, 8:07 AM

WMDE-Fisch removed a project: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-05-12-Fungi.May 28 2026, 8:42 AM

WMDE-Fisch closed subtask T395872: Disable non-functional edit button(s) in ref/sub-ref ContextItem as Resolved.May 29 2026, 9:36 AM