Template talk:Classical movement row

Headers more flexible

For works with well defined instruments what we have is good, no so for others such as strictly vocal works or pieces like BWV 228 where we know there were instruments, but not exactly which. How about 3 neutral optional columns for instruments, with headers to be assigned? Alakzi, I think of you first, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:38, 30 August 2015 (UTC)

How will the columns be used? Could you mock up a demo? Alakzi (talk) 13:42, 30 August 2015 (UTC)

No time for a demo. They could be used as they are now, in other cases there could be not a single column (show_instruments=no/1/2/3), in the corresponding header "instrument1=winds" "instruments2=strings" ... or "instument1=Instruments" ... just ideas, sandbox? For when I return, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:52, 30 August 2015 (UTC)

More ideas: have |id=, normally the movement number, to link to a specific movement. Looking at BWV 228, can we have a separating thin line for the three elements of movement 2, - in title and corresponding columns, here text_source and vocal? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 14:19, 30 August 2015 (UTC)

More flexibility

Moved from User talk:Alakzi, talking about flexible columns for up to three columns of instruments

Good for that one. I don't see where I would define that I need only one column and say "Instruments", as wanted in the above example. Something like |instrument_col=, values 0 to 3, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:05, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

I've added an |instruments= parameter to be used in exclusion of the other three. Alakzi (talk) 12:11, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Will work for that one, thanks, also for updating the docu, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:17, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

I thought that if you specify that one, none of the others would happen, but seem to miss something, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:22, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Well, it's not being enforced by the template. I could do that, if you'd like. Alakzi (talk) 12:31, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

How about a default of one column saying Instruments, which can be replaced by 1 to 3 specific ones using instruments1-3, or replaced by none, for strictly vocal works? Possibly needs to change older inclusions first? Could a bot do that? - Once at it, "Vocal" should then also be optional, for purely instrumental pieces. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:39, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

I'll do that after a break. Alakzi (talk) 12:44, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

OK, I've made the changes, but "Instruments" defaults to hidden for the time being, so as to not displace the column headers to the right. Alakzi (talk) 14:20, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

How about this:

Movements of Fürchte dich nicht, BWV 228

No.	Title	Text	Type	Vocal	Instruments	Key	Time
1	Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir	Isaiah 14:10	Chorus	SATB–SATB	unspecified	A major

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 14:58, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Yes, that is also an option. I must've had a reason for not doing that originally, but I forgot. Anyway, it's simpler. Alakzi (talk) 14:59, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

I tried the rows of this one, - what do you think of using the same 3 instruments1-3 for the header, like "instrument3 = Others"? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 15:50, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Well, what was the point of making them customisable then? Alakzi (talk) 15:59, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Perhaps I was not clear. If there is instrument1 = X, make a column with header X, if there's instrument2 = Y, make another column with header Y, if there's instrument3 = Z, make a third column with header Z, if there's none, no column for instruments. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:06, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

That's how it works now. Alakzi (talk) 16:15, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Great. One more little thing, and I thank you for your patience: I think it would be good if "instruments" would work the same way as "instruments1" (alternatively), - to serve those who have only that one column and wouldn't understand why "1", --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:02, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

OTOH, they'd be surprised if the heading didn't default to "Instruments". And, if it did default to "Instruments", it'd be at odds with the show_* parameters. I'm a little weary of adding any more complexity. Alakzi (talk) 18:09, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Fine, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:56, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

I was my own bot and eliminated (I hope) all parameters winds, strings and keyboard, - the template can probably be simplified to only the three instruments1-3. Will the extra "strings" in the above example go then? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:14, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for that miracle ;) - Next idea: what do you think of customizing even more, make more or less all columns optional with variable headers, which would permit to start with just a few and add the others later?? The present articles have only title, type and vocal, for example, - it's challenging to collect the other data from various sources before ready to hit save.

• title = Title (could be Marking for symphony movements)
• text = Text - needed only for the relatively few works of classical music with text
• type = Type - often not needed
• vocal = Vocal - often not needed
• instruments - a good model
• key = Key - often not known or relevant
• time = Time - same

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 09:47, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

More "show" parameters then? Alakzi (talk) 13:59, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

I thought less, instead define a wanted column by a parameter, a wanted header for it by its content, such as "key = Key" in the header template, in analogy to "instruments1 = Winds". The new paras in the header would not change the row template, right? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 14:34, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

It would not, but it's still not clear to me what you're aiming for here. Do you wanna be able to change the text of the "Title" header cell, for instance, or do you only wanna be able to hide it? Alakzi (talk) 20:03, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

Title would be about the one no to hide if not needed, there should be something ;) - Like Andante in a symphony, - not a Title. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:12, 13 September 2015 (UTC)

If we call the former "Text" "Title", we can call the former "Text_source" "Text", --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:19, 13 September 2015 (UTC)