User talk:David Kernow/CBD on Parserfunctions via FAB

From an email answer CBDunkerson to Fabartus:

> Next, I need a good brief from you ... on Category:Templates using
> ParserFunctions... should that get applied even to templates using one
> or a few #if: lines, or should the cat be used only for the more
> esoteric templates?

> e.g. The typing aid tool template [T:See also] uses only vanilla #if:
> logic, yet it's tagged with that category. It strikes me as overkill,
> but not being privy to the history, I can use some insight and
> perspective.

Ok, when parserfunctions were first introduced it was on a "trial basis". Technically, I don't think I've ever seen Tim say that the 'trial' is over, but he has pulled some functions, adjusted some, and added new ones... so I think it is safe to say they are here to stay.

'Category:Templates using ParserFunctions' was originally created because of this 'trial' nature of the feature. Since parserfunctions aren't templates you can't get a list of them with 'What links here' or somesuch... so if the parserfunctions trial had found that they were hogging server resources and we had to take them all out we would have needed a way to locate them all... hence the category.

Thus, at first everything which had any parserfunction was included in the category. Now that it is generally accepted that parserfunctions are here to stay most people don't bother putting ANY templates into the category any more and it could probably be deleted. However, some people still use that category or 'Category:Esoteric templates' to identify complex templates.

However, I don't think you need to worry about any 'political issues' on this subject. Some of my templates set new records for convoluted and I don't bother with either of those categories at all. Haven't had any complaints and I know some users (e.g. Omniplex) dislike the 'Esoteric' category.

> Technically, if that it correct then the question becomes do we also tag
> templates with such that include one of these tracking templates? In
> essence, all do and will include #if: logic.

No, the categories were only ever used on the 'conditional template' itself rather than templates which called that one.

<Snip, Snip> // FrankB 05:04, 18 February 2007 (UTC)