Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Automation

The automation department of the Military history WikiProject uses various automated and semi-automated methods to perform batch tasks that would be extremely tedious to do manually; it collects requests for tasks, discusses whether they are suitable for automation, and attempts to match them with bot operators or users of semi-automated tools for implementation. All project members are invited to request tasks and to comment on the suitability of outstanding requests.

Participants

Bot operators

1. Grafikm_fr (talk · contribs) running Grafikbot (talk · contribs)
2. Plange (talk · contribs) running PlangeBot (talk · contribs)
3. Menasim (talk · contribs) running MenasimBot (talk · contribs)

AWB users

1. Grafikm_fr (talk · contribs)
2. Plange (talk · contribs)

How to help

Depending on the nature of the task, it can be either completely automated and run by a bot, or semi-automated via AWB, requiring a user's decision to whether or not implement the changes. Indeed, in order to minimize false positives, some of the operations should be performed by hand. For instance, {{Infobox Weapon}} is used in civilian firearms articles and some of articles using this infobox should therefore not be tagged as military history articles.

Rules of thumb:

• If you don't have a bot, don't take up a task that can be automated and involves a great number of articles - you will lose precious time pressing Ctrl-S in AWB.
• Don't create your own bot if there is no need to - a few bots will probably be more than enough.
• Don't assign yourself a task if you don't have time for it.
• If you can only do a part of a task, once finished, update the number of articles remaining, and change it back to unassigned.
• If the task is semi-automated only, it is because there are numerous false positives, so check every article before saving.
• Don't forget to uncheck "ignore unexisting pages" in AWB's "Set options" tab when dealing with talk pages!
• If you want to help, look at the list of unassigned tasks below, assign one to yourself by adding your name to it, and start kickin' :)
• Once completed, put this fact in a visible manner somewhere in the list.

General notes

When a task involves tagging articles from a stub tag and automatically rating them as "Stub-Class", the auto parameter in {{WPMILHIST}} must be set:

{{WPMILHIST
|class=Stub
|auto=yes
...
}}

Current tasks

Adding tasks

To add a task, use the following boilerplate:

; <name of task>
* Scope: <which pages to modify?> 
* Number of pages: <how many pages in scope?>
* Task: <what needs to be done to each page?>
* Participants: 

and add it to the appropriate section below:

Automated

These tasks do not involve any substantial number of false positives or editor judgement, and can be done by bot.

Tagging and auto-assessment

Tagging Military history stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Military history stubs
• Number of pages: ~200
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants: MenasimBot (talk · contribs)

Tagging Polish battle stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Polish battle stubs
• Number of pages: ~70
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Polish-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging United States battle stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:United States battle stubs
• Number of pages: ~50
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with US-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) stubs
• Number of pages: ~30
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Napoleonic-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging War of 1812 stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:War of 1812 stubs
• Number of pages: ~60
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Napoleonic-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Australian World War II stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Australian World War II stubs
• Number of pages: ~80
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Australian-task-force=yes and WWII-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Canadian military stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Canadian military stubs
• Number of pages: ~240
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Canadian-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging European military stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:European military stubs
• Number of pages: ~220
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Polish military stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Polish military stubs
• Number of pages: ~60
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Polish-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Russian military stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Russian military stubs
• Number of pages: ~100
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging United Kingdom military stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:United Kingdom military stubs
• Number of pages: ~
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with British-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Royal Air Force stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Royal Air Force stubs
• Number of pages: ~230
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Aviation-task-force=yes and British-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging United States military stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:United States military stubs
• Number of pages: ~460
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with US-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging United States Army stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:United States Army stubs
• Number of pages: ~240
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with US-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Navy stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Navy stubs
• Number of pages: ~410
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Maritime-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Naval ship stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Naval ship stubs
• Number of pages: ~570
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Maritime-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Fortification stubs

• Scope: All articles in Category:Fortification stubs
• Number of pages: ~180
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Simple tagging

Deep tagging Military units and formations

• Scope: All pages in Category:Military units and formations and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military personnel by nation

• Scope: All pages in Category:Military personnel by nation and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military historiography

• Scope: All pages in Category:Military historiography and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military and war museums

• Scope: All pages in Category:Military and war museums and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants: Done, MenasimBot (talk · contribs)

Semi-automated

These tasks may involve a substantial number of false positives or editor judgement, and should not be done by bot.

Tagging Firearms stubs

• Scope: All military-related articles in Category:Firearms stubs
• Number of pages: ~510
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Weaponry-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Pistol stubs

• Scope: All military-related articles in Category:Pistol stubs
• Number of pages: ~30
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Weaponry-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Tagging Weapon stubs

• Scope: All military-related articles in Category:Weapon stubs
• Number of pages: ~670
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}} (with Weaponry-task-force=yes) and auto-assessed as Stub-Class
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military decorations

• Scope: All military-related pages in Category:Military decorations and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military science

• Scope: All military-related pages in Category:Military science and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military equipment

• Scope: All military-related pages in Category:Military equipment and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Military by country

• Scope: All military-related pages in Category:Military by country and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but very large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Deep tagging Warfare by type

• Scope: All military-related pages in Category:Warfare by type and all sub-categories
• Number of pages: Unknown, but large
• Task: Each talk page to be tagged with {{WPMILHIST}}
• Participants:

Planning

• Category:Military - see below
  • Category:Military lists - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military by country - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military art - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military decorations - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military diplomacy - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military equipment - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military in fiction - not in scope
  • Category:Military history - see below
    • Category:Military history by country - need to examine in greater detail
    • Category:Military historiography - all in scope, can automate
    • Category:Military and war museums - all in scope, can automate
    • Category:Warfare by era - need to examine in greater detail
    • Category:Military history stubs - tagging complete
  • Category:Military industry - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military law - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military life - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military locations - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military operations - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military organization - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military personnel - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Politics about the military - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military science - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military veterans' affairs - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military stubs - tagging complete
• Category:War - see below
  • Category:Warfare by era - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Warfare by type - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Aftermath of war - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Anti-war - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Causes of war - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military conflicts - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Depictions of war - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Laws of war - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:Military and war museums - all in scope, can automate
  • Category:People associated with war - need to examine in greater detail
  • Category:War deities - not in scope
  • Category:War on something - not in scope

Logs

• Automatically generated logs from the Kingbotk plugin

Resources

• AutoWikiBrowser page - you can download AutoWikiBrowser there.
• Kingbotk Plugin for AWB - An AutowikiBrowser plugin for WikiProject templating and Wikipedia assessments. Supports {{WPMILHIST}}.
• Pywikipedia - a set of Python scripts to use as bots.