Fyrimynd:GeoGroup

Template documentation

{{GeoGroup}} generates an infobox type list of external links to services that present or display all coordinates listed on certain Wikipedia articles that have multiples of coordinates. The template is also capable of generating all the title coordinates from many articles listed in a single Wikipedia category. The template is intended to be inserted in the External links section of articles, or inside a section with a list or table of features, if appropriate (e.g. see Tame Valley Canal).

The linked services allow the following results:

• A link to an Open Street Map map with the waypoints plotted onto the map.
• A link to Bing map with the waypoints plotted onto the map. Note that if the page or category has more than 200 coordinates, not all will be plotted. Bing will present just the first 200 points.
• Export all coordinates from the Wikipedia page or category in a KML file suitable for use in Google Earth, NASA World Wind and similar applications.
• Export all coordinates in a GeoRSS file.
• Export all coordinates in a GPX file.
• Export Microformatted coordinates from the Wikipedia page in a GeoRSS file.
• Export place data in an RDF file.

Usage

Inline coordinates can be associated with a name using {{Coord}} with the |name= parameter, such as:

{{coord|1|2|type:landmark|name=Interesting uncharted point in the sea}}

However, do not use the |name= parameter when the coordinates are within a parent template or table which emits a microformat, such as an infobox.

This template is not intended for articles with single sets of coordinates; such coordinates already link indirectly to {{GeoTemplate}}.

To use this template, add {{GeoGroup}} to the External links section of an article, or, for list articles with no title coordinate, at the top of the article.

Optional parameters

article= The name of an article or a category, from which coordinates will be displayed:

{{GeoGroup|article=article name}}

{{GeoGroup|article=Category:category name}}

For a category example, see List of stations in London fare zone 2#List of stations)

articlee= Encoded name of the article. The encoding process here involves changing spaces to underscores ( _ ), everything else is taken care of by the urlencode magic word.

{{GeoGroup|article=article name|articlee=article_name}}

section= The section parameter arranges most of the links to use only coordinates in the named section of the article. This is useful to limit the number seen at one time in articles with many coordinates. For examples, see List of rapids of the Columbia River.in

{{GeoGroup|section=section name}}

A section-specific GeoGroup makes most sense placed within the section to which it refers.

No matter if the template is set to display coordinates of a faraway section, the GeoGroup box's wording will still assert it will display coordinates of "this section". Every section-specific GeoGroup box is worded "Map this section's coordinates...", and currently (March 2015) there is no way to change the wording presented.

Option for categories

There is one optional parameter for display of coordinates in categories:

{{GeoGroup|level=0,1,2,3,...}}

level= Category recursion level, where 0 means unlimited

Cache delay and updating maps

Currently (as of 18 March 2015) maps displayed using Open Street Map are regenerated with each visit, and no caching is used. So if an editor adds or changes coordinates in an article, then clicks on the GeoGroup template to "Map all coordinates using OSM", the OSM map displayed will immediately show the changed data.

For Bing maps (and previously for Google maps which were also included in GeoGroup), pages are cached. New visits to a map corresponding to a Wikipedia article will, by default, continue to use any already-cached data (that has been stored from your last visit, or perhaps from some other Wikipedia user's recent visit to the map). The cache may not be cleared for several hours, and only then would a visit yield an updated map. Updating can be forced easily, however. Simply alter the url in the browser to override the Bing's default choice to use cached data:

When a Bing map is displayed, the URL shown in your browser's "searchurl line" (usually at top left of your browser window), will likely show something like:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?mapurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftools.wmflabs.org%2Fkmlexport%2F%3Farticle%3DCurrent_article_name%26usecache%3D1

Simply use your backspace or delete key to erase the "use cache" default choice at the end, so what appears is:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?mapurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftools.wmflabs.org%2Fkmlexport%2F%3Farticle%3DCurrent_article_name

Then hit return and an updated map will be displayed.

Or, simply change the last character from "1" to "0", telling Bing not to use cached data, so what appears is:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?mapurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftools.wmflabs.org%2Fkmlexport%2F%3Farticle%3DCurrent_article_name%26usecache%3D0

Then hit return and an updated map will be displayed.

Or if what is displayed for URL is in plain text try:

Replace usecache=1 by usecache=0 instead.

Linking

Wiki-links may be made directly to a page's instance of the template, with the ID GeoGroup., by using [[#GeoGroup|Example Link Text]], which produces: Example Link Text.

To jump to GeoGroup box location in the current article use:

[[#GeoGroup|Jump to map box]], which produces: Jump to map box.

To jump to GeoGroup box location in a different article use:

[[Article name#GeoGroup|Example Link Text]]

For example, [[Listed buildings in Runcorn (urban area)#GeoGroup|Mapping of Runcorn listed buildings]] produces: Mapping of Runcorn listed buildings

If there are multiple usages of GeoGroup template in an article, as in List of rapids of the Columbia River, the target is not well-defined. For example, [[List of rapids of the Columbia River#GeoGroup|Jump to a map box of Columbia River rapids]] which produces Jump to a map box of Columbia River rapids, could perhaps jump to any one of the GeoGroup templates in that article.

Expansion

Other KML aware services may be added, as they become available; as might services converting the coordinates to GPX ( Done) or other formats.

Examples

Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal

Data from Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal article:

Point	Coordinates (links to map & photo sources)
Dudley Port Junction	52.52204°N 2.04331°W / 52.52204; -2.04331 (Dudley Port Junction)
Groveland Bridge (Tipton Road, A457)	52.51758°N 2.04760°W / 52.51758; -2.04760 (Groveland Bridge (Tipton Road, A457))
Tividale Aqueduct (Old BCN Main Line)	52.51640°N 2.04843°W / 52.51640; -2.04843 (Tividale Aqueduct (Old BCN Main Line))
Northern tunnel portal	52.51534°N 2.04948°W / 52.51534; -2.04948 (Northern tunnel portal)
Aston Road air vent	52.50850°N 2.05518°W / 52.50850; -2.05518 (Aston Road air vent)
Regent Road air vent	52.50697°N 2.05708°W / 52.50697; -2.05708 (Regent Road air vent)
Approx. tunnel mid-point	52.50435°N 2.05932°W / 52.50435; -2.05932 (Approx. tunnel mid-point)
Southern tunnel portal	52.49335°N 2.06916°W / 52.49335; -2.06916 (Southern tunnel portal)
Windmill End Junction	52.49157°N 2.07019°W / 52.49157; -2.07019 (Windmill End Junction)

Other examples

Display the coordinates from a different section than this one (in current article): {{GeoGroup|section=Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal}} Result: Works as intended, but GeoGroup box displays "this section".

Display the coordinates from a different section than this one (in current article), when that section has no coordinates: {{GeoGroup|section=Linking}} Result: Works: "sorry, no data to show", but GeoGroup box displays "this section".

Display all the coordinates in a different article: {{GeoGroup|article=List of United States cities by population}} Result: Works

Display just the coordinates in one section of a different article: {{GeoGroup|article=List of United States cities by population|section=Puerto Rico}} Result: Works, but GeoGroup box displays "this section".

Try to display all coordinates in just one section of a different article, by giving a link to that section in the article: {{GeoGroupTemplate|article=List of United States cities by population#Puerto Rico}}

Result: Fails, as all coordinates in the article are displayed, not just the ones from the intended section. (So use "|section=" option.)

Display all coordinates in a category: {{GeoGroupTemplate|article=Category:Rail transport stations in London fare zone 2}} Result: Works

Try to display all coordinates in a large parent category and all of its subcategories (using infinite recursion): {{GeoGroupTemplate|article=Category:Listed churches by grade in the United Kingdom|level=0}} Result: Works

Display all coordinates in the large parent category to one level of subcategories (using recursion level 1): {{GeoGroupTemplate|article=Category:Listed churches by grade in the United Kingdom|level=1}} Result: Works, properly showing no data.

Display coordinates in the large parent category to two levels of subcategories (using recursion level 2): {{GeoGroupTemplate|article=Category:Rail transport stations in London by fare zone|level=2}} Result: Works, appears same as with Level=0, as there are just two levels of subcategories.

Display all coordinates in another large category and all its subcategories: {{GeoGroupTemplate|article=Category:Railway stations in London|level=0}}

Note one can use "GeoGroupTemplate" or "GeoGroup" interchangeably.

Wording displayed

There is currently no option to change the wording that is shown in the GeoGroup box displayed in an article.

For example, when providing means for a reader to map locations within Category:Rail transport stations in London fare zone 2, an editor might prefer for the Geogroup box to display "Map the Zone 2 stations using OSM" in the article, instead of "Map all coordinates in 'Category:Rail transport stations in London fare zone 2' using OSM". However there is no way currently to change the wording presented.

Also when "|section=" option is used, there is no way to change displayed wording from "Map this section's coordinates using ...".

Bookmarklet to add GeoGroup to categories

To added the template to categories, you may want to use the bookmarklet below. Sample edit: [1]

javascript:with(document.forms[0]){void(wpSummary.value+='+{{[[Template:GeoGroup|GeoGroup]]}}%20(see%20also%20[[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Geographical_coordinates|WP:GEO]]');void(wpTextbox1.value='{{GeoGroup}}'+wpTextbox1.value);void(wpSave.click())}