Template talk:USN flag

Alignment
I came across this in USS Bang (SS-385), on Firefox browsers the flags are offset. I'm not sure how this can be resolved or if anyone else sees this problem, but a work around seems to be to a border around the other flag. I've seen this offset on several ship articles. --Dual Freq 17:09, 25 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I tried MSIE 6 and these look no different except the top has a border, same with Opera 9.02. I guess it's just a Firefox 1.5.0.8 issue, still very annoying. --Dual Freq 17:14, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

Choice of year?
It's supposed to be the last year the ship was commissioned (USS), or in service (USNS), right? Not the strike date? —WWoods (talk) 19:43, 23 January 2008 (UTC)
 * That's right. For example, for a ship that was decommissioned in 1946, kept in reserve for 30 years, and struck in the 1970s, I really think the 1946 flag is much more appropriate than the 1970 one. TomTheHand (talk) 19:48, 23 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Shouldn't the question be, what flag did the ship actually fly? If kept in reserve for 30 years, did the ship ever actually fly the 1970 flag?  If not, then the answer is obvious.  If it actually flew both flags, then aren't both flags "correct" at a technical level?  We don't select flags based solely on when a ship was at its most active, but rather on what flag that ship actually flew, though if it flew more than one flag during the course of its naval career, we don't seem to have any good way to indicate this type of change other than placing multiple flags in the same field, which, if even possible, starts to look confusing to readers, I bet.  A loose necktie (talk) 01:37, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

Edit request
Please change the first line of code from this: to this: This change will make the template compliant with the recommended flag icon sizes as listed at WikiProject Ships/Ensigns. — Bellhalla (talk) 21:28, 3 March 2009 (UTC)
 * ✅ that. Just to clarify - do you want the other flags to stay at 60px? Martinmsgj 00:00, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * It's never that simple, is it? Yes, they should all be at the "100x35px" size. Sorry for not catching that. — Bellhalla (talk) 00:04, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * In that case I think I have a vastly simpler version in the sandbox. Would you check it please? Martinmsgj 00:42, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Looks good. I took the liberty of adding an additional named parameter for an different image alt text for when this is used for non-U.S. Navy ships. From the testcases page, all looks good. — Bellhalla (talk) 18:13, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks for testing it. I didn't count every star, but it certainly looked right. Sandbox moved over. Martinmsgj 20:33, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Well I didn't count them either, I just made sure they matched. Thanks for your help and your more efficient code. — Bellhalla (talk) 22:22, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Another edit request
Can this template be updated from the sandbox? The change makes the 1-point border around the flag optional (with a default to none), to match the output of the new Template:Shipboxflag, which aims to help standardize ship ensign sizes in infoboxes. To avoid complications with non-rectilinear flags, that template omits the border. When Template:USN flag is used with Template:Shipboxflag it creates a mismatch with flag borders. Since the vast majority of transclusions of this template are in a shaded region of an infobox, the border is superfluous. For those uses of the template on a non-colored region, the border can be specified. Many thanks in advance. — Bellhalla (talk) 22:58, 21 October 2009 (UTC)
 * ✅ &mdash; Martin (MSGJ · talk) 12:25, 23 October 2009 (UTC)

October 2009 changes
I have simplified the template somewhat, and brought it into alignment with shipboxflag and with current guidelines at WP:Alternative text for images. I have manually verified (with AWB) that none of the ~7000 transclusions of this template use it for anything other than within Infobox Ship Career, so there is no longer any need for any of the parameters I removed. Documentation has also been updated. — Andrwsc (talk · contribs) 18:46, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

1776
"1776" should not use the rattlesnake flag as evidence points to it use there as anachronistic, it most likely being a late 19th century invention. Not only that, it wasn't an ensign but a jack and this template is for ensigns only. 1776 should use the Grand Union Flag instead as that is more accurate and it was an ensign. – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 17:09, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

Template-protected edit request on 1 June 2019
Please replace "Naval Jack of the United States" with "Flag of the United States (1776–1777)". Reason being is that the former file changed drastically in appearance recently, completely changing its character and appearance, making it no longer suitable here. – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 18:51, 1 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Note

Would it not be better to leave the image as it was and upload a new file? It is not usual to make such drastic appearances to a file because it may have unintended consequences in the articles it is used on. &mdash; Martin (MSGJ · talk) 08:14, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Usually the file is overwritten in place due to the way the filenames are. So if say country XYZ changes its flag, a new version of "Flag of XYZ.svg" overwrites the old one in its place (see File:Flag of Malawi.svg for instance). Either way, even if the flag wasn't overwritten, it still should be replaced as it is usage here is anachronistic and misplaced (that is using a flag most likely invented in the late 19th century to represent something 100 years earlier than it existed). – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 15:40, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Yellow check.svg Partly done: I've replaced it with a link to File:Naval jack of the United States (1776–1777).svg, since Jack of the United States seems to indicate that this was the original jack and (as mentioned) there is no clear evidence the snake was ever on there. Primefac (talk) 21:48, 9 June 2019 (UTC)
 * I appreciate it, but it still should be replaced with "Flag of the United States (1776–1777)" as this template is for ensigns, not jacks. – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 23:21, 20 June 2019 (UTC)
 * Weird... I'm not sure how I misread the original post but I remember there was something odd about it that made me think there was something incorrect. I've updated it accordingly. Primefac (talk) 18:33, 23 June 2019 (UTC)
 * ✅: Thanks, is all good now. – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 21:49, 25 June 2019 (UTC)

For US civil and merchant ships?
I am confused as to how to display the correct flag for an American civil or merchant vessel of the correct year. As near as I can tell, we should just use the same flag as the corresponding naval ensign, but I am not sure this is what should actually be done if the vessel is not a naval one-- though if the two are indeed the same, shouldn't the template be called "US flag" rather than "USN flag"? I can't imagine that a US merchant vessel and a naval vessel would carry different flags, but I am no expert on such things and do not want to use an incorrect flag. Could someone please clarify this for me? Thanks! A loose necktie (talk) 01:27, 24 December 2020 (UTC)