Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/VedeBOT


 * The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA. The result of the discussion was Symbol neutral vote.svg Request Expired.

VedeBOT
Operator:

Time filed: 22:14, Tuesday May 1, 2012 (UTC)

Automatic, Supervised, or Manual: Automatic unsupervised (But for now, I'm watching it closely)

Programming language(s): PHP / Peachy

Source code available: Yes. (Well, it will be as soon as I upload the code to GitHub. I'm finished coding and ready for a trial at any time.)

Function overview: Remove uncategorized from articles with categories.

Links to relevant discussions (where appropriate):

Edit period(s): Hourly

Estimated number of pages affected: ~600

Exclusion compliant (Yes/No): Yes.

Already has a bot flag (Yes/No): No.

Function details: The bot retrieves the backlinks to Template:Uncategorized and its alternates (redirects, etc.) using an api query. It then uses regular expressions to determine whether the page has categories or not. If the bot finds that it does, It removed the uncat template. If it doesn't have categories, then it simply skips it and moves on.

Discussion
A few questions: The task itself seems pretty straight-forward, although I thought there was already a bot that did something like this... Hers fold  (t/a/c) 22:52, 1 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Is there some reason you're using regexes to find the categories instead of the API queries?
 * A: I can easily change the regexes to API queries, if necessary.
 * Why run this hourly? I doubt these pages get updated that frequently, your bot's going to end up doing a lot of unnecessary rechecking of pages.
 * A: The bot's running times can be changed however I'd like to catch the new additions to the template fairly swiftly.
 * Do you feel you'd need a bot flag for this?
 * A: I do. The main reason for the bot flag is too hide bots from RC and the bot could possibly make a fairly large amount of edits in one time.
 * In relation to your note about the task already being done, X!'s bots once did it however, sadly X! has retired and his toolserver account has expired. --  Ce ra don  talk contribs   00:17, 2 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Ah. Ok then. Hers fold  (t/a/c) 00:18, 2 May 2012 (UTC)

 MBisanz  talk 23:43, 2 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Regexes are better than API, since this bot only cares about categories linked directly in the page text, not tracking/maintenance/hidden categories. 124.149.84.97 (talk) 07:21, 7 May 2012 (UTC)

Is there anyway you could avid leaving the line blank? For example, in this edit, you left a blank line at the top of it.  Hazard-SJ  ✈   01:37, 9 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Sorry for not responding earlier. I have just finished playing with VBOT's source and I'm kinda tired. @ Hazard-SJ: The fix would be relatively easy however I need to hit the hay and plus I've already logged out of the Toolserver and I'm not in for logging back in. I'll look back into it tomorrow ;). (Also, there's no need to ping me on my talk. I check back regularly). Thank,  Ce ra don  talk contribs   00:41, 10 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Another thing, Per this comment on my talk page I have added an ignore page here. --  Ce ra don  talk contribs   00:50, 10 May 2012 (UTC)
 * It's been almost two weeks since the last of the bot's edits, as there are only six more to go until the trial will finish. Would you like to just do them soon, then we can get on to the evaluation and possible approval? :)  Rcsprinter  (state the obvious (or not))  16:21, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Also (as mentioned on the other BRFA), the bot name should identify the operator or task. As far as I see, neither is satisfied at the moment. Also any progress on this? I see a few edits recently. — HELL KNOWZ  ▎TALK 10:13, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

Feel free to reopen when ready -- Chris 09:39, 8 June 2012 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA.