Commons:Bots/Requests/ArkyBot

ArkyBot

Operator: Arkyan

Automatic or Manually Assisted: Automatic with supervision. The bot will process uploads in batches as specified by the operator.

Programming Language(s): PHP

Edit period(s) (e.g. Continuous, daily, one time run): Sporadic. The bot will upload batches of files when they are available and not on a regular schedule.

Bot flag requested: (Y/N): Y

Functions: The bot is intended to assist with work being done on enWiki with a bot I operate there under the same name. I produce maps for cities and towns in US states (using a local script). These maps are then uploaded to the Commons, and my enWiki bot is used to add these maps and other information to the actual articles. I process the maps in batches by state, and they tend to number several hundred each batch. When a batch is ready the bot will upload these files to the Commons and create a description derived automatically from the name of the city, as well as the county and state it is located in. The bot will be designed to process the batch in segments of 10 files, pause for 1 minute to ease server load, and proceed with another segment of 10 files until complete. Batch sizes vary but tend to number in the several hundred. It takes me roughly a week to process a batch of maps and another week to add them to enWiki with my bot, so there is an estimated time of 2 weeks between processing each batch, but this will vary depending upon my free time and ability to process the maps.

Discussion

• No objections. (→O - RLY?) 22:14, 20 July 2007 (UTC)
• Could you please make a test run to discuss images description/categorization? --EugeneZelenko 14:14, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

• I've completed a test run of 2 to make sure the basic script worked, followed by a single batch of 10 to test out the pausing feature. They appear to be working correctly. Would have done this sooner but I'm largely unavailable during the weekend .. Arkyan 17:57, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

Looks OK. Just small suggestions for improvements:

• Licenses added twice.
• Will be good idea to keep maps images only in Maps of ... category.

EugeneZelenko 13:46, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

• You're right, I hadn't noticed that it was doubling up on the licenses. That's an easy enough fix though :) Arkyan 14:39, 24 July 2007 (UTC)
• Performed another test to verify the duplicate licensing was taken care of. Arkyan 17:28, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

• Could you also (while we're piling suggestions on) edit something into the category if it's empty? For instance Image:Alpine_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Alpine_Village_Highlighted.svg (wow that is a mouthful of a name! but it makes sense) was placed in (the empty) Category:Maps of Alpine County, California... that category should be placed (presumably) in Category:Alpine County, California, and Category:Maps of California and should have a link to w:Alpine County, California in its body text... I think those would be nice things to have it do. I don't see any major objections though, even if you choose not to do that. ++Lar: t/c 21:55, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

• Mmm, that shouldn't be too hard. I think I can set it up to go back and do the categories when it's done processing a batch (for all of the counties it's hit). I'll see what I can do. Arkyan 22:03, 24 July 2007 (UTC)
• Ok, how's it look now? :) Arkyan 23:17, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

Great! But is it possible to remove Category:Alpine County, California from images descriptions? --EugeneZelenko 14:14, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, that'd be a pretty simple change to make. Arkyan 14:41, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

• Question - would there be any objections to my using the script in limited fashion, like uploading only a set of 10 at a time, pending a final decision? I don't want the mapping project I'm engaged in back at enWiki to fall too far behind :) Arkyan 16:02, 27 July 2007 (UTC)