Talk:2018 in spaceflight/Archive 2

Archive 1

Archive 2

Summary row with a total number of launches

• I have added a summary row with a total number of successful/failure launches for all tables. I think, each table should contain total number for visual check if data correct or not. But my edits were reverted by JFG as "unnecessary repeats". But in some tables, the numbers are different (see 2018 summary table by orbit: 1 for achieved, 1 for not achived, so 31 achieved in 32 successful launches). What is the better way: to add totals for each table or remove it? See my version for 2017 and version for 2018 91.124.117.29 (talk) 00:05, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

The last table with the orbits is the only table where the total can be different. For the others it is just repeated information where there is no need to repeat it. --mfb (talk) 00:33, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

And each reader should know this fact? It is not so easy to scroll the big page when the reader want to know the total sums of launches by rocket or by spaceport. Some tables are hidden also. It will be the confusing situation when only two tables of six will have the total (different!) sums. Each table should have similar format to find math errors easily. Also, copypaste of tables to Excel presentation is a logic way for some scientists to create the own graphics. [1] It will be done correctly with sums. The table without sums looks as incomplete. 91.124.117.29 (talk) 03:04, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

The fact that summing over all countries, summing over all rockets, and so on should lead to the same sums for successful/partially successful/failed launches? That should be obvious to everyone able to read, yes. --mfb (talk) 04:23, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

I would agree to state the totals in the table by orbit. For the tables by rocket and by spaceport, they are necessarily the same results as in the summary statistics, and this would just add a burden of update to editors. If the wiki software could compute totals, then yes it would provide a welcome visual check, but as this is a manual process, it will only create more confusion and frustration among our tireless WP:gnomes. — JFG ^talk 06:19, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

Agree with Mfb and JFG, having a dozen global totals throughout the piece is repetitive without real benefit for the reader and will become tedious to update. Astrofreak92 (talk) 08:10, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

Ok. Could we add the summary rows for finished years only (without any additional work for wikignomes)? I could do it. Also, it's a very-very interesting question, if the wiki software could compute totals in the tables. It would be very useful tools in many articles (such as sports medal tables and statistics pages). 91.124.117.29 (talk) 17:23, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

I would be ok with the suggestion to add totals for past years, as long as someone else volunteers… There are no spreadsheet features in the MediaWiki software, afaik. But there are plenty of awful tricks to do calculations. Not practical for this case. — JFG ^talk 17:55, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

• We could create a template designed for resulting tables, with all numbers as parameters. For example:
     {{spaceflight summary | falcon_success=10 | falcon_failures=1 | soyuz_success=3 | LEOorbit_success=4 | India_sucess=1 ...}}
  This template will generate a table/tables (maybe and graphs also!) and calculate all summaries automatically. I understand, not so easy for realization. But dozens articles will have one format and will be updated easily. Small example is {{BoxingRecordSummary}}. 91.124.117.29 (talk) 22:09, 8 April 2018 (UTC)