Template:Reflist/doc

 replaces the simple tag for a wider range of functionality. Notably, this puts references in a smaller type, and allows for the setting of columns, as in the example:

As of 2009, multi-column display is supported only in Gecko-based browsers, which includes Safari and Firefox, but excludes Internet Explorer. Pages using this template will display no differently in Internet Explorer than they do when the older tag is used.

To do
In 2009, the template was updated on Wikipedia to allow for the ability to define references within the body of the template itself, which can be useful in certain situations.

For example,

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Amazingly few discotheques provide jukeboxes. How razorback-jumping frogs can level six piqued gymnasts.

However, for reasons that are unclear as of 04:17, April 16, 2010 (UTC), this aspect of the template produces errors here on. It seems to have something to do with CSS or some behind-the-scenes module that is present at Wikipedia but absent here. This is what happens when you attempt to put the above example into pratice:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Amazingly few discotheques provide jukeboxes. How razorback-jumping frogs can level six piqued gymnasts.

It does no particular harm to have the template producing these errors, because this is not an aspect of the template that is actually used on Tardis at the moment. Thus the error will simply be recorded here until a solution can be found. Note that as of 04:17, April 16, 2010 (UTC) the template has been slightly altered from its state on Wikipedia, in that a double-pipe workaround has been atempted. An exact copy of the Wikipedia template produces different errors, which the double piping (|| as opposed to | to separate variable definitions in the last line of the template code) actually solves. Unfortunately, it introduces wholly different errors.