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. 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 attempted. The "meat" of the code is this:

However, this presents the error code: Invalid tag; no input is allowed. Use. Going on advice from an error-reporting thread, double piping (|| as opposed to | to separate variable definitions) was attempted, thus:

This actually solves the error message reported above. Unfortunately, it introduces the wholly different error of: Invalid tag; no text was provided for refs named [refname] Different combinations of piping have been rather randomly tried, but all to no avail.

Solution
This problem definitively identified as having to do with the version of Cite.php used on this site. The latest version for our version of MediaWiki (1.15.x) is 48711, and we're considerably back at 47190. Upgrading will almost certainly make this aspect of the template work.