Topic on Extension talk:Gadgets

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Gadgets

• doesn't have a way to link to sections (Special:Gadgets#blabla),
• doesn't have a table of contents.
• doesn't have a Talk: page.

Last one first: No special page has a talk page in namespace (while it might be connected with flow discussion thread?).

First and second: Well, actually a good idea. Fragment identifiers might be derived from headline text at least, and perhaps the TOC algorithm may be applied to this particular special page, fed by the headline collection.

The definitions page (linked from the lead) is a regular page and does have a talk page.

The anchors should be generated from the raw section IDs (as seen on MediaWiki:Gadgets-definition, e.g. #Navigation instead of #Improved navigation), so that they remain the same across UI languages.

If users are looking at headline Improved navigation in particular language version, they will copy text of headline and use it for linking.

• No regular reader has access to the internal system message ID.

Therefore both id= need to be hidden in generated HTML:

• Visible headline text in particular language, available within that uselang= only.
• System message ID for programmers; rather sophisticated.

On regular pages there is currently

• <h2> without any id= now
• <span> with headline text in page language and id= generated from that localized text; also when generating TOC
• <span> with toolbox in user language

The first one might address the language independent fragment, the second one such visible text, and third one is not really expected on a special page.

• If both fragments are identical, one is to be omitted to ensure HTML document validity.

Someone should start a feature request at Phabricator.