IMSLP Forums

As far as I know (feel free to correct me), the valid date formatting methods are:

XXXX
n.d.
n.d.(ca.XXXX) / n.d.(before XXXX) / n.d.(after XXXX)
n.d.(ca.XXXX-YYYY) / n.d.(ca.XXXX-YY)
n.d.[XXXX]
n.d.[XXXX-YYYY] / n.d.[XXXX-YY]

As far as I know, these are the 4 formatting templates for descriptions of manuscript files:
Mss & MssD for manuscripts.
MssAu & MssUA for holograph/autograph manuscripts.

Quick outline of the date formatting not supported in total by each type of template:

Manuscript (Mss& MssD):
n.d.[XXXX-YYYY] / n.d.[XXXX-YY] NOT SUPPORTED

Holograph manuscript (MssAu & MssUA):
n.d.(ca.XXXX-YYYY) / n.d.(ca.XXXX-YY),
n.d.[XXXX-YYYY] / n.d.[ca.XXXX-YY],
n.d.(before XXXX) / n.d.(after XXXX)
ABOVE NOT SUPPORTED

So the question is: Is there another manuscript template I haven't mentioned that supports the ones I pointed out above?
Or should a new template be created?

MssD can do n.d.[XXXX-YYYY] / n.d.[XXXX-YY]. Mss wouldn't need to support brackets as MssD does.

MssAu can do n.d.(ca.XXXX-YYYY) / n.d.(ca.XXXX-YY). MssUA can do n.d.[XXXX-YYYY].

I've updated the templates' pages with examples.

n.d.[ca.XXXX-YY] is contradictory. Brackets are used when the date is known from a reliable source but ca. is used when the date is an estimate.

Thanks so much for the updates! Just for reference, the changes are as follows:

Manuscript:
Mss - No changes
MssD - added n.d.[XXXX-YY] and n.d.[XXXX-YYYY]

Holograph manuscript:
MssAu - added XXXX-YY, n.d.(ca.XXXX-YY) and n.d.(ca.XXXX-YYYY)
MssUA - added n.d.[XXXX-YY] and n.d.[XXXX-YYYY]

Which one(s) should be used for this page?

See the page for my solution which was to use {{MssD|17|91}}. Since that is the date of the most recently dated item the entire volume could not have existed in its current state prior to that point. The more-exact information I placed on a second line. At least this gets the work placed in the Manuscripts from the 1700s category.