4 files changed, 69 insertions, 16 deletions

diff --git a/src/data/thing.js b/src/data/thing.js
index 0a6e3be4..f5afe076 100644
--- a/src/data/thing.js
+++ b/src/data/thing.js
@@ -67,14 +67,7 @@ export default class Thing extends CacheableObject {
       name = colors.yellow(`couldn't get name`);
     }
 
-    let reference;
-    try {
-      if (this.directory) {
-        reference = colors.blue(Thing.getReference(this));
-      }
-    } catch {
-      reference = colors.yellow(`couldn't get reference`);
-    }
+    let reference = Thing.inspectReference(this, {showConstructor: false});
 
     return (
       (name ? `${constructorName} ${name}` : `${constructorName}`) +
@@ -127,6 +120,64 @@ export default class Thing extends CacheableObject {
     return `${thing.constructor[Thing.referenceType]}:${thing.directory}`;
   }
 
+  static inspectReference(thing, {showConstructor = true} = {}) {
+    const referenceType =
+      thing.constructor[Thing.referenceType] ??
+      null;
+
+    const constructorPart =
+      (showConstructor
+        ? `${thing.constructor.name} `
+        : ``);
+
+    let errored = false;
+    const tryToGet = property => {
+      try {
+        return thing[property] ?? null;
+      } catch {
+        errored = true;
+        return null;
+      }
+    };
+
+    const directoryPart = this.inspectDirectory(thing);
+    const directoryErrored = directoryPart === null;
+
+    if (directoryPart && referenceType) {
+      return colors.blue(`${referenceType}:${directoryPart}`);
+    } else if (directoryPart) {
+      return constructorPart + `(${colors.blue(directoryPart)})`;
+    } else if (tryToGet('name')) {
+      return constructorPart + `(named ${inspect(thing.name)}`;
+    } else if (errored && directoryErrored) {
+      return constructorPart + `(${colors.yellow(`couldn't compute reference`)})`;
+    } else {
+      return constructorPart;
+    }
+  }
+
+  static inspectDirectory(thing) {
+    let errored = false;
+    const tryToGet = property => {
+      try {
+        return thing[property] ?? null;
+      } catch {
+        errored = true;
+        return null;
+      }
+    };
+
+    if (tryToGet('directory')) {
+      return thing.directory;
+    } else if (tryToGet('unqualifiedDirectory')) {
+      return `…${thing.unqualifiedDirectory}`;
+    } else if (errored) {
+      return null;
+    } else {
+      return '';
+    }
+  }
+
   static extendDocumentSpec(thingClass, subspec) {
     const superspec = thingClass[Thing.yamlDocumentSpec];
 
diff --git a/src/data/things/Artwork.js b/src/data/things/Artwork.js
index 7beb3567..d2bd31ba 100644
--- a/src/data/things/Artwork.js
+++ b/src/data/things/Artwork.js
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ export class Artwork extends Thing {
 
         parts.push(` for ${inspect(this.thing, newOptions)}`);
       } else {
-        parts.push(` for ${colors.blue(Thing.getReference(this.thing))}`);
+        parts.push(` for ${Thing.inspectReference(this.thing)}`);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/data/things/MusicVideo.js b/src/data/things/MusicVideo.js
index 3a41caf5..8ca7c813 100644
--- a/src/data/things/MusicVideo.js
+++ b/src/data/things/MusicVideo.js
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export class MusicVideo extends Thing {
 
         parts.push(` for ${inspect(this.thing, newOptions)}`);
       } else {
-        parts.push(` for ${colors.blue(Thing.getReference(this.thing))}`);
+        parts.push(` for ${colors.blue(Thing.inspectReference(this.thing))}`);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/data/things/contrib/Contribution.js b/src/data/things/contrib/Contribution.js
index 4352b58a..305e6a14 100644
--- a/src/data/things/contrib/Contribution.js
+++ b/src/data/things/contrib/Contribution.js
@@ -314,8 +314,7 @@ export class Contribution extends Thing {
       }
 
       if (artist) {
-        artistRef =
-          colors.blue(Thing.getReference(artist));
+        artistRef = Thing.inspectReference(artist);
       }
     } else {
       artistRef =
@@ -326,7 +325,7 @@ export class Contribution extends Thing {
       accentParts.push(`by ${artistRef}`);
     }
 
-    if (this.thing) {
+    if (this.thing) toPart: {
       if (depth >= 0) {
         const newOptions = {
           ...options,
@@ -336,10 +335,13 @@ export class Contribution extends Thing {
               : options.depth - 1),
         };
 
-        accentParts.push(`to ${inspect(this.thing, newOptions)}`);
-      } else {
-        accentParts.push(`to ${colors.blue(Thing.getReference(this.thing))}`);
+        try {
+          accentParts.push(`to ${inspect(this.thing, newOptions)}`);
+          break toPart;
+        } catch {}
       }
+
+      accentParts.push(`to ${Thing.inspectReference(this.thing)}`);
     }
 
     if (!empty(accentParts)) {