MediaWiki/archive/extensions

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computing: software: web: MediaWiki: customization: extensions

Overview

MediaWiki has built-in hooks to allow its internal functions to be modified or replaced by user-written functions without modifying any of the distributed files.

Extensions of Interest

Available MediaWiki extensions which look like they could be useful (full list with brief descriptions):

• portal-type features:
  • My blog: blogging features
  • Extension:MediaWiki Bulletin Board by Wikimedia Foundation
  • Tasks extension: rudimentary multi-user project management
  • WikiFeeds adds to the standard feeds: Newest pages, Recent changes by user, Newest pages by user, User watchlist, Recent changes for articles in a category, Newest articles in a category
  • real-time messaging/chat:
    • Extension:Chat
  • Extension:DiscussionThreading
  • Extension:DschosCalendar wall-calendar-style calendar tool
• media/file presentation:
  • Extension:Mp3: embeds lightweight MP3 player
  • Extension:OggHandler: embeds display of OGG audio and video files
  • Extension:PdfHandler: shows uploaded PDF files in a multipage preview layout
• data display:
  • spreadsheet tools:
    • Extension:SimpleTable (formerly "TabbedData"): lets you copy/paste tab-delimited spreadsheet data directly onto a MW page
  • syntax highlighting
    • Syntax Highlighting Extension: requires Beautifier Syntax Highlighting Engine
    • GeSHiCodeTag Extension
  • TabbedData extension: useful for directly posting spreadsheets, though formatting may not be as nice as the converter; evaluation needed
  • Extension:Parser function extensions: index to extensions providing parser functions
    • Help:ParserFunctions: basic expressions and conditionals
• data management:
  • Attribute Extension: adds an "attribute" tab to all pages; stores attribute data in a table
  • Extension:Data by Nikola Smolenski: similar to Semantic MediaWiki
  • DynamicPageList: reporting tool; lists pages by category, with user-definable formatting (now in use on Issuepedia)
    • DPLforum: fork of DynamicPageList 1.12 for displaying "forum-like layouts"
  • Labeled Section Transclusion (LST): sort of an extension of the "noinclude" and "includeonly" tags: allows multiple named sections which can be included or excluded. Pages can be set up which are just "data" to be presented in different formats by inclusion (works well with templates, generally speaking). Now in use on Issuepedia and PsyCrit.
  • SimpleTable: display CSV or tab-delimited spreadsheet data as a table
  • StackFunctions: mini programming language equivalent to PostScript without graphics
  • Extension:VariablesExtension is a different approach to storing data for re-use within the wiki. Due to the fact that the data has to fit inside a template call, available wiki-markup is more limited than with LST (above) but may have other strengths to compensate. Question: Can an included page "see" variables declared in the calling page? Answer: yes.
  • scripting mini-languages:
    • Extension:Winter (Wiki Interpreter) is an extension which adds an interpreted language to MediaWiki pages.
  • Forms:
    • Extension:FormMailer
    • Extension:FormHandler send form by Email
• groups / security
• convenience:
  • Special:Interwiki by Stephanie Amanda Stevens (phroziac)
• experimental (keep an eye on these to see if they become useful):
  • Extension:WikiDB creates virtual tables within the wiki and lets you output their contents dynamically
  • Extension:Semantic MediaWiki
• reference site tools: tools especially useful on a site used for reference purposes
  • Extension:LinkSearch
• GUI widgets:
  • Extension:Tree view: allows data to be displayed as a dynamic treeview