Help:Modular Site Components
From Lexicon Leponticum
Short explanation of the functional elements used in this system.
By Martin Braun.
Contents |
Categories
Categories are names for groups of pages. They can be compared with the different tables within a database (the pages thus being rows of the table). A page can be ascribed to a category by the code [[Category:categoryname]] anywhere on the page. Usually a page should belong to only one category, but more than one are possible. A category can also be ascribed to another category in the same way, thus becoming a subcategory.
- list of all categories
- categories are an original function of MediaWiki
Concepts
Concepts are groups of pages that look and work like categories but are defined by a query. They can be used as search parameter in inline queries. They provide no additional function, because for the list a normal inline query would do the same with more options, and instead of using the concept as a parameter its own query parameters can be used. So, in fact, concepts are used best to simplify complex inline queries.
- list of all concepts
- concepts are a function of the extension Semantic MediaWiki
Example
There may be a Concept:Lepontic Inscriptions that is defined by the parameters [[Category:Inscription]][[language::Lepontic]]
so that it contains all pages for inscriptions in Lepontic language. Thus, the result of the queries {{#ask:[[Concept:Lepontic Inscriptions]][[sortdate::<-200]]}} and {{#ask:[[Category:Inscription]][[language::Lepontic]][[sortdate::<-200]]}}
will be the same.
Forms
Forms are special pages to create and edit pages that use templates in an easier way. They provide fields or even selection lists for every parameter of every template within the page. Every form only serves for pages with the specific templates they are written for. Nevertheless, pages using templates can also be created and edited without forms.
- list of all forms
- forms are a function of the extension Semantic Forms
Templates
Templates are pages that can be included into other pages, i.e., their context will be displayed there. If defined by the code <includeonly>, only these parts of the template page will be included. Templates are very useful for every greater amount of pages using the same content or layout. Usually they belong to the namespace Template, but every page can be used as template. A template can be included into a page with the code {{templatename}} (without the namespace) or {{:pagename}} (if not in the namespace Template).
Additionally, templates can be called with parameters that can be displayed whereever defined within the template. They are separated by a vertical bar each, e.g. {{templatename |value1 |value2}}, and can also be named, e.g. {{templatename |name1=value1 |name2=value2}}. If there is no name given, the name of the parameter will be automatically its number. The values of the parameters will be displayed whereever within the template their names are called in the scheme {{{name}}}, e.g. {{{1}}} or {{{name1}}}. (If named, the sequence of the parameters is of no relevance.) In this way templates can not only be used to display the same text statically (like explained above), but also to display given information in the same scheme.
- list of all templates
- templates are an original function of MediaWiki
Example
If there is a template Template:citation with the content {{{firsname}}} {{{lastname}}} ''{{{title}}}'' ({{{year}}})
the page with the content Review of {{citation|firstname=Alessandro|lastname=Morandi|year=2004|title=Celti d'Italia}}.
will be displayed as Review of Alessandro Morandi Celti d'Italia (2004).
Properties
Properties are pairs of names and values ascribed to pages. Therefore pages can be filtered by their properties or it can be searched for them or their values. They are defined with the code [[propertyname::propertyvalue]]. It is possible to define multiple properties per page and multiple values per property on the same page. (Properties are very similar to categories, because categories can be seen as values of a property with the name Category.) They do not need to have own pages but their data type and other characteristics can be defined there.
- list of all properties
- properties are a function of the extension Semantic MediaWiki
Types
Types are definitions which kind of data the value of a property can be, thus influencing its behaviour.
- list of all types
- types are a function of the extension Semantic MediaWiki
Extensions
Extensions are additional scripts to provide special functions not included in the main MediaWiki system. If providing a parser tag or function, extensions are called by the code <functiontag> or {{#function: parameters}}.
- software version and list of all installed extensions
- most extensions are provided by MediaWiki
