Extension:CategoryTree

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  1. Extension:CategoryTree – A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

Introduction

Extension:CategoryTree is a powerful MediaWiki extension that enhances the navigation and presentation of your wiki's category structure. It allows you to display categories and their subcategories in a dynamic, tree-like format, making it significantly easier for users to browse and understand the relationships between different topics. This article provides a comprehensive guide to CategoryTree, designed for beginners, covering its functionality, installation, configuration, usage, and troubleshooting. It will explore how CategoryTree fits within a larger Help:Contents framework and how it can improve the overall user experience. Understanding Help:Categories is a prerequisite to effectively using this extension.

What does CategoryTree do?

By default, MediaWiki presents categories as simple lists. While functional, this can become unwieldy with a large and complex category structure. CategoryTree transforms these lists into collapsible and expandable trees, visually representing the hierarchical relationships between categories and subcategories. This allows users to quickly focus on areas of interest and avoid being overwhelmed by a long, linear list. The extension provides several features:

  • **Tree-like Display:** The core functionality is the presentation of categories in a hierarchical tree structure.
  • **Collapsible/Expandable Sections:** Users can collapse or expand branches of the tree, allowing them to focus on specific areas of interest. This is crucial for large wikis.
  • **Customizable Appearance:** CategoryTree offers numerous parameters to control the appearance of the tree, including icons, colors, and the depth of the tree displayed.
  • **Integration with Existing Categories:** CategoryTree works seamlessly with the existing MediaWiki category system. You don't need to restructure your categories to use it.
  • **Multiple Tree Views:** You can create multiple CategoryTree displays on different pages, each with its own configuration.
  • **Count of Pages:** Option to display the number of pages within each category.
  • **Filtering:** Options to filter the categories displayed.

Installation

Installing CategoryTree requires access to your MediaWiki server and the ability to modify its configuration. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. **Download the Extension:** Download the latest version of CategoryTree from the https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CategoryTree. Typically, you'll download a ZIP file. 2. **Upload the Files:** Unzip the downloaded file and upload the contents (the `CategoryTree` directory) to the `extensions/` directory of your MediaWiki installation. You'll likely need FTP access or a file manager provided by your hosting provider. 3. **Configure `LocalSettings.php`:** Edit your `LocalSettings.php` file (located in the root directory of your MediaWiki installation) and add the following line:

```php require_once("$IP/extensions/CategoryTree/CategoryTree.php"); ```

  Make sure this line is placed *after* the line that loads the main MediaWiki configuration (usually `require_once("$IP/includes/AutoLoader.php");`).

4. **Enable the Extension:** Also in `LocalSettings.php`, you might need to explicitly enable the extension. This is sometimes done automatically, but if the tree isn't appearing, add this line:

```php $wgExtensionMessages['categorytree'] = 'CategoryTree'; ```

5. **Clear Cache:** After modifying `LocalSettings.php`, clear the MediaWiki cache. You can do this by visiting `https://yourwiki.com/w/index.php?action=purge&titles=Special:AllPages` (replace `yourwiki.com` with your wiki's URL). Alternatively, you can delete the cache directory manually on the server.

Configuration

CategoryTree is highly configurable. Most configuration is done through parameters passed to the `Template:CategoryTree` parser function. However, some global settings can be defined in `LocalSettings.php`.

  • **Global Settings (in `LocalSettings.php`):**
   *   `$wgCategoryTreeDefaultDepth`: Sets the default depth of the tree displayed.  A value of `1` shows only top-level categories and their immediate subcategories. A value of `0` shows all levels (potentially very large!).
   *   `$wgCategoryTreeShowCount`:  Determines whether the number of pages in each category is displayed. Defaults to `true`.
   *   `$wgCategoryTreeHideEmpty`:  Hides categories with no pages or subcategories. Defaults to `false`.
   *   `$wgCategoryTreeUseCSS`: Enables or disables the use of CSS for styling.  Defaults to `true`.
  • **Parser Function Parameters (in wiki pages):** The `Template:CategoryTree` parser function accepts a variety of parameters to customize the tree's appearance and behavior. Here are some of the most common:
   *   `root`:  The category to start the tree from.  If omitted, the current page's category is used. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `depth`:  The maximum depth of the tree to display. Overrides the global `$wgCategoryTreeDefaultDepth` setting. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `showcount`:  Displays the number of pages in each category.  Overrides the global `$wgCategoryTreeShowCount` setting.  Values: `true` or `false`. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `hidesubcategories`:  Hides subcategories.  Values: `true` or `false`. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `hideempty`: Hides empty categories. Overrides the global `$wgCategoryTreeHideEmpty` setting. Values: `true` or `false`. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `namespace`: Restricts the categories to a specific namespace. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `style`:  Allows you to specify a custom CSS class for the tree. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `expand`:  Specifies which branches to expand by default.  Can be a comma-separated list of category names or paths. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `notitle`: Suppresses the display of a title above the category tree. Values: `true` or `false`. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.
   *   `minwidth`: Sets the minimum width of the tree in pixels. Example: `Template:CategoryTree`.

Usage

To display a CategoryTree on a wiki page, simply use the `Template:CategoryTree` parser function. Here are some examples:

  • **Basic Usage (using the current page's category):**

```wiki Template:CategoryTree ```

  • **Displaying a specific category:**

```wiki Template:CategoryTree ```

  • **Displaying a category with a limited depth:**

```wiki Template:CategoryTree ```

  • **Displaying a category without page counts:**

```wiki Template:CategoryTree ```

  • **Displaying a category, expanding specific branches:**

```wiki Template:CategoryTree ```

You can combine multiple parameters to achieve the desired appearance and behavior. Experiment with different settings to find what works best for your wiki. Consider the principles of User Interface Design when configuring the tree.

Advanced Usage: Templates and Customization

For more complex scenarios, you can create templates that encapsulate CategoryTree calls with predefined parameters. This simplifies the process of adding trees to multiple pages. You can also customize the appearance of the tree using CSS.

  • **Templates:** Create a template (e.g., `Template:CategoryTreeHelp`) with the following content:

```wiki Template:CategoryTree ```

  Then, on any page where you want to display the Help category tree, simply include:

```wiki Template:CategoryTreeHelp ```

  • **CSS Customization:** Add custom CSS rules to your wiki's `MediaWiki:Common.css` page to modify the appearance of the CategoryTree. You can target specific CSS classes used by the extension (inspect the HTML source code to find them) or use the `style` parameter to add a custom class. Consider focusing on Accessibility when customizing the appearance.

Troubleshooting

  • **Tree Not Displaying:**
   *   **Check Installation:** Ensure that the extension files are uploaded to the correct directory (`extensions/CategoryTree`) and that the `LocalSettings.php` file is correctly configured.
   *   **Clear Cache:**  Clear the MediaWiki cache.
   *   **Syntax Errors:**  Double-check the syntax of the `Template:CategoryTree` parser function call.
  • **Incorrect Depth:** Verify the `depth` parameter and the `$wgCategoryTreeDefaultDepth` global setting.
  • **Missing Categories:** Ensure that the categories you are trying to display actually exist and are properly assigned to pages. Check for typos in category names.
  • **Styling Issues:** Inspect the HTML source code to identify the CSS classes used by the extension and adjust your CSS rules accordingly.
  • **Conflicting Extensions:** Rarely, other extensions can interfere with CategoryTree. Try temporarily disabling other extensions to see if that resolves the issue.

Refer to the official https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CategoryTree for more detailed troubleshooting information. Consult the MediaWiki Help:Troubleshooting page for general debugging tips.

Integration with other extensions and features

CategoryTree integrates well with other MediaWiki features and extensions:

  • **Semantic MediaWiki**: When combined with Semantic MediaWiki, CategoryTree can be used to visualize category hierarchies defined by semantic properties.
  • **Infobox**: Category trees can be included within infoboxes to provide a quick overview of related topics.
  • **Page Forms**: Category trees can be used to guide users through the process of categorizing pages using Page Forms.
  • **VisualEditor**: CategoryTree works seamlessly with the VisualEditor, allowing users to easily insert and configure category trees.
  • **Flow**: Category trees can be linked to discussion threads in Flow to provide context and facilitate navigation.

Best Practices

  • **Keep Categories Organized:** A well-organized category structure is essential for effective navigation. Follow a consistent naming convention and avoid overly broad or narrow categories.
  • **Use Descriptive Category Names:** Category names should clearly indicate the topics they contain.
  • **Limit Depth:** Avoid creating excessively deep category hierarchies, as they can become difficult to navigate.
  • **Test Thoroughly:** Test your CategoryTree configurations on different pages and with different browsers to ensure they are working as expected.
  • **Consider Information Architecture**: Plan your category structure carefully, thinking about how users will navigate and find information.

Further Resources

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