MediaWiki Documentation

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  1. MediaWiki Documentation: A Beginner's Guide

MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki software, powering some of the largest and most prominent websites in the world, most notably Wikipedia. However, beyond simply *using* a wiki, understanding its documentation is crucial for both end-users who want to contribute effectively and for administrators who maintain and customize the platform. This article provides a comprehensive guide to navigating and utilizing MediaWiki documentation, aimed at beginners.

What is MediaWiki Documentation?

MediaWiki documentation encompasses a vast collection of resources designed to help users understand and interact with the software. It's not a single document, but rather a layered system comprised of several key components:

  • **Help Pages (within your wiki):** Most MediaWiki installations include a set of built-in Help pages, accessible usually via a link in the sidebar or the header. These pages cover basic editing, formatting, and common tasks specific to *that* wiki’s configuration. These are often customized by the wiki administrators.
  • **MediaWiki.org:** This is the official website for the MediaWiki software. It hosts the most comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, including the Manual:Contents for users, the Developer documentation for programmers, and documentation for Extension documentation.
  • **Community Forums & Mailing Lists:** A vibrant community surrounds MediaWiki. Forums and mailing lists offer a space to ask questions, share knowledge, and find solutions to specific problems.
  • **Tutorials & Guides:** Many independent tutorials and guides are available online, often focusing on specific aspects of MediaWiki customization or administration. However, always prioritize documentation from MediaWiki.org for accuracy.

Accessing and Navigating MediaWiki.org

MediaWiki.org ([1](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Main_Page)) is the central hub for all things MediaWiki. The site's structure can initially seem daunting, but understanding its key sections is essential.

  • **Main Page:** Provides news, featured content, and links to important sections.
  • **Manual:** The primary resource for users. It’s logically divided into sections like "Editing," "Pages," "Users," and "Administration." This is where you’ll find information on everything from basic text formatting ([2](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Formatting_text)) to creating templates ([3](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Templates)).
  • **Developer Documentation:** Targeted towards programmers who want to extend or modify MediaWiki's functionality. This section covers the API ([4](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/API:Main_page)), hooks ([5](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Hooks)), and other technical details.
  • **Extensions:** A directory of user-contributed extensions that add new features to MediaWiki. Each extension has its own documentation page detailing installation, configuration, and usage. Important extensions include Semantic MediaWiki for structured data and VisualEditor for a WYSIWYG editing experience.
  • **Credits:** Lists the contributors to the MediaWiki project.
  • **MediaWiki Roadmap:** Outlines the future development plans for the software.

Navigation on MediaWiki.org is similar to navigating a wiki itself: use the search bar (located at the top of the page), follow internal links, and utilize the table of contents within each page. The sidebar provides links to related pages and categories. Understanding the Help:Contents within your own wiki will also help you translate concepts learned on MediaWiki.org to your specific installation.

Understanding Key Documentation Sections

Let's delve into some of the most important sections of the MediaWiki documentation for beginners:

  • **Editing:** This section covers the core skills needed to contribute to a MediaWiki wiki. You'll learn about:
   *   **Wikitext:** The markup language used to format text in MediaWiki.  It’s relatively simple to learn, allowing you to create headings, lists, links, tables, and more. ([6](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Wikitext)). Mastering wikitext is fundamental.
   *   **Formatting Text:**  How to make text *bold*, *italic*, `monospace`, and use other formatting options.
   *   **Creating Links:**  Internal links (to other pages within the wiki) and external links (to websites outside the wiki).  Learn about Special:ListUsers and other Special pages.
   *   **Adding Images and Media:**  How to upload and embed images, videos, and other media files.
   *   **Creating Tables:**  Formatting data in a tabular format.
   *   **Using Templates:**  Reusable blocks of wikitext that can be inserted into multiple pages.
  • **Pages:** This section explains how pages are organized and managed in MediaWiki. Topics include:
   *   **Creating Pages:**  How to create new pages.
   *   **Moving Pages:**  Renaming or relocating pages.
   *   **Deleting Pages:**  Removing pages (usually restricted to administrators).
   *   **Viewing History:**  Tracking changes made to a page over time.
   *   **Categories:**  Organizing pages into logical groups.  Understanding Help:Category is essential for wiki organization.
  • **Users:** This section covers user accounts and permissions. You'll learn about:
   *   **Creating Accounts:**  How to register as a user.
   *   **User Rights:**  Different levels of access and permissions (e.g., administrators, editors, readers).
   *   **User Preferences:**  Customizing your wiki experience.
   *   **User Blocks:**  Temporarily or permanently preventing users from accessing the wiki.
  • **Administration:** This section is primarily for wiki administrators. It covers topics such as:
   *   **Installation and Configuration:**  Setting up and configuring MediaWiki.
   *   **Maintenance:**  Performing regular maintenance tasks (e.g., database backups).
   *   **Extensions:**  Installing and managing extensions.
   *   **Skins:**  Changing the visual appearance of the wiki.
   *   **Security:**  Protecting the wiki from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

Finding Specific Information: Search Strategies

The sheer volume of MediaWiki documentation can be overwhelming. Here are some effective search strategies:

  • **Use Specific Keywords:** Avoid vague terms. Instead of searching for "editing," try "MediaWiki bold text" or "MediaWiki image upload."
  • **Use Quotes for Exact Phrases:** Enclose phrases in quotes to search for those exact words in that order. For example, "table of contents."
  • **Utilize the Search Filters:** MediaWiki.org provides filters to refine your search results (e.g., search within the Manual, search within Extensions).
  • **Check the "Related Pages" Section:** Often, the pages related to your search term contain valuable information.
  • **Explore Categories:** Browse the categories on MediaWiki.org to find pages related to specific topics.
  • **Don't Be Afraid to Ask:** If you can't find what you're looking for, ask a question on the MediaWiki forums or the relevant mailing list.

Understanding Technical Concepts & Related Resources

Beyond the core documentation, understanding certain technical concepts will greatly enhance your ability to work with MediaWiki.

  • **PHP:** MediaWiki is written in PHP. While you don't need to be a PHP expert to use MediaWiki, understanding basic PHP concepts can be helpful for customization. ([7](https://www.php.net/))
  • **MySQL/MariaDB:** MediaWiki uses a relational database (typically MySQL or MariaDB) to store its data. Understanding database concepts is essential for administration. ([8](https://www.mysql.com/))
  • **CSS:** Cascading Style Sheets are used to control the visual appearance of MediaWiki. Understanding CSS allows you to customize the look and feel of your wiki. ([9](https://www.w3schools.com/css/))
  • **JavaScript:** JavaScript can be used to add interactivity to your wiki. ([10](https://www.w3schools.com/js/))
  • **Semantic Web Technologies:** Concepts like RDF and OWL can be integrated with MediaWiki using extensions like Semantic MediaWiki, enabling structured data management. ([11](https://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/))
    • Related Analysis & Strategies (for Wiki Data & Usage):**

Analyzing wiki data can reveal valuable insights. Here are some areas and resources:

1. **Pageview Analysis:** Tools to track page views to understand popular content. ([12](https://analytics.wikimedia.org/)) 2. **Contribution Analysis:** Identifying active contributors and their areas of focus. 3. **Link Analysis:** Mapping internal and external links to understand the wiki's structure and connections. 4. **Content Gap Analysis:** Identifying topics that are missing or under-developed. 5. **User Behavior Tracking:** Understanding how users navigate and interact with the wiki. 6. **Sentiment Analysis:** (Advanced) Gauging the overall sentiment expressed in wiki discussions. ([13](https://monkeylearn.com/sentiment-analysis/)) 7. **Keyword Research:** Identifying relevant keywords to improve the wiki's search engine ranking. ([14](https://ahrefs.com/keyword-explorer)) 8. **Trend Analysis:** Identifying emerging topics and trends within the wiki's subject matter. ([15](https://google.com/trends)) 9. **Network Analysis:** Visualizing relationships between pages and users. ([16](https://gephi.org/)) 10. **Data Mining Techniques:** Using algorithms to discover patterns and insights in wiki data. ([17](https://rapidminer.com/)) 11. **A/B Testing:** (For administrators) Experimenting with different wiki features to optimize user experience. ([18](https://optimizely.com/)) 12. **Cohort Analysis:** Grouping users based on their behavior and tracking their progress over time. 13. **Churn Rate Analysis:** Identifying factors that contribute to user attrition. 14. **Regression Analysis:** (Advanced) Predicting future trends based on historical data. 15. **Time Series Analysis:** Analyzing data points indexed in time order. ([19](https://www.statsmodels.org/stable/tsa.html)) 16. **Statistical Significance Testing:** Determining whether observed differences are statistically significant. 17. **Correlation Analysis:** Identifying relationships between different variables. 18. **Clustering Analysis:** Grouping similar items together. ([20](https://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/clustering.html)) 19. **Principal Component Analysis (PCA):** Reducing the dimensionality of data. 20. **Factor Analysis:** Identifying underlying factors that explain observed correlations. 21. **Decision Tree Analysis:** Creating a tree-like model to classify data. 22. **Bayesian Networks:** Representing probabilistic relationships between variables. 23. **Markov Chains:** Modeling sequential events. 24. **Monte Carlo Simulations:** Using random sampling to estimate probabilities. 25. **Forecasting Techniques:** Predicting future values based on historical data. ([21](https://www.forecastacademy.com/))

Staying Up-to-Date

MediaWiki is constantly evolving. To stay up-to-date with the latest changes and best practices:

By utilizing these resources and strategies, you can effectively navigate and utilize MediaWiki documentation, enabling you to contribute to and maintain a successful wiki.

Help:Table of contents Manual:Talk pages Help:Search Manual:Configuration Extensions Special:AllMessages Help:Editing Manual:Admin Help:Linking MediaWiki forums

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