Revision History

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  1. Revision History

Revision history is a fundamental concept in any wiki-based system, and particularly crucial within MediaWiki, the software powering Wikipedia and countless other collaborative websites. For a beginner, understanding how revision history works is paramount to effectively contributing to and learning from a wiki. This article provides a comprehensive guide to revision history in MediaWiki, covering its purpose, how to access it, interpret it, and utilize it for various tasks.

What is Revision History?

At its core, revision history is a record of every change made to a page over time. Every time you save an edit to a page, MediaWiki doesn't simply overwrite the previous version. Instead, it stores a complete copy of the previous version, allowing you to view, compare, and even revert to any prior state of the page. Think of it like a "save as" function that happens automatically with every edit.

This system is enabled by the underlying database structure of MediaWiki. Each edit creates a new "revision" of the page, which includes the content of the page at that specific moment, metadata about the edit (who made it, when, and an optional edit summary), and links to the previous and next revisions.

The benefits of maintaining a complete revision history are significant:

  • Accountability: You can see exactly who made which changes, fostering responsibility and transparency.
  • Error Recovery: If a mistake is made, you can easily revert to a previous, working version. This is especially important in collaborative environments.
  • Learning: By examining the history, you can understand how a page has evolved, the reasoning behind changes, and learn from the contributions of others.
  • Conflict Resolution: Revision history helps resolve disputes over content by providing a clear record of edits and discussions.
  • Tracking Changes: You can monitor the development of a topic over time.

Accessing Revision History

There are several ways to access the revision history of a page in MediaWiki:

1. The "View history" Tab: This is the most common method. At the top of most wiki pages, you'll find a series of tabs: "Article," "Talk," "View history," "Edit," and sometimes others. Click the "View history" tab. This will take you to a list of all revisions of the page.

2. The "History" Link in the Sidebar: In some wiki configurations, a "History" link is present in the sidebar (usually under "Tools"). Clicking this link will also lead to the revision history page.

3. Direct URL: You can directly access the revision history by appending `&oldid=` to the page's URL, followed by the revision ID. For example, if the page URL is `https://example.com/wiki/Main_Page`, you can access a specific revision by going to `https://example.com/wiki/Main_Page&oldid=1234567890`. (Replace `1234567890` with the actual revision ID).

Understanding the Revision History Page

The revision history page displays a list of all revisions, typically in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Each entry in the list shows:

  • Timestamp: The date and time the revision was saved.
  • User: The username of the editor who made the changes. Anonymous edits are often indicated as "X.X.X.X" (an IP address).
  • Edit Summary: A brief description of the changes made, provided by the editor. Good edit summaries are *essential* for understanding the history. Encourage yourself and others to write descriptive summaries!
  • Size Difference: Indicates the difference in size between the current revision and the previous one (e.g., "+123 bytes," "-45 bytes").
  • Current/Previous: Indicates whether the revision is the current version of the page ("current") or a previous one ("previous").

At the top of the revision history page, you'll typically find options for filtering the history:

  • Show only edits by a specific user: Allows you to focus on the contributions of a particular editor.
  • Show only edits with a specific edit summary: Useful for tracking changes related to a specific topic or task.
  • Show only edits with a specific change size: Can help identify major or minor revisions.

Comparing Revisions

One of the most powerful features of revision history is the ability to compare different versions of a page. MediaWiki provides several ways to do this:

1. "Diff" Links: On the revision history page, each revision (except the current one) has a "diff" link next to it. Clicking this link will show you a side-by-side comparison of the changes made in that revision compared to the *previous* revision. The differences are highlighted, typically with additions in green and deletions in red. Understanding candlestick patterns is similar to understanding the "diff" – identifying the changes.

2. "Compare selected revisions" Feature: You can select two revisions from the history page and compare them directly. This is useful for examining changes made across a longer period of time. To do this, check the boxes next to the revisions you want to compare, and then click the "Compare selected revisions" button at the bottom of the page. This feature is analogous to comparing two different moving averages in technical analysis.

3. Using `&diff=` in the URL: Similar to the `&oldid=` method, you can use the `&diff=` parameter in the URL to directly access a comparison between two revisions. The format is `https://example.com/wiki/Main_Page&diff=oldrev&newrev`, where `oldrev` is the revision ID of the older version and `newrev` is the revision ID of the newer version.

Interpreting "Diffs"

Diffs can sometimes be complex, especially for large revisions. Here are some tips for interpreting them:

  • Color Coding: Pay attention to the color coding: Green indicates additions, red indicates deletions, and sometimes a different color (like blue) might indicate minor changes. This is similar to how Fibonacci retracements use different colors to delineate levels.
  • Context: Diffs usually show a few lines of context around each change, helping you understand where the changes were made within the larger text.
  • Ignore Formatting Changes: Diffs can sometimes highlight minor formatting changes (e.g., line breaks, whitespace). You can often ignore these and focus on the substantive changes to the content.
  • Look for Edit Summaries: Always check the edit summary associated with the revision to understand the editor's intent.
  • Consider the Entire Revision: Don't just focus on the highlighted changes. Read the entire revision to get a complete picture of what was changed.

Reverting Changes

If you find that a change has negatively impacted a page, you can revert it to a previous version. This is a powerful tool for correcting errors or undoing vandalism.

1. "Undo" Link: On the revision history page, each revision (except the current one) has an "undo" link next to it. Clicking this link will take you to the edit page with the content of that revision pre-loaded. You can then save the page to revert to that version. The undo feature is a safety net, similar to a stop-loss order in trading – it limits potential damage.

2. "Revert" Link: Some wikis also have a "revert" link, which automatically reverts the page to the selected revision without taking you to the edit page.

3. Manual Reversion: You can also manually revert a page by copying the content from a previous revision and pasting it into the current edit page. This is useful if you want to make additional changes before saving.

    • Important Considerations when Reverting:**
  • Edit Summaries: Always provide a clear and concise edit summary when reverting a change, explaining why you are reverting it.
  • Discussion: If you are unsure whether to revert a change, or if you anticipate disagreement, it's best to discuss it with other editors on the Talk page first.
  • Avoid Edit Wars: Repeatedly reverting someone else's edits without discussion is considered an "edit war" and is discouraged.

Advanced Features and Concepts

  • Watchlists: You can "watch" pages to receive notifications when they are edited. This allows you to stay informed about changes and review the revision history as needed. This is like setting up price alerts to monitor market movements.
  • Page Protection: Administrators can protect pages to prevent unauthorized edits. This can be useful for high-profile pages or pages that are frequently vandalized.
  • Deletion and Undeletion: Administrators can delete pages if they violate wiki policies. Deleted pages are still retained in the history and can be undeleted if necessary.
  • Revision Deletion: In certain cases, individual revisions can be deleted to remove sensitive information or address copyright concerns.
  • Talk Pages: Use the Talk page associated with a page to discuss changes and reach consensus with other editors. The talk page *is part of* the revision history of the overall collaborative project.
  • User Contributions: You can view a user's contributions by clicking on their username or visiting their user page. This allows you to see all the edits they have made to the wiki. Understanding a user's contribution history can be valuable, much like analyzing a trader's past performance.

Best Practices for Using Revision History

  • Write Descriptive Edit Summaries: This is the single most important thing you can do to make revision history useful.
  • Review Revision History Before Making Major Changes: Understand how the page has evolved before making significant edits.
  • Use Diffs to Understand Changes: Take the time to carefully review diffs to understand the impact of each edit.
  • Discuss Changes on Talk Pages: Collaborate with other editors to reach consensus on content.
  • Be Respectful of Other Editors: Avoid edit wars and engage in constructive dialogue.


Resources for Further Learning



MediaWiki Help Editing pages Talk pages User pages Special pages Manual of Style Copyright Vandalism Administrators Community

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