[Installation done] Wiki Extension: Semantic MediaWiki
Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 1:42 am
Update 28.5.2012: I incorporated most of the plumbing in the Infobox template for Oolite ships which makes maintenance easier. The text below is updated accordingly.
In my sandbox http://sandbox.maikschulz.de (which is an old copy of the Elite Wiki) I installed the Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) extension. This allows to explain to the wiki e.g. what the ship properties mean. This in turn allows to create queries such as "show me all player flyable ships with more than 200 TC cargo".
Where I think it could be useful is in replacing the various manually curated ship lists (fastest, biggest, etc.) with a dynamically created list based on the properties in the individual ship pages. So far, I only created a dynamically generated table: http://sandbox.maikschulz.de/index.php/ ... t_(Oolite). The only ship where I changed data int the Infobox is the Adder. Specifically, I gave width, height, and length separately instead of in one string so that the volume can be calculated.
Take a look at the source of these pages and if you like apply these properties to other ships in the sandbox to see how they appear in the dynamic page afterwards. The template I use for the table rows also uses the parser functions extension for MediaWiki which allows to do calculations such as for the volume of the (cube that encompasses the) ship. Note that it might take some time for the SMW extension to parse the edits.
When you are on the Adder page, click on the "Browse properties" link in the toolbox. It lists the properties of the Adder and allows you to find other ships that have the same property set. Also, in the Special Pages there is a "Semantic search" link where you can create queries like I mentioned above. It is not exactly friendly to beginners, you have to know which properties exist (see Special pages again for a list of properties), but once you get the hang of it you can do quite powerful searches.
What do you think about continuing with it? For authors, it means that their ship will automatically appear in the list if they use the Infobox template for Oolite ships. Instead of one property for dimension there are now three. If they don't use the Infobox template (or don't create a wiki page for their ships) it will not appear in the dynamic list. Those that added their ships to the various manually maintained lists before will have an easier life now.
For "normal" users there is hardly a change. They can get acquainted with the new possibilities to find ships and eventually turn into "power" who have a whole new world of search.
Play around with it and think about whether it should be migrated to the Elite Wiki. I set the poll to 30 days and see what you think about it by then.
Of course, the whole thing only works if the existing ship pages get a little make-over with regards to new properties. Quite boring work, but manageable.
In my sandbox http://sandbox.maikschulz.de (which is an old copy of the Elite Wiki) I installed the Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) extension. This allows to explain to the wiki e.g. what the ship properties mean. This in turn allows to create queries such as "show me all player flyable ships with more than 200 TC cargo".
Where I think it could be useful is in replacing the various manually curated ship lists (fastest, biggest, etc.) with a dynamically created list based on the properties in the individual ship pages. So far, I only created a dynamically generated table: http://sandbox.maikschulz.de/index.php/ ... t_(Oolite). The only ship where I changed data int the Infobox is the Adder. Specifically, I gave width, height, and length separately instead of in one string so that the volume can be calculated.
Take a look at the source of these pages and if you like apply these properties to other ships in the sandbox to see how they appear in the dynamic page afterwards. The template I use for the table rows also uses the parser functions extension for MediaWiki which allows to do calculations such as for the volume of the (cube that encompasses the) ship. Note that it might take some time for the SMW extension to parse the edits.
When you are on the Adder page, click on the "Browse properties" link in the toolbox. It lists the properties of the Adder and allows you to find other ships that have the same property set. Also, in the Special Pages there is a "Semantic search" link where you can create queries like I mentioned above. It is not exactly friendly to beginners, you have to know which properties exist (see Special pages again for a list of properties), but once you get the hang of it you can do quite powerful searches.
What do you think about continuing with it? For authors, it means that their ship will automatically appear in the list if they use the Infobox template for Oolite ships. Instead of one property for dimension there are now three. If they don't use the Infobox template (or don't create a wiki page for their ships) it will not appear in the dynamic list. Those that added their ships to the various manually maintained lists before will have an easier life now.
For "normal" users there is hardly a change. They can get acquainted with the new possibilities to find ships and eventually turn into "power" who have a whole new world of search.
Play around with it and think about whether it should be migrated to the Elite Wiki. I set the poll to 30 days and see what you think about it by then.
Of course, the whole thing only works if the existing ship pages get a little make-over with regards to new properties. Quite boring work, but manageable.
