NamespaceManager

NamespaceManager 2.0 manages custom MediaWiki namespaces from a database-backed Codex interface. It supports MediaWiki 1.43 and newer.

Installation

1. Clone this repository into extensions/NamespaceManager.
2. Add wfLoadExtension( 'NamespaceManager' ); to LocalSettings.php.
3. Run php maintenance/run.php update.
4. Visit Special:ManageNamespaces as a user with the managenamespaces right. The right is granted to sysop by default.

The update creates namespacemanager_namespace through MediaWiki's abstract schema system on MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite.

Upgrading from 1.x

Version 2.0 no longer reads namespace definitions from JSON during requests. After installing the new version and running update.php, import the old file:

php extensions/NamespaceManager/maintenance/convertNamespaceJson.php

The script uses the former NamespaceManagerDataPath setting by default, including $1 database-name substitution. Use --file to select another file:

php extensions/NamespaceManager/maintenance/convertNamespaceJson.php \
	--file=/path/to/namespaces.json

The script refuses to modify a non-empty table unless --replace is supplied. Validate a file without writing it by adding --dry-run.

Namespace definition format

The conversion script and Action API retain the 1.x JSON definition shape:

[
	{
		"id": 3000,
		"name": "Property",
		"content": true,
		"visualeditor": false,
		"searchdefault": true,
		"talksearchdefault": false,
		"subpages": false,
		"talksubpages": true,
		"includable": true,
		"talkincludable": false,
		"aliases": [ "Properties" ],
		"talkaliases": [ "Properties talk" ],
		"editpermissions": [],
		"talkeditpermissions": [ "propertymanagers" ]
	}
]

id must be an unused even number from 3000 through 4998. name is required. talkname is optional and defaults to the subject name followed by _talk. Boolean fields default to false, except includable and talkincludable, which default to true. Array fields default to empty arrays.

Storage and caching

Each subject namespace occupies one typed database row. Alias and permission lists are JSON-encoded within that row. The database is the sole runtime source of truth.

Definitions are memoized within the request and cached through WANObjectCache, including process caching, hot refresh, stampede protection, and a cross-server check key. Saves replace the complete definition set in one database transaction and invalidate both the check key and cached value. Primary-database reads are used when regenerating the cache because replica lag must not temporarily change title interpretation.

Saved definitions apply to subsequent requests.

Action API

The namespacemanager action requires the managenamespaces right and POST requests.

• operation=get returns the ordered definition list.
• operation=save accepts the list as JSON in namespaces, requires a CSRF token, validates the complete list, and atomically replaces all definitions.

The Codex interface uses this API rather than posting directly to the Special Page.

Development

Install development dependencies and run the static checks:

composer install
composer test
npm install
npm test

Run extension tests from a MediaWiki checkout:

vendor/bin/phpunit extensions/NamespaceManager/tests/phpunit