Hi all, For what I've undrstood from conversations so far the Web or HTML API is not enough for extension developement and the variability of exposed internal classes is often responsible for the incompatibility of extensions with certain MediaWiki versions. Correct me if I am wrong.
> > We could start documenting certain stable methods with a special code > > comment ( say @stable) which would mean something like this method will > not > > be removed, and if the need arises we'll remove the @stable and wait 2 > > versions before removing the method. Key candidates for this would > include > > title::newFromText, parser::recursiveTagParse, etc. Ideally one would > wait > > for the method to stand the test of time before tagging. So would this be a feasable improvement? Are there any other ideas of what can be done? I will hopefully sent an email with more specific examples tomorrow. Also, would it be useful to have some sort of a IRC chat or other form of conversation about this ? Mariya On Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 5:21 PM, Denny Vrandečić < [email protected]> wrote: > I don't see how something like parser functions, wiki syntax extensions, > skins, and many other extensions could feasibly be done using the Web-API. > > > 2013/2/11 Yuri Astrakhan <[email protected]> > > > I have a blasphemous proposal... extensions should only use the public > API > > via FauxRequest objects. The public API interface has been very stable, > and > > it gives MW core devs much more flexibility with changing the innards of > > the system... > > > > > > On Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 8:36 AM, bawolff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I don't think she means what we call the api - but more methods random > > > extensions are likely to use. > > > > > > We could start documenting certain stable methods with a special code > > > comment ( say @stable) which would mean something like this method will > > not > > > be removed, and if the need arises we'll remove the @stable and wait 2 > > > versions before removing the method. Key candidates for this would > > include > > > title::newFromText, parser::recursiveTagParse, etc. Ideally one would > > wait > > > for the method to stand the test of time before tagging. > > > > > > >I > > > > am sure WMF developers are facing >similar issues especially > > > > > > I don't think that's the case. It used to be the responsibility of the > > > person making the breaking change to fix all callers in the wikimedia > > > extension repo. Im not sure if that's still the case but nonetheless I > do > > > not feel this is a significant problem for deployed extensions.(im sure > > > someone will correct me if im wrong) > > > > > > -bawolff > > > On 2013-02-11 9:14 AM, "Yuri Astrakhan" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > > Mariya, > > > > > > > > Could you be more specific? What types of changes caused extensions > to > > > > break? I might be mistaken but the vast majority of the API framework > > > > classes have been established over 5 years ago, with very few > breaking > > > > changes since. Most changes were related to adding new functionality > > (new > > > > actions, new query submodules, new parameters), but that shouldn't > have > > > > significantly affected extension development. > > > > > > > > I do plan to introduce a few breaking changes (majority of the > > extensions > > > > should not be affected) in 1.21, such as the introduction of > > versioning, > > > > further modularization to allow pageset reuse, etc. > > > > See http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Requests_for_comment/API_Future > > > > > > > > Please note that in a rare case some features might be purposefully > > > removed > > > > due to the security or scalability issues. > > > > > > > > --Yuri > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 7:58 AM, Mariya Nedelcheva Miteva < > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > > > > > I have been talking to many third-party yas part of my WMF > internship > > > in > > > > > the last few weeks and one the main concerns they express is the > lack > > > of > > > > > stability in the PHP classes MediaWiki exposes from version to > > version. > > > > The > > > > > frequent changes in what I would call the PHP-API makes extentions > > > > > developement and maintenance much more difficult with compatibility > > > from > > > > > version to version becoming a problem. Solving the problem would > > > probably > > > > > result in the development of more extensions, easier maintenance, > > less > > > > > hacks to core and more users upgrading to the latest MediaWiki > > > version. I > > > > > am sure WMF developers are facing similar issues especially with > > > projects > > > > > like WikiData going on. > > > > > > > > > > My question is: With the given technical heritage that MediaWiki > > > carries, > > > > > is it possible to have a (relatively) stable set of PHP classes > > > defined, > > > > > with a pledge not to change them in the next X releases or at least > > > with > > > > > some longer deprecation time? What would maintaining such a PHP-API > > > > entail? > > > > > How difficult is it given the vast number of dependancies in > > MediaWiki > > > > > code? Does it require restructuring a lot of the current core code? > > Do > > > > you > > > > > think it should be a definite goal for WMF? > > > > > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > Mariya > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Wikitech-l mailing list > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Wikitech-l mailing list > > > > [email protected] > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikitech-l mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikitech-l mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l > > > > > > -- > Project director Wikidata > Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Obentrautstr. 72 | 10963 Berlin > Tel. +49-30-219 158 26-0 | http://wikimedia.de > > Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e.V. > Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Berlin-Charlottenburg unter > der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das Finanzamt für > Körperschaften I Berlin, Steuernummer 27/681/51985. > _______________________________________________ > Wikitech-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l > _______________________________________________ Wikitech-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l
