Difference between revisions of "Wikispooks:Semantic Mediawiki"

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{{HelpSection|image=SMW.png}}
 
{{HelpSection|image=SMW.png}}
'''Semantic Mediawiki''' (SMW) is an extension for the basic [[Mediawiki]] software that powers the Wikispooks site. It's purpose is to provide semantic definition and querying capabilities which are lacking in the basic software.
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'''Semantic Mediawiki''' (SMW) is an extension for the basic [[Mediawiki]] software that powers the Wikispooks site. Its purpose is to provide semantic definition and querying capabilities which are lacking in the basic software. This offers two main benefits to the site - (i) a richer set of ways to organise and use the information, (ii) the possibility to define {{WSLink|site feeds}} to export the data in a predictable format, which others can build.
  
 
==SMW on Wikispooks==
 
==SMW on Wikispooks==
SMW is installed on Wikispooks, as are most of its related extensions (ie extensions to Mediawiki that are dependant upon SMW to function). To date (November 2013) Wikispooks has made only limited use of SMW - most notably its Semantic Forms extension.  
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SMW is installed on Wikispooks together with a bunch of associated extensions (Semantic Bundle). Towards the end of 2013, Wikispooks has been expanding its use of SMW - most notably through Semantic Forms extension.  
  
 
===Timelines===
 
===Timelines===
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The properties currently used by the timelines experiments may need to be changed to accord with standard but evolving semantic properties syntax and grammar.
 
The properties currently used by the timelines experiments may need to be changed to accord with standard but evolving semantic properties syntax and grammar.
 
===Development===
 
The timeline experiments have made it clear that SMW has considerable potential to enhance the functionality of Wikispooks by making its contents more accessible to well thought out querying. Among other things, this will require:
 
 
*Identifying and defining other semantic properties in its existing content.
 
*applying the new properties to existing content.
 
*facilitating the use of the defined properties on new pages - best done by careful design of templates and corresponding data-entry/editing forms
 
 
Before steaming ahead with this, we need to be a lot clearer about how to differentiate the use of properties and categories. The category tree is already an incoherent mess and it would be good to avoid turning the property list/tree into a similar mess.
 
 
Please feel free to add to and edit this page. The talk page is best to make suggestions, ask questions etc.
 
  
 
==Properties==
 
==Properties==
  
Properties are easy to make, annoying to remove, so before defining a new property you should first mooting the idea by making a property page explaining the idea. Then await feedback from others. Wikispooks has 3 categories of properties:
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Wikispooks has 3 categories of properties:
 
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==Caution==
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===New Properties===
The semantic property definition process is easy - almost too easy in fact - and it has pitfalls. The most obvious of these to date is that it is possible to create large numbers of properties accidentally whilst experimenting with their use on templates that are already in use on many pages. That in itself would not be so bad except for the fact that, once defined, it seems that they cannot be deleted, even where there is no page or usage made of them - See [[Special:Properties]] (items in black type) for an illustration of what can happen.
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''Be careful when creating new properties''. Properties are easy to make, annoying to remove, so before defining a new property you should first mooting the idea by making a using [[template:property]] to make a property page explaining the idea. Then await feedback from others. See [[Special:Properties]] for an illustration of what can happen.
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==Development==
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Existing use of SMW suggests that it has considerable potential to enhance the functionality of the site, making its contents more accessible to well thought out querying. Among other things, this will require:
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*Some capable programming by editors up to speed on SMW
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*Identifying and defining a core set of semantic ''properties'' (and possibly also ''concepts'') which are useful for structuring the data
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*Applying these new structures to the existing content
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*Allowing for seemlessly creation of these structures on new pages by non-SMW aware users (i.e. through semantic forms)
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===Integrating with Mediawiki===
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Mediawiki's main organisational tools for arranging pages are the ''namespace'' and the ''category''. Adding SMW's ''properties'' and ''concepts'' to the mix allows for considerable flexibility in how to organise data. The basic approach is a replacement of the generic ''grouped together with'' (category) relationship by SMW's more precisely defined relationships (properties). How best to do this remains an open question, but some basic principles are:
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#''Properties'' and ''Concepts'' are generally to be preferred to ''categories''
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#For reasons of reliability and maintenance, data should be dynamically produced (e.g. from templates) rather than input by hand whenever possible
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#''Hard thinking'' is preferable to ''hard work'' where possible :)
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''See [[{{TALKPAGENAME}}]] for more detailed discussion''.
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{{WikiSpooks Footer/Technical}}
 
{{WikiSpooks Footer/Technical}}
 
[[Category:WikiSpooks Technical]]
 
[[Category:WikiSpooks Technical]]

Revision as of 04:03, 17 December 2013

SMW.png

Semantic Mediawiki (SMW) is an extension for the basic Mediawiki software that powers the Wikispooks site. Its purpose is to provide semantic definition and querying capabilities which are lacking in the basic software. This offers two main benefits to the site - (i) a richer set of ways to organise and use the information, (ii) the possibility to define site feeds to export the data in a predictable format, which others can build.

SMW on Wikispooks

SMW is installed on Wikispooks together with a bunch of associated extensions (Semantic Bundle). Towards the end of 2013, Wikispooks has been expanding its use of SMW - most notably through Semantic Forms extension.

Timelines

Full article: WikiSpooks:Timelines

Experiments with timelines, notably the JFK Assassination Timeline have made further use of SMW. Timelines are a semantic results format which must have at least one date property defined in order to correctly displayed events. The JFK timeline currently uses 3 semantic property definitions (Start, End and Description), 'Start' and 'End' are of property type 'Date' and 'Description is of property type 'Text'.

The properties currently used by the timelines experiments may need to be changed to accord with standard but evolving semantic properties syntax and grammar.

Properties

Wikispooks has 3 categories of properties:

 
For properties which are working as planned and will be permanent features of the wiki
 
For properties which are operational but not necessarily working properly or at all
 
For properties which are not yet used, on which you are seeking feedback

New Properties

Be careful when creating new properties. Properties are easy to make, annoying to remove, so before defining a new property you should first mooting the idea by making a using template:property to make a property page explaining the idea. Then await feedback from others. See Special:Properties for an illustration of what can happen.

Development

Existing use of SMW suggests that it has considerable potential to enhance the functionality of the site, making its contents more accessible to well thought out querying. Among other things, this will require:

  • Some capable programming by editors up to speed on SMW
  • Identifying and defining a core set of semantic properties (and possibly also concepts) which are useful for structuring the data
  • Applying these new structures to the existing content
  • Allowing for seemlessly creation of these structures on new pages by non-SMW aware users (i.e. through semantic forms)

Integrating with Mediawiki

Mediawiki's main organisational tools for arranging pages are the namespace and the category. Adding SMW's properties and concepts to the mix allows for considerable flexibility in how to organise data. The basic approach is a replacement of the generic grouped together with (category) relationship by SMW's more precisely defined relationships (properties). How best to do this remains an open question, but some basic principles are:

  1. Properties and Concepts are generally to be preferred to categories
  2. For reasons of reliability and maintenance, data should be dynamically produced (e.g. from templates) rather than input by hand whenever possible
  3. Hard thinking is preferable to hard work where possible :)

See Wikispooks talk:Semantic Mediawiki for more detailed discussion.


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