Extension:VisualData

**MediaWiki extensions manual**
VisualData; Release status: stable
Implementation	Hook, Special page
Description	VisualData is a full-fledged metadata management framework based on json-schema able to easily record, organize and query collection of data on your wiki.
Author(s)	thomas-topway-it (thomas-topway-ittalk)
Latest version	1.0.6 (2024-04-09)
Compatibility policy	Master maintains backward compatibility.
MediaWiki	>= 1.35.0
License	GNU General Public License 2.0 or later
Download	Download extension ; Git [?]: Download Git master; browse repository (Phabricator · GitHub); commit history; repository contributors (GitHub); code review;
	Parameters $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryForms; $wgVisualDataCreateJobsWarningLimit; $wgVisualDataDisableSlotsNavigation; $wgVisualDataEditDataNamespaces; $wgVisualDataDisableSidebarLink; $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryJsonData; $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryButtons; $wgVisualDataDisableVersionCheck; $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryQueries;
	Added rights visualdata-caneditdata; visualdata-canmanageschemas;
	Hooks used ArticleUndelete; BeforeInitialize; BeforePageDisplay; ContentAlterParserOutput; ContentGetParserOutput; EditPage::showEditForm:initial; LoadExtensionSchemaUpdates; MediaWikiServices; MultiContentSave; OutputPageParserOutput; PageDeleteComplete; PageRenderingHash; PageSaveComplete; ParserAfterTidy; ParserFirstCallInit; ParserPreSaveTransformComplete; RevisionFromEditComplete; SidebarBeforeOutput; SkinBuildSidebar; SkinTemplateNavigation::Universal;
Quarterly downloads	69 (Ranked 82nd)
	Translate the VisualData extension if it is available at translatewiki.net

Translate this page

VisualData is a full-fledged metadata management framework based on json-schema able to easily record, organize and query collection of data on your wiki.

It is characterized by a strong emphasis on the UI/UX side and aims to present itself as a lightweight or modern alternative to Semantic MediaWiki and Cargo.

Key-features edit

Based on json-schema and slots
forms and pop-up forms auto-generated from json-schema
Integrated SchemaBuilder to easily create json-schema compliant schemas, with nested items and OOUI widgets
Forms are validated with industry-standard ajv-validator
SMW's style inline queries and result formats
Can import/store/query large amount of data (with hierarchical structure) in specific articles/the entire wiki, and to rebuild them in minutes

UI elements edit

The extension adds the following interface elements to your wiki (some of them only for authorized users and/or sysops)

A sidebar section where to access all special pages offered by the extension

The action tab "Edit data" by which to assign schemas to article and fill-in them through automatically generated OOUI forms

and a namespace tab where to access the slot with json-data registered within an article through the extension

The visibility of each of them can be managed using the global parameters below.

Installation edit

Download and place the file(s) in a directory called VisualData in your extensions/ folder.
Add the following code at the bottom of your LocalSettings.php

wfLoadExtension( 'VisualData' );

Run php maintenance/update.php (this will install the required tables)
run composer install --no-dev in the extension folder. This will install the required libraries^[1]
Done – Navigate to Special:Version on your wiki to verify that the extension is successfully installed.

Make sure to run

php extensions/VisualData/maintenance/RebuildData.php

after each update of the extension when indicated in the Release notes. This will drop/recreate the tables based on the data stored on the wiki

Main sections edit

New article UI

New article UI

Schema Builder & File upload

Edit data

Forms

Queries

Result formats

Browse data

Maintenance scripts

Maintenance scripts

Miscellaneous

QueryLink parser function (dynamic catalogue)

Release notes

Rights and privileges edit

The extension creates the following user rights. They can be both included manually in the LocalSettings.php or to be managed through the interface (special page Special:UserRights). Sysops and bureaucrats are assigned with the complete set of permissions by default.

Rights edit

variable	description
`visualdata-caneditdata`	Can edit metadata related to wiki articles by editing/assigning json-schemas to them
`visualdata-canmanageschemas`	Can create/edit/delete schemas through the SchemaBuilder

Example configuration edit

$wgGroupPermissions['*']["visualdata-caneditdata"] = true;
$wgGroupPermissions['*']["visualdata-canmanageschemas"] = false;

Groups edit

group	Can edit data	Can manage schemas
`sysop`, `bureaucrat`
`visualdata-admin`
`visualdata-editor`		N

Global parameters edit

variable	description	default
`$wgVisualDataDisableSlotsNavigation`	hide slots tab on the navigation panel	`false`
`$wgVisualDataDisableSidebarLink`	hide VisualData's links section on the sidebar	`false`
`$wgVisualDataEditDataNamespaces`	default namespaces with editable metadata	`0, 4 (Main, Project)`
`$wgVisualDataJsonDataTrackingCategory`	add a tracking category to articles with data	`false`
`$wgVisualDataCreateJobsWarningLimit`	number of jobs created without emitting a notice	`0`
`$wgVisualDataDisableVersionCheck`	disable version check of the extension	`false`

Known issues edit

in some MediaWiki versions and configurations, the ResourceLoader may generate syntax errors when bundling the Javascript files. In this case please use $wgResourceLoaderDebug = true; in LocalSettings.php, this will include separately each file and should solve the problem.
rename of schemas and properties must be kept in synch with property and schema names hardcoded in parser functions. This will be solved implementing a query and form builder (see #Roadmap)
queries require that the first printout exists, otherwise the row will not show. This could be solved using DUAL keyword
the SchemaBuilder and the form processor do not yet support the directives oneOf, anyOf and support for the $ref keyword
table/datatables do not yet provide dynamic navigation, although a navigation may be implemented by users using the limit/offset parameters and QueryLink parser function

Roadmap edit

add oneOf, anyOf and allOf support to form generator and SchemaBuilder (the SchemaBuilder will contain a select on the schema main panel)
add tuple and $ref keyword to SchemaBuilder (properties panel, besides 'add field', 'add content block', etc.)
add additional properties to SchemaBuilder (additional panel)
add query and form builder: this will store queries and forms as json schemas so that rename of schemas or properties can be updated within such schemas, not in the wikitext. The parser function will add queries and forms by their names or code
UI for bulk-edit of json data in the BrowseData special page
Ajax navigation for datatables, SearchPanes and SearchBuilder

Additionally:

version control for schemas and related data, so that edits of the schema constrain to the data related to the previous data structure
version control notice shown through Extension:Echo and/or complying better design practice
partial editing of schemas and field operations like Firebase's ArrayUnion, ArrayRemove, etc.
preload json-ld/schema.org entities as json-schemas
associate json-ld/schema.org vocabulary to user-defined schemas

Release notes edit

Extension:VisualData/Release notes

Support & bugs edit

Please post error messages in the Talk page of the extension. Updates will be occasionally posted on the MediaWiki's Wikitech mailing list.

For professional support please write at the email address posted here

References edit

Test it out ! edit

WikiSphere

↑ although the extension works without additional libraries, they are required to handle rename of schemas and properties, and to support preload-data override

[1] though the extension works without additional libraries, they are required to handle rename of schemas and properties, and to support preload-data override

[1]

VisualData Release status: stable
Implementation	Hook , Special page
Description	VisualData is a full-fledged metadata management framework based on json-schema able to easily record, organize and query collection of data on your wiki.
Author(s)	thomas-topway-it (thomas-topway-it^talk)
Latest version	1.0.6 (2024-04-09)
Compatibility policy	Master maintains backward compatibility.
MediaWiki	>= 1.35.0
License	GNU General Public License 2.0 or later
Download	Download extension Git ^[?]: Download Git master browse repository (Phabricator · GitHub) commit history repository contributors (GitHub) code review
Parameters $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryForms $wgVisualDataCreateJobsWarningLimit $wgVisualDataDisableSlotsNavigation $wgVisualDataEditDataNamespaces $wgVisualDataDisableSidebarLink $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryJsonData $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryButtons $wgVisualDataDisableVersionCheck $wgVisualDataTrackingCategoryQueries
Added rights visualdata-caneditdata visualdata-canmanageschemas
Hooks used ArticleUndelete BeforeInitialize BeforePageDisplay ContentAlterParserOutput ContentGetParserOutput EditPage::showEditForm:initial LoadExtensionSchemaUpdates MediaWikiServices MultiContentSave OutputPageParserOutput PageDeleteComplete PageRenderingHash PageSaveComplete ParserAfterTidy ParserFirstCallInit ParserPreSaveTransformComplete RevisionFromEditComplete SidebarBeforeOutput SkinBuildSidebar SkinTemplateNavigation::Universal
Quarterly downloads	69 (Ranked 82^nd)
Translate the VisualData extension if it is available at translatewiki.net