Talk:MediaWiki UI

Any plans to add the ability to add dropdown menus as part of the MediaWiki UI?

Hi, this might help: OOjs_UI/Widgets/Selects_and_Options#Menu_selects_and_options

If it doesn't, then could you elaborate with some detail, on what you are thinking of? What use-cases generally and specifically? For extensions, for gadgets? Examples always help!

@Quiddity (WMF) Those templates look great! Are they available as templates on the English Wikipedia?

Hi, they're not templates, they're just specifications for the MediaWiki software, and are slowly being integrated into the various special: pages, and similar.

Could you explain what it is you are trying to create or change? Specific details will help (me/someone) to answer your underlying question (which might involve a different solution) but we can't do that without context. Again, examples/details/links help!

(I've tried to guess, and spent a few minutes searching around for what you might mean, but I can't think of any dropdowns used in articles or similar. E.g. the Extension:InputBox which is used in {archive box} and similar, uses checkboxes and not dropdowns. As far as I know, dropdown menus are not something we've ever used anywhere in content or templates.)

@Quiddity (WMF) What is the template used on the dropdown (article, talk, user, file, etc.) to move pages of the English Wikipedia? Example page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MovePage/User:Example/sandbox

Hi. That's not a template, it is a "Special page" and is part of the MediaWiki code (written in PHP).

As I wrote above, please describe what it is that you are wanting to create or accomplish - the specific use-case(s). That way we can figure out the possible solutions. (I.e. Are you wanting to create an extension? or change the UI/design of an existing Special page or gadget? or create some new type of workflow? etc).

If i want to add a dropdown menu consist of available username in the special page: contribution which replace the IP address or username tab, is it possible to be done ?

Hi @Simuako - I'd suggest asking at Project:Support desk instead, as this is a 5 year old thread on the talkpage for an obsolete project!

I suggest also expanding your question to provide some more context, and perhaps an example link or two (examples always help!). E.g. I would guess from what you've written, that you are asking about changing the way the default "Special:Contributions" page works on some non-Wikimedia wiki, but that's just a guess.

I also see that the top box at Special:Contributions already does have search-autocomplete here, which might be enough?

(Note: I'm not a developer, so can't help much more beyond that advice.)

Hope that helps.

@Quiddity (WMF) The search-autocomplete function is good, but I want to show a drop-down menu to list out all available username so that it is more convenient in my case, although not necessary. I will ask at support desk, thanks lot for the info.

@Quiddity (WMF) I would like to have dropdowns so that I can can create responsive navbar templates like Page tabs that responsively change into a dropdown when their width is constrained. Right now these templates are not mobile-friendly because cannot do this right now without dropdowns.

@Lectrician1 Hi. Related to my note above from last month, this isn't a great location to ask about such things! This page is related to the core MediaWiki software, and not to the many complex things that are done on top of it, like templates. I suggest asking at the Project:Support desk.

That said, I'd personally offer a hesitant caution against converting multipage navigation-tabs into a dropdown menu for mobile, because hiding/collapsing things frequently results in making them harder to find (i.e. requires interaction, vs just scrolling/skimming). However, I do also understand the desire to make things cleaner/simpler/shorter/etc. It's a difficult balance.

@Quiddity (WMF) Just curious but, if you're against simplifying navbars with drop-downs, how would you go about simplifying the page tabs on this page for mobile?

Ooof. I see what you mean... (link to mobile-version and screenshot using Firefox's "responsive design mode" tool). I think the page as a whole needs a redesign to work for mobile, as even without the tabs, half the content is still offscreen...

• You might try asking at w:en:Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Council if they have any pointers to existing examples of page-layouts that are responsively designed.

Re: tabs specifically...

• For example, I believe the system at https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:Wikimedia_Foundation_Funds/Main is a responsive design that wraps instead of over-flowing.
• For example, I believe the system at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:WikiProject_COVID-19_header does, too.
• Ditto, m:Template:Navigation header and m:Template:Portal navigation
• You might try asking at w:en:Template talk:Page tabs if anyone watching that knows how to, and wants to help to, improve it.

Hope that helps.

I propose we manage UI documentation in Storybook.js ... thoughts?

This is a legacy page. You probably should discuss it on Talk:Front-end standards group.

There is still no customization support. For example how to change the "certain tone of blue associated with Facebook" as mentioned in MediaWiki UI#I don't like the design!? The Living style guide linked therein does not describe it, logically because the software does not allow it (see bug T100896). Considering that virtually every custom skin using custom colors has been broken, I'm wondering what was really the point of these changes. The antispam filter does not let me create a link to your bug tracker. Come on!

From my understanding there are three different issues that are better fitted in Phabricator than here. Therefore closing this.