Skin:Vector

This skin comes with MediaWiki 1.16 and above. Thus you do not have to download it again. However, you still need to follow the other instructions provided.

MediaWiki skins manual - category

Vector Release status: stable
Compatibility policy	Snapshots releases along with MediaWiki. Master is not backwards compatible.
Composer	mediawiki/vector-skin
License	GNU General Public License 2.0 or later
Download	Download skin Git [?]: Download Git master browse repository (Phabricator · GitHub) commit history repository contributors (GitHub) code review
Example	en.wikipedia.org - Vector en.wikipedia.org - Vector 2022
Parameters $wgVectorUseSimpleSearch $wgVectorUseIconWatch $wgVectorResponsive
Hooks used CentralAuthIsUIReloadRecommended GetPreferences MakeGlobalVariablesScript ResourceLoaderSiteModulePages ResourceLoaderSiteStylesModulePages SkinPageReadyConfig GetBetaFeaturePreferences
Hooks provided VectorBeforeFooter VectorAfterToolbox
Quarterly downloads	744 (Ranked 1st)
Public wikis using	14,010 (Ranked 2nd)
Public wikis using as default skin	5,943
Translate the Vector skin if it is available at translatewiki.net
Vagrant role	vector
Issues :	Open tasks · Report a bug

Vector is a MediaWiki skin that has been MediaWiki's default skin since 2010, replacing MonoBook .

In recent years the skin has undergone a number of technical changes, e.g. the switch to Mustache to support the construction of Skin:Vector/2022 as part of the work done by the Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements initiative.

Installation

• If using Vagrant , install with vagrant roles enable vector -p

Manual installation

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

  wfLoadSkin( 'Vector' );
  

•  Done - Navigate to Special:Version on your wiki to verify that the skin is successfully installed.

Setting the default skin to Vector

A default skin should be set for new users of a wiki by setting the variable $wgDefaultSkin in LocalSettings.php to the lowercase skin name specified in the skin file:

$wgDefaultSkin = 'vector'; // "Legacy" Vector (2010)
$wgDefaultSkin = 'vector-2022'; // New Vector (2022)

Configuration

$wgVectorUseIconWatch

Watch and unwatch as an icon rather than a link.

• Supported values:
  • true — use an icon watch/unwatch button
  • false — use watch/unwatch text link

$wgVectorUseIconWatch = true;

$wgVectorResponsive

MediaWiki versions:

1.26 – 1.35

Experimental setting to make Vector a responsive skin that adapts to mobile phones. false by default.

• Supported values:
  • true — Use responsiveness to improve usability in narrow viewports
  • false — No responsiveness

$wgVectorPrintLogo

MediaWiki versions:

1.30 – 1.35

Logo used in print styles.

Keys are 'url', 'width', 'height' (in pixels). Note that this solution only works correctly if the image pointed to by 'url' is an SVG that does not specify width and height attributes, or its width and height match the corresponding variables below. Alternatively, a PNG or other type of image can be used, but its dimensions also need to match the corresponding variable below. That in turn may result in blurry images, though.

For MediaWiki 1.36 and higher, the print logo will simply be set from Manual:$wgLogos .

$wgVectorPrintLogo = [
	'url' => 'https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg',
	'width' => 174,
	'height' => 27
];

$wgVectorShareUserScripts

Setting to false prevents Vector 2022 skin from loading MediaWiki:Vector.css and MediaWiki:Vector.js.

Features

Basic features of the Vector skin

• Reduced clutter, primarily by reducing the number of lines on screen
• More prominent placement of the search portal
• Visual separation of the content-action and namespace links, the former of which being divided into view tabs and action menu items
• Automatic increase/decrease of margins throughout the user interface based on browser size
• Use of a star icon for watch and unwatch actions

Added features of the Vector extension (some of these features have later been merged into the Vector skin or into the MediaWiki Core or have been removed)

• Simplified search portal, including suggestions
• Collapsible navigation portals
• Alert when leaving an edit page without saving
• Automatic hiding of tabs that do not fit on screen

Experimental Vector extension features

• Simplified footer content
• Search box expands on focus
• Section edit links are moved to be directly next to heading instead of on the right, and use an icon

CollapsibleNav support via CollapsibleVector extension

Notes

Collapsible navigation

The collapsible navigation portals are now provided by the CollapsibleVector extension which will have to be installed additionally.

Smartphone and tablet design

See also: Manual:Mobiles, tablets and responsive design

Vector will work on many mobile devices, but it is not fully optimized for mobile devices. This latest version of Vector, Vector 2022, has better support for mobile devices.

History of the skin

Vector was created in 2009 as part of the work done by the Wikipedia Usability Initiative . It became MediaWiki's default skin in 2010 (MediaWiki 1.17 , git #2833b07a), succeeding Skin:MonoBook . In 2022, as part of the MediaWiki 1.38 release, it was updated as part of the work done by the Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements initiative.

Vector provides a number of usability improvements over its predecessor MonoBook. It was the first skin to separate the flat level content_actions into the categorized content_navigation.

At the beginning, the basic functionality was included in the core skin, while some of Vector's special features were handled by a separate extension, Extension:Vector . In MediaWiki 1.22, the extension was merged into the skin.

Dark mode customizations

A dark color scheme can be applied to Vector using CSS , for example with user styles, [1] which are enabled by default. Dark mode derivatives of the Vector skin, such as Skin:DarkVector , can be loaded into a wiki as a separate option.

Note all of these are supported by third parties, not the Wikimedia Foundation .

See also

• Skin:Vector/2022 – The 2022 version of Vector
• Skin:DarkVector – Dark theme of the same skin
• Skin:Vector/VectorBook.css – CSS code to get the book background image from Skin:MonoBook in this skin.
• Skin:Vector/monobook-replica.css – An experiment to make Vector appear as similar to MonoBook as possible using CSS code applied on top of it.
• Skin:Vector/Customize – How to Customize appearance and add some custom HTML code in different places.

New Vector skin in 1.38+

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.38

In MediaWiki 1.38 a new variant of Vector, Vector 2022 , was created as part of the Desktop Improvements project.