Help:DynamicPageList
From Wikia Help
- This extension is not normally active, but may be available on request.
DPL (also known as the Dynamic Page List extension) is a powerful MediaWiki extension that was developed for the Wikinews project. DPL enables the creation of lists of pages using various criteria (membership in a category, inclusion of a template, etc.). DPL is most commonly used for displaying simple lists of pages in a set of categories -- i.e., pages in Category:Episodes AND Category:Stubs.
If you plan to use DPL on your wiki, please also see Help:Using DynamicPageList Effectively.
Benefits of DPL
- Creates dynamic listings of pages based on various parameters, such as page titles, namespaces, membership in a category, template inclusion, and more.
- For example you can create a page that lists all pages in two categories but not in a third.
- Can include page information such as date of last edit, username of last editor, and more.
- Can display lists in tables, bulleted or numbered lists, in category-page style, or inline.
- Allows creation of lists with custom styles and formatting inserted in-between items.
The Downside
- DPL is very resource hungry and can result in significantly slower page loads for wikis that use it.
- Wikia is a shared resource.
- Try to formulate your DPL queries as effectively as possible to avoid slowing other wikis' DPL queries.
- It's easy to write queries that are difficult for the servers to handle
- DPL allows contributors to write large queries, which take significant database power to process.
- DPL can be difficult to use.
- Both first time contributors and experienced editors may find it difficult to edit DPL code to get the required output.
