Help:Bots

PD

{{{text}}}|Important note: When you edit this page, you agree to release your contribution into the public domain. If you don't want this or can't do this due to license restrictions, please don't edit. This page is one of the {{ #ifeq: MMNet Wiki

MediaWiki

Public Domain Help Pages

[[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Project:PD help

Public Domain Help Pages]] }}, which can be freely copied into fresh wiki installations and/or distributed with MediaWiki software; see Help:Contents for an overview of all pages. See {{ #ifeq: MMNet Wiki

MediaWiki

Project:PD help/Copying

[[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Project:PD help/Copying

Project:PD help/Copying]] }} for instructions.}}

PD

A bot is a computer program that automatically retrieves or updates wiki pages when it is executed. In general, bots are used for repetitive maintenance tasks, whose volume and characteristics are too large to be performed manually by users.

Developing and executing bots is normally outside the role of normal users, requires programming experience and must be done in coordination with the wiki's admins.

By default, bot edits are hidden in Special:Recent changes.

Framework and interface for bot development

Bots do not access the wiki through the normal graphical user interface. MediaWiki has an API (Application Programming Interface) available for this purpose. An API is a protocol for standardised communication between two computer programs. Check {{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | API:Client code | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:API:Client code||mw:}}}}API:Client code|API:Client code]] }} for more information.

To access a wiki through the API a bot must have a user account, which has been granted 'bot' permissions.

pywikipediabot

{{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | Manual:pywikipediabot | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Manual:pywikipediabot||mw:}}}}Manual:pywikipediabot|Manual:pywikipediabot]] }} provides a framework for the development of bots, which are commonly used to perform maintenance tasks such as adding a footer to some categorized pages (add_text.py), adding some wikilinks ({{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | replace.py | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Manual:pywikipediabot/replace.py||mw:}}}}Manual:pywikipediabot/replace.py|replace.py]] }}), moving old contents of talk pages to subpages ({{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | archivebot.py | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Manual:pywikipediabot/archivebot.py||mw:}}}}Manual:pywikipediabot/archivebot.py|archivebot.py]] }}), editing categories ({{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | category.py | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Manual:pywikipediabot/category.py||mw:}}}}Manual:pywikipediabot/category.py|category.py]] }}), or managing templates ({{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | template.py | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:Manual:pywikipediabot/template.py||mw:}}}}Manual:pywikipediabot/template.py|template.py]] }}).

wiki-java

wiki-java is a lightweight Java framework for bot/application development and can be used to perform various tasks, such as uploading files, adding text to articles, parsing templates, basic I/O, etc. The library also comes with simple, but powerful standalone bot methods that can be readily utilized by a programmer.

Extension alternatives

• Extension:MassEditRegex provides an alternative way to perform mass edits using regular expressions, through a special page in the wiki. Only admins can normally use this extension.

• Extension:ReplaceText is another option.

See also

• {{ #ifeq:

 MMNet Wiki

| MediaWiki | meta:Bot | [[{{#if:|{{#ifexist:meta:Bot||mw:}}}}meta:Bot|meta:Bot]] }}