In a message dated 10/21/2006 12:31:54 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, hennar@gmail.com writes:
the simpelest thing to do is either write a css from scratch/based on monobook where you 'hide' those tabs (visibility:hidden; display:none), only thing you need to know is how to use css. The other option is designing a custom skin, you'll need to know some php&html for that, examples can be found in /skins/
henna
Thanks, henna. I've already customized monobook quite a bit, and tweaked the css for this particular application. But your suggestion does inspire a new line of thinking -- I could designate alternate classes for the tabs in css that include display:none then call classes that show or hide various tabs. My thoughts were more along the lines of simply revising the php that calls the tabs, but per your suggestion integrating display:none styles might be part of that schema.
I've really not started plodding through the instantiation logic for the tabs yet, except to remove one tab on protected pages. Knowing some php and html isn't enough. The challenge is to apply what knowledge I have, and to develop some familiarity with MediaWiki architecture. Part of that process involves searching to see if existing schemas are already available, to avoid duplicating work already done and to take advantage of the work of more experienced programmers, or of those more familiar with MediaWiki. I haven't found any examples in /skins/ that do what I described -- in fact such examples would not be found there because skintemplate.php, and the tab instantiation logic it exposes is shared by all skins.
Skinstemplate.php is found in /includes/ and I have not located any alternative logic in alternate skintemplate.php files so far. That's what I'm asking -- has anybody released a revised /includes/skintemplate.php that minimizes instantiation of "edit" and "history" tabs to appear only on those pages and for those editors who are approved for editing?