I agree with this. Just for those who want to take a look at the raw JavaScript code for HotCat: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Gadget-HotCat.js
It would probably take me a good week just to understand what's going on in that mess. **It has custom JSON and AJAX functions from when HotCat was developed without jQuery support.** You read that write. Not only does it use a normal edit form rather than attempting to do something with the API (because there is no API module for this), but it also has custom jQuery-like functions.
This could be vastly simplified with a nice extension. But, as said, if VE already has such a feature, maybe it's not even worth it...
*-- * *Tyler Romeo* Stevens Institute of Technology, Class of 2016 Major in Computer Science www.whizkidztech.com | tylerromeo@gmail.com
On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 6:08 PM, Jon Robson jdlrobson@gmail.com wrote:
I'd really like to see a review process where Gadgets move from Gadget status to core. To me a Gadget is a great way to explore a new type of functionality and prove it's worth but it comes with a cost - it's very difficult to ensure a Gadget doesn't breaking with core changes or with the installation of some other extension/gadget. I can imagine this would also be the developer equivalent of a barn star - such a promotion I'd hope would be very flattering to authors and would encourage Gadget writing and innovation. Likewise if a gadget is not being used we should not leave it install on a wiki.
If people don't want to put their code through review this is scary to me - surely the standards of any code we put out to users should be of the highest quality..? We should not be scared of code review and see it as a positive thing that builds our knowledge up and makes us be the best we possibly can. If this is seen as a bad thing we really need to ask ourselves questions about the review process.
If people are scared of using Gerrit/Git we should create nicer interfaces into it.. no?
(Note for those not familiar with what HotCat is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:HotCat)
On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 2:52 PM, Yuvi Panda yuvipanda@gmail.com wrote:
It's universally liked, is there almost on every wiki, and provides a much needed functionality. Why isn't this deployed as an extension, or better yet - part of core, than as a gadget? Just a matter of someone to do the work?
-- Yuvi Panda T http://yuvi.in/blog
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-- Jon Robson http://jonrobson.me.uk @rakugojon
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