FOSS:Contributing - Revision history

SeedBot: logo renders from the item's image statement ({{#item-image:}}) (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-08-28T14:51:18Z

logo renders from the item's image statement ({{#item-image:}}) (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:51, 28 August 2026
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	The split exists so that a moving project is fixed in one place — the item.		The split exists so that a moving project is fixed in one place — the item.


	== Good to know ==		== Good to know ==
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	* Licence, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).		* Licence, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).
	* Several values are allowed in a field — separate the item ids with a comma (e.g. <code>Q5, Q179</code>); the created item gets one statement per id.		* Several values are allowed in a field — separate the item ids with a comma (e.g. <code>Q5, Q179</code>); the created item gets one statement per id.
			* A logo uploaded with Special:AddSoftware renders in the infobox automatically — the image cell reads the item's <code>image</code> statement ([[Help:Contributing/semanticDynamicContent\|{{#item-image:}}]]), so the logo shows on the page even if it was added after the page was created.

	== See also ==		== See also ==

SeedBot: Document multi-value entity fields (follow-up feature) (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-08-21T16:41:59Z

Document multi-value entity fields (follow-up feature) (via update-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

Rongzhou: /* Good to know */

2026-08-21T16:21:47Z

Good to know

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:21, 21 August 2026
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	* An empty infobox row is not an error — the item simply has no statement for it yet.		* An empty infobox row is not an error — the item simply has no statement for it yet.
	* Facts are read live: update the item, not the page.		* Facts are read live: update the item, not the page.
	* ~~License~~, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).		* Licence, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Rongzhou: /* Conventions */

2026-08-21T16:20:51Z

Conventions

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:20, 21 August 2026
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	The split exists so that a moving project is fixed in one place — the item.		The split exists so that a moving project is fixed in one place — the item.

	~~== Conventions ==~~

	* Every FOSS page transcludes [[Template:FOSS]] — banner, infobox and automatic [[:Category:FOSS\|category]].
	* Page and item must be sitelinked; [[Special:AddSoftware]] does this. Without the link the infobox renders empty — [[Help:Contributing/semanticDynamicContent\|how sitelinks work]].
	* Reuse the existing software properties (developer, license, …). A property is permanent once created — [[Help:Contributing/entities\|properties first, then items]].
	* Translations live at <code>FOSS:<Name>/<lang></code> — [[Help:Contributing/languages\|languages and translation]].

	== Good to know ==		== Good to know ==

SeedBot: FOSS namespace contributing guide (issue #30) (via create-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

2026-08-21T16:15:11Z

FOSS namespace contributing guide (issue #30) (via create-page on MediaWiki MCP Server)

New page

<div style="border:1px solid #c8ccd1;background:#f8f9fa;padding:0.5em 1em;margin-bottom:1em;">
The contributing guide for the [[FOSS:Main|FOSS namespace]]: how to add a program, what lives where, and the FOSS conventions. General wiki rules live in [[Help:Contributing]] — this page only covers what is specific to FOSS pages.
</div>

== The shape of a FOSS page ==

A FOSS page is a thin [[Template:FOSS|template]] over its item: the banner and infobox read the item's statements at view time; the prose lives on the page. A fact changes in one place — the item — and every page that renders it updates.

Live example — [[FOSS:Flameshot]] ↔ Item Q191:

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
! What you want !! What you type !! What you get
|-
| Official website
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline>{{#statements:official website}}</syntaxhighlight>
| {{#statements:official website|from=Q191}}
|-
| Source code repository
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline>{{#statements:source code repository}}</syntaxhighlight>
| {{#statements:source code repository|from=Q191}}
|-
| Category
| <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline>{{#statements:instance of}}</syntaxhighlight>
| {{#statements:instance of|from=Q191}}
|}

How this works: [[Help:Contributing/semanticDynamicContent]].

== Adding a FOSS, step by step ==

You need an account — see [[Help:Contributing/access|who can do what]].

# '''Search first.''' The program may already have a page or an item under another name. Check the [[FOSS:Main|hub list]] and the search box before creating anything ([[Help:Contributing/entities|search before creating]] is the house rule).
# '''Create with [[Special:AddSoftware]].''' It searches Wikidata and GitHub, you pick a candidate, and it creates three things in one flow: the item, the <code>FOSS:<Name></code> page and the page↔item link.
# '''Review the record before creating.''' The harvested data (name, website, repository, license, version) is editable — correct what is wrong before saving.
# '''Link item-typed facts.''' Developer, license, operating system and friends are links to other items. When the matching item does not exist locally, create it first ([[Special:AddCollective]] for organizations, [[Special:AddPerson]] for people) and pick it in the form.
# '''Write the prose.''' The created page comes with an Overview, Features, Alternatives and See also skeleton. Replace the stubs with real content ([[Help:Contributing/styleGuide|style guide]]).
# '''Verify.''' The page should render the infobox with the statements you wrote. A wrong fact is fixed in the item — not on the page.

No authority record? Create from blank: [[Special:AddSoftware/manual]].

== What goes where ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
! In the item !! On the page
|-
| Facts that can move or change: website, repository, license, developer, version, category || Prose: what the software does, how to use it, features, alternatives
|-
| References and provenance for those facts || Links to related pages (cheatsheets, other FOSS pages)
|}

The split exists so that a moving project is fixed in one place — the item.

== Conventions ==

* Every FOSS page transcludes [[Template:FOSS]] — banner, infobox and automatic [[:Category:FOSS|category]].
* Page and item must be sitelinked; [[Special:AddSoftware]] does this. Without the link the infobox renders empty — [[Help:Contributing/semanticDynamicContent|how sitelinks work]].
* Reuse the existing software properties (developer, license, …). A property is permanent once created — [[Help:Contributing/entities|properties first, then items]].
* Translations live at <code>FOSS:<Name>/<lang></code> — [[Help:Contributing/languages|languages and translation]].

== Good to know ==

* An empty infobox row is not an error — the item simply has no statement for it yet.
* Facts are read live: update the item, not the page.
* License, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).

== See also ==

* [[FOSS:Main]] — the hub
* [[Template:FOSS]] — the page template
* [[Help:Contributing]] — general contributing guide
* [[Help:Contributing/semanticDynamicContent]] — rendering item data on pages
* [[Help:Contributing/entities]] — the data model
* [[Help:Contributing/styleGuide]] — writing style

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:41, 21 August 2026
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	<div style="border:1px solid #c8ccd1;background:#f8f9fa;padding:0.5em 1em;margin-bottom:1em;">		<div style="border:1px solid #c8ccd1;background:#f8f9fa;padding:0.5em 1em;margin-bottom:1em;">
	The contributing guide for the [[FOSS:Main\|FOSS namespace]]: how to add a program, what lives where, and the FOSS conventions. General wiki rules live in [[Help:Contributing]] — this page only covers what is specific to FOSS pages.		The contributing guide for the [[FOSS:Main\|FOSS namespace]]: how to add a program, what lives where, and the FOSS conventions. General wiki rules live in [[Help:Contributing]] — this page only covers what is specific to FOSS pages.
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	# '''Create with [[Special:AddSoftware]].''' It searches Wikidata and GitHub, you pick a candidate, and it creates three things in one flow: the item, the <code>FOSS:<Name></code> page and the page↔item link.		# '''Create with [[Special:AddSoftware]].''' It searches Wikidata and GitHub, you pick a candidate, and it creates three things in one flow: the item, the <code>FOSS:<Name></code> page and the page↔item link.
	# '''Review the record before creating.''' The harvested data (name, website, repository, license, version) is editable — correct what is wrong before saving.		# '''Review the record before creating.''' The harvested data (name, website, repository, license, version) is editable — correct what is wrong before saving.
	# '''Link item-typed facts.''' Developer, license, operating system and friends are links to other items. When the matching item does not exist locally, create it first ([[Special:AddCollective]] for organizations, [[Special:AddPerson]] for people) and pick it in the form.		# '''Link item-typed facts.''' Developer, license, operating system and friends are links to other items. When the matching item does not exist locally, create it first ([[Special:AddCollective]] for organizations, [[Special:AddPerson]] for people) and pick it in the form. Each of these fields accepts '''several values''' — separate the item ids with a comma (e.g. <code>Q5, Q179</code>).
	# '''Write the prose.''' The created page comes with an Overview, Features, Alternatives and See also skeleton. Replace the stubs with real content ([[Help:Contributing/styleGuide\|style guide]]).		# '''Write the prose.''' The created page comes with an Overview, Features, Alternatives and See also skeleton. Replace the stubs with real content ([[Help:Contributing/styleGuide\|style guide]]).
	# '''Verify.''' The page should render the infobox with the statements you wrote. A wrong fact is fixed in the item — not on the page.		# '''Verify.''' The page should render the infobox with the statements you wrote. A wrong fact is fixed in the item — not on the page.
Line 57:		Line 58:
	* Facts are read live: update the item, not the page.		* Facts are read live: update the item, not the page.
	* Licence, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).		* Licence, operating-system and developer items are created deliberately, not by the wizard. No match in the form? Create the item first (step 4).
			* Several values are allowed in a field — separate the item ids with a comma (e.g. <code>Q5, Q179</code>); the created item gets one statement per id.

	== See also ==		== See also ==