Semantic MediaWiki

Introduction

Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) is a free, open-source extension to MediaWiki that lets you store and query data within the wiki's pages. It is a powerful tool for structuring and searching the content of a wiki, allowing for enhanced metadata handling and data structuring.

A screenshot of a Semantic MediaWiki page showing structured data

Overview

Semantic MediaWiki allows users to add structured data to wiki pages through simple Wikitext markup that turns links to other pages and data values into meaningful properties. With this structured data, SMW allows users to run complex queries against the wiki's data, generating tables, lists, timelines, and more.

Features

Data Annotation

Semantic MediaWiki allows users to annotate data in wiki pages, which can then be used to search, organize, browse, and format the content. This is done using a simple markup language that is easy to understand and use. For example, to define a page as being of type "Person", one might add the following to the page:

Querying

One of the most powerful features of Semantic MediaWiki is its ability to query the structured data in the wiki. This allows users to create dynamic lists, tables, and other types of content based on the properties of the pages. For example, one might create a table of all pages of type "Person" with a property "Born in" set to "Germany".

{{#ask: Born in::Germany }}

Result Formats

Semantic MediaWiki supports a variety of result formats for queries, including lists, tables, maps, calendars, and more. This allows users to display the results of their queries in the most useful and meaningful way.

Usage

Semantic MediaWiki is used in a wide variety of applications, from small personal wikis to large corporate knowledge bases. It is particularly popular in academic and scientific communities, where it is used to manage and share research data.

Installation and Configuration

Installing Semantic MediaWiki involves downloading the extension, adding it to your MediaWiki installation, and configuring it to your needs. Detailed instructions can be found on the Semantic MediaWiki website.