Special Pages
Overview
Special pages are an integral part of any MediaWiki-based website, including Wikipedia. They are automatically generated pages that provide administrative functions, statistics, and various tools to users. Unlike regular pages, special pages cannot be edited directly; instead, they are created and updated by the MediaWiki software based on the current state of the website.
Functionality
Special pages serve a variety of functions, from providing information about the wiki and its content, to offering tools for user interaction and site administration. They are categorized into several types based on their purpose.
Information Pages
Information special pages provide data about the wiki and its content. These include pages like Special:Statistics, which shows statistical data about the wiki, and Special:Version, which displays information about the current version of the MediaWiki software and installed extensions.
List Pages
List special pages generate lists of pages or users based on certain criteria. For example, Special:RecentChanges lists all recent edits, while Special:ListUsers provides a list of all registered users.
Maintenance Pages
Maintenance special pages are tools for wiki administration and maintenance. These include pages like Special:BrokenRedirects, which lists all broken redirects, and Special:UnusedCategories, which lists all categories that are not associated with any page.
User Interaction Pages
User interaction special pages facilitate communication and interaction among users. These include pages like Special:EmailUser, which allows users to send emails to each other, and Special:Watchlist, which displays a list of all pages that a user has chosen to watch.
Accessing Special Pages
Special pages can be accessed through the "Special pages" link, usually found in the toolbox section on the sidebar of a MediaWiki site. Clicking on this link will take the user to Special:SpecialPages, which is a list of all available special pages. The list is divided into categories based on the type of special page.
Custom Special Pages
In addition to the standard set of special pages provided by MediaWiki, it is also possible to create custom special pages using the MediaWiki API. These custom pages can be designed to perform specific functions that are not covered by the standard special pages.