Extension:DiscussionTools/Comparison
From Linux Web Expert
Various extensions and tools have emerged over the years to improve the support MediaWiki offers people to communicate with one another on-wiki: Structured Discussions (Flow), LiquidThreads, DiscussionTools and Convenient Discussions.
This page offers an overview of these various extensions and how the features they offer compare to one another.
Comparative Review
Main characteristics
Status of each tool, and their integration to the wiki's key features.
| LiquidThreads | Structured Discussions | DiscussionTools | Convenient Discussions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of tool | Mediawiki extension | Gadget/Userscript based on DiscussionTools | ||
| Release status | Unmaintained | Maintained (Wikimedia Foundation) | Maintained (Volunteers) | |
| Activation | Pending removal[1] | Wiki opt-in, user configurable | User opt-in and configurable | |
| Visual editing | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
| Backwards-compatibility with wikitext | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Templates support | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – Tables, templates and parser tags aren't allowed in replies in visual mode | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Full history integration with the rest of the wiki | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Mobile web support | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
| Mobile app support | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
| Permalink to a given comment | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – if the comment is not moved elsewhere.[2] File:OOjs UI icon reload-progressive.svg <translate> In progress</translate> | |
Discussion features
Interaction with talk pages and other comments.
| LiquidThreads | Structured Discussions | DiscussionTools | Convenient Discussions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated workflow for starting a new topic | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Topic and contents preload | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Indication of new comments when you read a topic | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | |
| Indication of edited comments when you read a topic | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Each topic is a different pages/each conversation has a permalink | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon reload-progressive.svg <translate> In progress</translate>[2] | File:OOjs UI icon reload-progressive.svg <translate> In progress</translate>[2] |
| Move topics between pages | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> – planned but not implemented | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – via wikitext editing, breaks links.[2] | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Include discussions on another page and reply to them there | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> – planned, including cross-wiki transclusion, but not implemented | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> – via transclusion | |
| Editing comments | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – via wikitext editing the whole page or section. See T242562 and T245225 for the editing of individual comments. | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Thank a comment from within the talk page | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – via Page history | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – via Thanks in Page history. File:OOjs UI icon reload-progressive.svg <translate> In progress</translate> – Work on supporting "Thanking" from the DiscussionTools UI is being tracked. |
File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Sort topics by recent comment | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
| Sort topics by start date | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
| Summarize a discussion at the top of it | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – by editing opening comment. | |
| Mark a message as read or unread | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
| Show/hide (collapse) subthreads | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
Notifications and interactivity
| LiquidThreads | Structured Discussions | DiscussionTools | Convenient Discussions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlight a set of unread comments | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> – only when subscribed to a topic and using links from notifications | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Subscribe to be notified about new comments to a topic | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> – via Watchlist | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> – via Echo | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> – via Echo or itself | |
| Be notified when a new topic is started on a talk page | ||||
| Auto-subscription to a topic you created | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> – default | |||
| Highlight a quoted comment | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> – can link to comments but only as standalone pages | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Notification of edited comments | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – only on your own comments | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
Maintenance and moderation
| LiquidThreads | Structured Discussions | DiscussionTools | Convenient Discussions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct access to user talkpage, contribs and more | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – if linked in the signature | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – if linked in the signature | |
| Hide (moderate) a comment | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – no undelete UI | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – via undo/rollback (requires searching for edit in edit history) or archival templates, not included and requires editing wikitext | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> |
| Hide or delete a topic | File:OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg <translate> Done</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Partially done</translate> – same as DiscussionTools | ||
| Archiving discussions | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Not needed</translate> | File:Orange check.svg <translate> Not needed</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> – see T337293
|
File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> – Same as DiscussionTools, though moving topics can be used for manual archival. |
| Report an inappropriate comment | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> | File:OOjs UI icon reload-progressive.svg <translate> In progress</translate>[3] | File:OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg <translate> Not done</translate> |
References
- ↑ https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T332022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Support for offering permanent links to talk page comments and topics is being worked on. Links to comments already exist but aren't permanent without Help:PermanentLink. See T302011. While DiscussionTools doesn't have a UI for acquiring links, Convenient Discussions does and can automatically generate PermanentLinks.
- ↑ T339247 – Create entry points for the Incident Report dialog with DiscussionTools
