User:DanielRenfro/ExtensionRepo/Technical

There will be code added to core that logically can be split into two different parts:

1. Frontend/client code
   • This is where extensions can be browsed, rated, downloaded/uploaded, installed, activated, configured, etc. and repositories can be added or removed.
   • This code will be implemented as a (series of?) SpecialPage(s)
2. Repository/server code
   • This code manages the extensions to be served to the frontent clients.
   • Clients can be remote, or local.

Things I need to review

• Package management in general
  • Debian package management, Homebrew, Smart Package Manager, CPAN, npm, http://en.opensuse.org/Package_management
• The pros and cons of each package management system

Options/configuration

• keep all old packages once updated or not (to save disk space)
• turn off repository behavior (default is on)

Metadata file

For the extension-manager to work correctly we'll need a manifest/metadata file that describes the extension. It will need to contain the following types of information in some parse-able format:

field	type	required	notes
extension id	string	yes	a unique identifier that contains the name, version, (and arch?) name-major.minor.patch-arch will also be the name of the package
extension name	string	yes	human readable name
version	string	yes
description	string	no	binary text field
dependencies	array of extension ids	no	must be previously installed or being installed at the same time
pre-dependencies	array of extension ids	no	must be previously installed
recommended	array of extension ids	no	strong relationship with another extension
suggests	array of extension ids	no	weak relationship
breaks	array of extension ids	no	extensions this extension will break
conflicts	array of extension ids	no
replaces	array of extension ids	no
provides	array of extension ids	no
licensing	array of extension ids	no
checksum(s)	string	yes
list of files	?
arch	string	no	platform architecture info if that's an issue
builddate	string -- YYYYMMDDHHMMSS	no
author(s)	string, array	no

Actions

Extensions

Command	Action	Notes
install [extension-package]	Install an extension-package.	This is not the same thing as activating an extension. Installation is required for a Mediaiwiki instance to server an extension-package (as a repository.)
uninstall/ remove [extension-package]	Remove an installed extension.	This will deactivate an extension if it is activated.
activate [extension-package]	Turn an extension on.	This is analogous to the current idea of installing an extension -- the functionality of the wiki is changed in some way. This action has the possibility of altering the wiki's infrastructure in some way (installed needed database tables, for example.)
deactivate [extension-package]	Turn an extension off.	This is analogous to the current idea of uninstalling an extension. The functionality that the extension provided is now lost.
search [query]	Search for an extension-package in the list of current repositories.	Query the listed repositories for installed packages that can be downloaded, installed and activated.
list [installed, activated, all]	List the currently installed, activated, or both - extensions.
update [extension-package]	Query the repositories to see if an update is available and update an extension.
check-update [extension-package]	Check if an update is available.
update-to [extension-package] [version]	Update to a particular version.
downgrade [extension-package]	Downgrade an extension.	Might downgrade to a local, older copy of the extension, or fetch an older version.
downgrade-to [extension-package] [version]	Downgrade to a particular version.
info [extension-package]	Get the information about a particular extension.
repolist	List the repositories and their state (added/activated.)
version [extension-package]	Get the version for an extension
history/log
comment [extension-package]
rate [extension-package]

Repositories

command	action	notes
add	Add a repository to the list.
remove	Remove a listed repository
activate	Activate this repository for querying, installations, etc.
deactivate	Deactivate this repository.	It will stay in the list, but won't be queried.