Extension talk:UserMerge/LQT Archive 1

Instructions
For $wgUserMergeUnmergeable comment, don't you mean "Optional, prevents user_id 1 from being merged"?

Svanslyck 21:00, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Well... Optional as in you don't have to set it for the extension to work. By default, user_id 1 can't be merged because $wgUserMergeUnmergable is initalized to array(1).  It's optional meaning you can change it's behavior if you want, but don't need to.  This was added as Simetrical pointed out that user_id 1 isn't always the admin/root user as MW has no concept of a 'root' user_id.  Tim Laqua talk 17:43, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

You cannot delete or merge from yourself!
What happened? I'm logged in as sysop and trying to merge two other users, deleting one of them. Svanslyck 21:05, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Fixed in v1.4.2, r30803 Tim Laqua talk 17:39, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

No Logging?
Shouldn't there be log entries for merge&delete? --NoLuck 22:46, 13 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Dunno, should there be? I never really planned for it to be used frequently enough - but considering that one should be able to rebuild an entire system using Logs - if there's a User creation log, there should most definately be a user deletion log.  I'll take a look at how the User Creation logs are being done.
 * well, there doesn't seem to be a user creation log - maybe no real need for that as this is a pure constructive act done by the concerned person himself ... however, after a user merge/deletion it could be good to know when that happened and who enacted that function... Extension:Renameuser is using a "user rename" log for its own purposes - so I guess you're not restricted on the standard log entries. Thx for consideration btw :) --NoLuck 21:02, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Yeah, similar f/ the User Creation log - there is one, but it's part of an extension. Still, I'll look in to it.  ;-)  Maybe even implement if it doesn't give me a headache.
 * Ok, v1.2 (r27730) now has a User Merge log. ;-)
 * cool, thx! :-) --NoLuck 16:23, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

User Pages
Would like to see this also deleting the User Page and User Discussion page for the deleted user.

Apart from that, works a treat - thanks for providing this.

BrillyuntWebby 18:20, 16 November 2007 (UTC)
 * What should it do in the case of a Merge? Append to the new user?  Or just flat out, always delete the old user's page?  Or maybe a checkbox?  But I agree, it should do *something* with the old user's page... but if you don't delete it... and you don't wanna append it... where should it go?
 * I'd go for having them deleted anyway with the option (checkbox) to append the content to the new users User and Discussion page. Wolverine 15:16, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

Statistics
When deleting the old user the statistics counter (ss_users in table site_stats) remains unchanged. So Special:Statistics shows more registered users than really exist/are listed by Special:Listusers. I think it should be possible to decrement the value in the database when deleting an user. I fixed this manually in our wiki and so far it didn't seem to have side-effects (i.e. when a new user registers). Wolverine 15:20, 9 January 2008 (UTC)
 * good point - i'll decrement that in the next release. Tim Laqua talk 16:17, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
 * great,thx! :-) The extension was already quite useful against "I forgot my account, ah ... I just create another one" users. ;-) With that, and the above optional merge of User and Discussion page it becomes complete (for me). So it's just one action and no further manual work neccessary. Nice! :-) Wolverine 08:57, 11 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Recalucation of ss_users and ss_admins added in 1.3.2, r30181. Tim Laqua talk 03:55, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Database
When i used the stable version of this extension on my 1.11.0 fresh wiki, i noticed it leaves residues of the removed users in the database, in places like searchindex and recentchanges (and many others). Shouldn't this be fixed?
 * I'll take a look - The true intent of the extension is to allow removal of users while maintaining the referential ingegrity of the database. Where exactly did you notice fragments?  Tim Laqua talk 12:20, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

MediaWiki 1.9.0
I'm running MediaWiki 1.9.0 and I'd like to install the User Merge extension. Is it definitely incompatible with 1.9 or has it simply never been tested? If I tried it, could it mess up my database?--Lorikeet 07:05, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
 * It was originally developed on 1.9.3 - however the curennt Special Page implementation may not be backwards compatible w/ the 1.9.3 core. If you can install it and view the special page, you shouldn't encounter any problems - but as usual, use at your own risk - I haven't tested the current revison on 1.9.3.  Tim Laqua talk 03:22, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Praise
Oh, thank you for this extention! I'm new to MediaWiki and I made some user accounts that I really didn't want (and made page edits with them, thus permeating the database!) ... and I was pulling my hair out trying to clean up behind myself. It's important that my user list be correct. This ext. did the trick! THANK YOU! -- toff@paleravens.com

"Undefined variable" error
I'm trying to get this extension working with MW 1.11.0. When I open Special:UserMerge page I'm getting this errors on the top of page:

Notice: Undefined variable: olduser_text in [strip]/extensions/UserMerge/UserMerge_body.php on line 89 Notice: Undefined variable: newuser_text in [strip]/extensions/UserMerge/UserMerge_body.php on line 93 Notice: Undefined variable: deleteUserCheck in [strip]/extensions/UserMerge/UserMerge_body.php on line 97 Notice: Undefined variable: validNewUser in [strip]/extensions/UserMerge/UserMerge_body.php on line 107


 * Fixed in r30180. Tim Laqua talk 03:32, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Select the user instead of writing it?
Hi, Great work with this extension. I just wonder how can it be done so that when you use this extension you select the old username from a list instead of writting it in the box? And for using multiple selection of old users? The user list i'll manage won't exceed the 50 or 60 users, that's why i ask. Also... can you delete your own username being an admin using this extension? or has to be someone else the one who does it? Thanks -Juanan 10:53, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Oh yes, you can delete yourself - however, I believe the next time you try to view a MW page - your session should expire as the user no longer exists. As far as selecting multiple users - It's certainly possible to make a multiple user selection dialog for the "old username" and make it support multiple entries - though I could almost see that being a separate Special page rather than an addition to the current one, indended for mass user deletion.  Maybe a feature for the next version - do you forsee needing to delete large numbers of users?  I noticed you mentioned integration of a CAS - what are you using and what are you trying to get User Merge and Delete to do?  I personally use LDAP Authentication against AD for a few Wikis at a university and I use the extension to clean up auto-created accounts for users that don't have read or write access (the simple act of logging in for most CAS implementations causes a MediaWiki account to be created).  Tim Laqua talk 14:46, 6 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Well it shouldn't let a user to delete itself, should it? Or at least it should issue a warning so that you accidentally don't delete yourself... also do you think it would be hard to implement a button that loads a list of users from the database and lets you select he ones that will be losing their contributuions (and probably ending deleted) and then merge them against one single user? About CAS, yes, I use it to autocreate/login users according to certain user type privileges and they won't be able to login when those privileges don't exist. (For example they don't study the subject this wiki is for). -Juanan 19:59, 6 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Not deleting yourself should be simple enough to check for (and it's debatable - I don't see any real harm in stopping it from deleting you). As far as the selection list - it wouldn't be hard so much as tedious - modal dialogs aren't very standardized between browsers (which is why scripts like ThickBox and Submodal exist) - I'm also not a fan of postbacks for trivial information.  I'll put some thought in to it - my main concern is that dropdowns and multiple selection options are not realistic in large wikis - really once the userlist gets larger than 50 users, the lists are out of control.  Tim Laqua talk 20:56, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Blocking of self deletion implemented in v1.4, r30677. Tim Laqua talk 18:40, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Minor problem with international languages pack
I followed all the steps installing this extension. However I found that when changed the user's language at prefercences, the Name for the extension that appears on The special restricted pages changes but not the buttons and messages of this extension, even though it works, it doesn't seem to show the correct language. I downloaded the last version up to date. -Juanan 11:40, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Fixed in v1.4, r30677. Tim Laqua talk 18:40, 7 February 2008 (UTC)