Skin:Vector

This skin comes with MediaWiki 1.17 and above. Thus you do not have to download it again. However, you still need to follow the other instructions provided.

MediaWiki skins manual - category

Vector Release status: stable
Compatibility policy	Snapshots releases along with MediaWiki. Master is not backwards compatible.
Composer	mediawiki/vector-skin
License	GNU General Public License 2.0 or later
Download	Download skin Git [?]: Download Git master browse repository (GitHub) commit history repository contributors (GitHub) code review
Example	https://en.wikipedia.org/
Parameters $wgVectorUseSimpleSearch $wgVectorUseIconWatch $wgVectorResponsive
Hooks used BeforePageDisplayMobile GetPreferences PreferencesFormPreSave SkinTemplateNavigation LocalUserCreated
Hooks provided VectorBeforeFooter VectorAfterToolbox
Translate the Vector skin if it is available at translatewiki.net
Check usage and version matrix;
Vagrant role	vector
Issues :	Open tasks · Report a bug

Wikimedia Foundation project Vector A skin based on Monobook, with a variety of usability improvements Group: Features Start: 2009

Vector is a skin for MediaWiki which became default in 2010.

In recent years the skin underwent a number of changes, e.g. the switch to Mustache and the addition of new features. The latter are controlable by feature switches so that users can still be served to legacy layout.

In 2021, as part of the MediaWiki 1.36 release it will see an update as part of the work done by the Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements initiative.

Installation

• If using Vagrant , install with vagrant roles enable vector -p

Manual installation

• Download and place the file(s) in a directory called Vector in your skins/ folder.
• Add the following code at the bottom of your LocalSettings.php:

wfLoadSkin( 'Vector' );

•  Done - Navigate to Special:Version on your wiki to verify that the skin is successfully installed.

To users running MediaWiki 1.24 or earlier:

The instructions above describe the new way of installing skins using wfLoadSkin(), since MediaWiki 1.25. If you need to install this skin in earlier versions, instead of wfLoadSkin( 'Vector' );, you need to use:

require_once "$IP/skins/Vector/Vector.php";

(To run a skin on an earlier release, you may need to download the version of it tagged for that release from Special:SkinDistributor.)

Setting the default skin to Vector

A default skin should be set for new users of a wiki by setting the variable $wgDefaultSkin in LocalSettings.php to the lowercase skin name specified in the skin file:

$wgDefaultSkin = 'vector';
// uncomment the following line to restore "classic" Vector appearance.
// $wgVectorDefaultSkinVersion = '1';

Configuration options

$wgVectorDefaultSkinVersion

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.36

Restore the default “legacy” Vector look or use the modern Vector work being created as part of Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements.

wgVectorDefaultSkinVersion = '1';

wgVectorUseIconWatch

Watch and unwatch as an icon rather than a link.

• Supported Values:
  • true — use an icon watch/unwatch button
  • false — use watch/unwatch text link

$wgVectorUseIconWatch = true;

wgVectorResponsive

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.26

Experimental setting to make Vector a responsive skin that adapts to mobile phones. Not actively being tested or used in production (yet) but relatively stable and false by default.

• Supported Values:
  • true — Use responsiveness to improve usability in narrow viewports
  • false — No responsiveness

Note in the 1.36 release, the meaning of this flag has changed and apply to only the newest iteration of Vector, and will require the following configuration:

$wgVectorResponsive = true;
$wgVectorDefaultSkinVersion = '2';

wgVectorPrintLogo (< 1.36, removed in 1.36)

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.30

Logo used in print styles. Keys are 'url', 'width', 'height' (in pixels). Note that this solution only works correctly if the image pointed to by 'url' is an SVG that does not specify width and height attributes, or its width and height match the corresponding variables below. Alternatively, a PNG or other type of image can be used, but its dimensions also need to match the corresponding variable below. That in turn may result in blurry images, though.

In 1.36, please use Manual:$wgLogos

$wgVectorPrintLogo = [
	'url' => 'https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg',
	'width' => 174,
	'height' => 27
];

Features

Basic features of the Vector skin

• Reduced clutter, primarily by reducing the number of lines on screen
• More prominent placement of the search portal
• Visual separation of the content-action and namespace links, the former of which being divided into view tabs and action menu items
• Automatic increase/decrease of margins throughout the user interface based on browser size
• Use of a star icon for watch and unwatch actions

Added features of the Vector extension (some of these features have later been merged into the Vector skin or into the MediaWiki Core or have been removed)

• Simplified search portal, including suggestions
• Collapsible navigation portals
• Alert when leaving an edit page without saving
• Automatic hiding of tabs that do not fit on screen

Experimental Vector extension features

• Simplified footer content
• Search box expands on focus
• Section edit links are moved to be directly next to heading instead of on the right, and use an icon

CollapsibleNav support via CollapsibleVector extension

Notes

On updating to 1.36

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.36

In MediaWiki 1.36 the appearance of Vector will be modernized in line with Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements . To opt out of these changes please add the following to your LocalSettings.php:

$wgVectorDefaultSkinVersion = '1';

Collapsible navigation

The collapsible navigation portals are now provided by the CollapsibleVector extension which will have to be installed additionally.

Experimental smartphone and tablet design

See also: Manual:Mobiles, tablets and responsive design

Vector will work on many mobile devices, but it is not fully optimized for mobile devices. As we approach the 1.36 release, Vector has been optimized to work with most tablets and an experimental mobile mode is available. In the upcoming 1.36 users will be able to enable a responsive mode using the following configuration:

$wgVectorResponsive = true;
$wgVectorDefaultSkinVersion = '2';

Vector currently has a poor implementation of responsive web design, in which the #right-navigation buttons might overlap the #left-navigation buttons due to width shortage, with no fallback icons like on Skin:Monobook , Skin:MinervaNeue and Skin:Timeless viewed on narrow displays.

In addition, the left side bar navigation links inside #mw-panel, as well as the top links inside #p-personal, move to the bottom of the page on narrow displays, beneath the content area, requiring the user to scroll to the bottom before being able to access it.

History of the skin

Vector became default skin in 2010 (MediaWiki 1.17 , git #2833b07a), succeeding MonoBook. It had been created in 2009 as part of the work done by the Wikipedia Usability Initiative . In 2021, as part of the MediaWiki 1.36 release it will see an update as part of the work done by the Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements initiative.

Vector provides a number of usability improvements over its predecessor MonoBook. It was the first skin to separate the flat level content_actions into the categorized content_navigation.

At the beginning the basic functionality was included in the core skin, while some of Vector's special features were handled by a separate extension (Extension:Vector ). The extension has since been merged into the skin itself.

Dark mode customizations

Many solutions relying on MediaWiki:Common.css exist to support a dark version of the skin, including Skin:Vector/DarkCSS and Skin:Vector/Wikipedia-userstyle-dark-minimum. An alternative skin to Vector exists that allows you to install as a separate skin at Skin:DarkVector.

Note all of these are supported by third parties, not the Wikimedia Foundation.

See also

• Skin:MonoBook – MediaWiki's previous default skin
• Skin:DarkVector – Dark theme of the same skin
• Skin:Vector/VectorBook.css – CSS code to get the book background image from Skin:MonoBook in this skin.
• Skin:Vector/Customize - How to Customize appearance and add some custom HTML code in different places.