Changes

This site makes use of the standard extension, [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Semantic_MediaWiki Semantic MediaWiki]. This extension allows us to set one or more [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Properties_and_types properties] on unique wiki pages. These properties can then be queried within other pages and the results can be dynamically displayed in a variety of [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Result_formats result formats]. The main benefit is that a lot of entries can be auto-generated to allow easy navigation of the site as the site develops and evolves. The editors can add new pages, attach properties to those pages, and then have those pages automatically show up on other pages. This saves the editors from having to maintain a variety of lists on multiple pages.  

This site makes use of the standard extension, [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Semantic_MediaWiki Semantic MediaWiki]. This extension allows us to set one or more [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Properties_and_types properties] on unique wiki pages. These properties can then be queried within other pages and the results can be dynamically displayed in a variety of [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Result_formats result formats]. The main benefit is that a lot of entries can be auto-generated to allow easy navigation of the site as the site develops and evolves. The editors can add new pages, attach properties to those pages, and then have those pages automatically show up on other pages. This saves the editors from having to maintain a variety of lists on multiple pages.  

For example, on the [[Maker_Hub|Main Page]], there is a section for [[Maker_Hub#Facilities|Facilities]]. This section looks like this:

For example, on the [[Maker_Hub|Main Page]], there is a section for [[Maker_Hub#Facilities|Facilities]]. This section looks like this:

  <nowiki>==[[Facilities]]==

  <nowiki>==[[Facilities]]==

}}</nowiki>

}}</nowiki>

The [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Inline_queries#Parser_function_.23ask '''ask'''] directive is a [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Inline_queries Semantic MediaWiki inline query]. This particular query searches the wiki pages for pages that have the property [[Property:Is facility|Is facility]] set to True. ''(There is an article on [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Property_naming Property naming] and in the best practices section, it is advised that you use a verb phrase to describe properties).'' The [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Result_formats |format=ul] line directs the results to be printed out as an unordered list.

The [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Inline_queries#Parser_function_.23ask '''ask'''] directive is a [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Inline_queries Semantic MediaWiki inline query]. This particular query searches the wiki pages for pages that have the property [[Property:Is facility|Is facility]] set to True. ''(There is an article on [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Property_naming Property naming] and in the best practices section, it is advised that you use a verb phrase to describe properties). Also, properties can have various [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:List_of_datatypes datatypes] - in this case, the property datatype is Boolean.'' The [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Result_formats |format=ul] line directs the results to be printed out as an unordered list.

The value in this particular setup is that, when a new facility is added to the space, it will automatically show up in this list. Now, one might argue that facilities are not going to show up at frequent intervals, and, this is true. However, we can extend this practice to create new lists, and [[Equipment]] is one of the major ones. The use of properties,

The value in this particular setup is that, when a new facility is added to the space, it will automatically show up in this list. Now, one might argue that facilities are not going to show up at frequent intervals, and, this is true. However, we can extend this practice to create new lists, and [[Equipment]] is one of the major ones. The use of properties allows us to have properties that mark pages as equipment ([Property:Is equipment|Is equipment]), and to say that the equipment is located in a particular facility ([Property:Is located in facility|Is Located in facility::Machine Shop]), and to indicated that the equipment is used in a particular domain ([Property:Is used in domain|Is used in domain::Metal]).