MediaWiki extensions manual

GlobalPreferences Release status: stableCategory:Stable extensions
Implementation	Special page Category:Special page extensions, Hook Category:Hook extensions
Description	Allows a user to set global (wikifarm-wide) user preferences
Author(s)	Kunal Mehta, Sam Wilson
Latest version	0.1.2 (2018-02-13)
Compatibility policy	Snapshots releases along with MediaWiki. Master is not backward compatible.Category:Extensions with release branches compatibility policy
MediaWiki	1.25+Category:Extensions with manual MediaWiki version
Database changes	Yes
Tables	global_preferences
License	GNU General Public License 2.0 or later
Download	Download extension Git [?]: Browse repository (GitHub) Gerrit code review Git commit log Download source tarball Category:Extensions in Wikimedia version control
Help	Help:Extension:GlobalPreferences
Parameters $wgGlobalPreferencesDB $wgGlobalPreferencesAutoPrefs
Hooks used BeforePageDisplay Category:BeforePageDisplay extensions LoadExtensionSchemaUpdates Category:LoadExtensionSchemaUpdates extensions MediaWikiServices Category:MediaWikiServices extensions PreferencesFormPreSave Category:PreferencesFormPreSave extensions SaveUserOptions Category:SaveUserOptions extensions
Hooks provided GlobalPreferencesSetGlobalPreferences
Quarterly downloads	10 (Ranked 101st)
Public wikis using	1,303 (Ranked 213rd)
Translate the GlobalPreferences extension if it is available at translatewiki.net
Issues	Open tasks · Report a bug

The GlobalPreferences extension allows a user to set some or all of their preferences to be used globally on all wikis in a wiki family. For example, you can set your skin to be the same on all wikis, but have different watchlist settings on different wikis. It is also possible for global preferences to be given local exceptions on particular wikis.

Although it is possible to have global user preferences without any extension by setting up a shared database with a shared user_properties table, the GlobalPreferences extension is useful for more varied use cases such as:

• A user wants to set the same language on all wikis, but wants to keep one wiki on its default.
• One wiki has a preference hidden with $wgHiddenPrefs , and another doesn't.
• A user wants to set a different skin on each wiki.
• Two wikis have two different gadgets named the same.
• A wiki has an extension installed which sets a preference, but that extension is not enabled on another wiki in the farm.

Installation

Before GlobalPreferences can work, you need to set up central user IDs. This can be done with the CentralAuth extension (or other CentralIdLookup provider) but for most wiki families can more easily be done with shared database tables. (This will mean that users' email addresses, passwords, and real names^[1] will be set across all wikis, and won't be able to be set on a per-wiki basis.)

If using the shared tables approach, set the following in LocalSettings.php:

$wgSharedDB = '<shared_wiki_database>';
$wgSharedTables = [ 'user' ]; // Note that 'user_properties' is not included.

Then GlobalPreferences can be installed in the usual manner:

• Download and move the extracted GlobalPreferences folder to your extensions/ directory.
  Developers and code contributors should install the extension from Git instead, using:cd extensions/
git clone https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/mediawiki/extensions/GlobalPreferences
• Add the following code at the bottom of your LocalSettings.php file:

  wfLoadExtension( 'GlobalPreferences' );
  // No need to set $wgGlobalPreferencesDB if it's the same as $wgSharedDB.
  $wgGlobalPreferencesDB = '<global_preferences_database>';
  

• Run the update script which will automatically create the necessary database tables that this extension needs.
• If you are using a database for $wgGlobalPreferencesDB that is not a MediaWiki database (and so won't be updated when you run the update script) then you'll have to install the required database table manually. The SQL required is in the sql/ directory.

e.g. for sqllite:

php maintenance/run.php sql --wikidb my_wiki extensions/GlobalPreferences/sql/sqlite/tables-generated.sql

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

If you also have the Echo extension installed then GlobalPreferences must be loaded after Echo in LocalSettings.php.

Configuration

$wgGlobalPreferencesDB

Name of the database to store global preferences in. If no value is given, $wgSharedDB will be used, and if that is empty $wgDBname will be used.
This database does not have to be one that is used for anything else, but often is set to the same as wherever central user data is stored.

API

The extension provides APIs to get and set local and global preferences. They are documented in API subpage.

See also

• Help:Extension:GlobalPreferences
• Manual:Shared database — The easiest way to configure shared user accounts across multiple wikis
• Extension:CentralAuth — Another way to set up global users
• Global preferences page on Meta — Notes about implementing this extension for Wikimedia wikis
• Screenshots of this extension in use

Notes

This extension is being used on one or more Wikimedia projects. This probably means that the extension is stable and works well enough to be used by such high-traffic websites. Look for this extension's name in Wikimedia's CommonSettings.php and InitialiseSettings.php configuration files to see where it's installed. A full list of the extensions installed on a particular wiki can be seen on the wiki's Special:Version page.

This extension is included in the following wiki farms/hosts and/or packages: Miraheze Category:Extensions included in Miraheze TelepediaCategory:Extensions included in Telepedia WikiForgeCategory:Extensions included in WikiForge This is not an authoritative list. Some wiki farms/hosts and/or packages may contain this extension even if they are not listed here. Always check with your wiki farms/hosts or bundle to confirm.