Intensive

MediaWiki Skinning

The MediaWiki Skinning course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to create custom skins and themes for MediaWiki, allowing them to personalize the visual appearance and user interface of their MediaWiki installations.

Through a combination of theoretical concepts and hands-on exercises, participants will learn the key principles and techniques required to design and implement attractive and responsive skins.

This course covers the entire skinning process, including understanding skin architecture, customizing stylesheets, designing templates, and optimizing for different devices. By the end of the course, participants will be able to create visually appealing and user-friendly skins for their MediaWiki websites.

Duration: 1 day
Onsite Training: $3,000 including travel in the USA. Inquire about international training rates.
Remote Training: $1,000

Course Outline

Module 1

Introduction to MediaWiki Skinning

Overview of MediaWiki skin architecture

Understanding the role and benefits of custom skins

Introduction to CSS and HTML for skinning

Setting up a development environment for skin customization

Understanding stable interface policy

Module 2

Working with MediaWiki Skins

Exploring and analyzing existing MediaWiki skins

Understanding skin structure and template hierarchy

Identifying and modifying key skin components

Testing and previewing skin changes

Module 3

Customizing Stylesheets

Understanding CSS selectors and properties for skin customization

Modifying colors, fonts, and layouts of the skin

Styling navigation menus, headers, and footers

Implementing responsive design for different devices

Customization for ResourceLoader modules

Module 4

Designing Templates

Creating custom templates for different page types (e.g., main page, article, category)

Customizing template markup and layout

Implementing dynamic elements and data integration

Leveraging MediaWiki template variables and parser functions

Module 5

Advanced Skin Customization

Adding custom logo, favicon, and other branding elements

Implementing custom icons and graphics

Extending and customizing skin functionality through JavaScript

Enhancing user experience with interactive elements and animations

Module 6

Localization and Internationalization

Implementing multilingual support in the skin

Customizing language-specific styles and layout

Handling right-to-left (RTL) languages in the skin

Adapting the skin for different cultural contexts

Module 7

Accessibility and Usability

Understanding accessibility guidelines and best practices

Implementing accessible design elements and keyboard navigation

Optimizing the skin for screen readers and assistive technologies

Conducting usability testing and incorporating user feedback

Module 8

Responsive Design and Mobile Optimization

Principles of responsive design for different devices

Adapting the skin layout and styles for mobile devices

Optimizing performance and loading speed for mobile users

Testing and debugging the skin on various mobile platforms

Module 9

Integration and Compatibility

Ensuring compatibility with different MediaWiki versions

Handling skin updates and maintenance

Integrating third-party extensions with the custom skin

Engaging with the MediaWiki community and sharing the skin

Module 10

Best Practices and Collaboration

Adhering to MediaWiki skinning conventions and standards

Writing clean and well-documented skin code

Sharing and contributing to the MediaWiki skinning community

Notes

This course assumes a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. Participants are expected to have a development environment set up for practical exercises. The course outline can be customized and adjusted based on the specific needs and requirements of the participants in our Custom MediaWiki Training Tailored to Your Goals.