Help:DynamicPageList

DPL (also known as the Dynamic Page List extension) is a powerful MediaWiki extension that was developed for the Wikinews project. DPL enables the creation of lists of pages using various criteria (membership in a category, inclusion of a template, etc.). DPL is most commonly used for displaying simple lists of pages in a set of categories -- i.e., pages in Category:Episodes AND Category:Stubs.

If you plan to use DPL on your wiki, please also see Help:Using DynamicPageList Effectively.

Benefits of DPL

 * Creates dynamic listings of pages based on various parameters, such as page titles, namespaces, membership in a category, template inclusion, and more.
 * For example you can create a page that lists all pages in two categories but not in a third.
 * Can include page information such as date of last edit, username of last editor, and more.
 * Can display lists in tables, bulleted or numbered lists, in category-page style, or inline.
 * Allows creation of lists with custom styles and formatting inserted in-between items.

The Downside

 * DPL is very resource hungry and can result in significantly slower page loads for wikis that use it.
 * Wikia is a shared resource.
 * Try to formulate your DPL queries as effectively as possible to avoid slowing other wikis' DPL queries.


 * It's easy to write queries that are difficult for the servers to handle
 * DPL allows contributors to write large queries, which take significant database power to process.


 * DPL can be difficult to use.
 * Both first time contributors and experienced editors may find it difficult to edit DPL code to get the required output.