Forum:Customization files at one glance

''There may be other customizations that I do not yet know about. If so, then please edit the table below because I think it is a useful reference for all and I don't recall seeing this all in one place before now.''

Personal customization alternatives
For someone without admin/sysop access it is handy to know about the following personal customization files. You can test your idea for the wiki using your personal customization file and then post the exact code that you want an admin to add to the wiki community's site-wide MediaWiki message after you've debugged it.
 * {| width=80% class='wikitable'

!width=20%| Purpose !width=10%| Skin !width=30%| Site-wide (requires sysop rights) !width=30%| Personal !rowspan=3| CSS (style) !rowspan=3| Javascript (behavior) !rowspan=2| Sidebar navigation (links) !rowspan=1| Monaco toolbox (links) !rowspan=1| Wiki page in widget (links or info)
 * + Customization files
 * - valign="top"
 * - valign="top"
 * Monaco
 * MediaWiki:Monaco.css
 * Special:Mypage/monaco.css (site-wide)
 * - valign="top"
 * Monobook
 * MediaWiki:Monobook.css
 * Special:Mypage/monobook.css (site-wide)
 * - valign="top"
 * both
 * MediaWiki:Common.css
 * w:c:central:Special:Mypage/global.css (Wikia-wide)
 * - valign="top"
 * Monaco
 * MediaWiki:Monaco.js
 * Special:Mypage/monaco.js (site-wide)
 * - valign="top"
 * Monobook
 * MediaWiki:Monobook.js
 * Special:Mypage/monobook.js (site-wide)
 * - valign="top"
 * both
 * MediaWiki:Common.js
 * w:c:central:Special:Mypage/global.js (Wikia-wide)
 * - valign="top"
 * Monaco
 * MediaWiki:Monaco-sidebar
 * Special:Mypage/Monaco-sidebar
 * - valign="top"
 * Monobook
 * MediaWiki:Sidebar
 * n/a
 * - valign="top"
 * Monaco
 * MediaWiki:Monaco-toolbox
 * Special:Mypage/Monaco-toolbox
 * - valign="top"
 * Monaco
 * MediaWiki:Widgetwikipage
 * the source can be any page and title is arbitrary
 * }
 * }


 * In each case
 * www.wikia.com is also known as "central" or central.wikia.com or w:c:central
 * domain.wikia.com refers to a specific wiki community (replace "domain" with the original name of the wiki)
 * The Monaco toolbox is also known as the Link Toolbox or Link box
 * For CSS:
 * A specific skin file (Monaco, monaco, Monobook, monobook) takes precedence over a generic (Common, global) file
 * Your personal file (lowercase) takes precedence over the wiki community's site-wide file (Capitalized)
 * Your personal file at a specific wiki takes precedence over your personal Wikia-wide file (global - stored at www.wikia.com)
 * The wiki community's site-wide file takes precedence over your personal Wikia-wide file
 * For JS:
 * If the same named function appears in two files then (usually) the last declared function is the one which has effect but with JS anything is possible so avoid same named functions!
 * Review the sample page source HTML code below to see the order in which JS files are sourced.
 * Sample page source: The highest precedence file appears latest in the page source listing.

The line highlighting  is the line which indirectly sources Common.js and then Monaco.js in that order. See: http://www.wikia.com/index.php?title=-&action=raw&smaxage=0&gen=js&useskin=monaco


 * Common mistakes
 * 1) wrong case for page name
 * 2) * site-wide files use capitalization whereas most personal files use only lowercase
 * 3) * the capitalization used in the table above is deliberate and correct
 * 4) global.css/global.js files at domain.wikia.com have no meaning
 * 5) * Your personal Wikia-wide files must be created at www.wikia.com
 * 6) common.css/common.js files at domain.wikia.com have no meaning
 * 7) * instead you must choose either monaco/monobook (at domain.wikia.com) or global (at www.wikia.com)
 * 8) using comments in MediaWiki:Monaco-toolbox and MediaWiki:Monaco-sidebar causes rendering problems
 * 9) * comments can be used in Special:Mypage/Monaco-toolbox and Special:Mypage/Monaco-sidebar
 * 10) when so-called "special-urls" are used in Monaco-toolbox and Monaco-sidebar files do not leave any white space between that special-url and the pipe (|) character.
 * 11) * white space after the pipe is perfectly OK


 * See also
 * Help:Customizing Monaco
 * Help:Sidebar
 * Help:Widgets

There may be other customizations that I do not yet know about. If so, then please edit the above table because I think it is a useful reference for all and I don't recall seeing this all in one place before now. -- najevi 16:50, November 22, 2009 (UTC)