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.

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.
 * Many queries are not cached. Caching is vital to ensure wikis remain quick and responsive.


 * The more traffic a page receives, the more DPL can slow down page loads.
 * High-traffic pages with DPL can't reduce load by serving cached pages.


 * Wikia is a shared resource.
 * Because DPL uses more resources than normal it can make other wikis that share your server slow.


 * 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.