How do I change PHP Scripts from MediaWiki to Wordpress Plugin? - php

Question

I am working on a project where I have MediaWiki PHP Scripts that import publications information from a DB into a Publications Page.
I need to convert this scripts to Wordpress Plugin but I don't really know the best way to do it. Quite lost right now I try to do the Tutorial: Writing a simple WordPress plugin from scratch but I did not have success on that and I still don't have this working.
Original MediaWiki Code
Here you will see my original MediaWiki Code:
<?php
# the function registered by the extension gets the text between the
# tags as input and can transform it into arbitrary HTML code.
# Note: The output is not interpreted as WikiText but directly
# included in the HTML output. So Wiki markup is not supported.
# To activate the extension, include it from your LocalSettings.php
# with: include("extensions/YourExtensionName.php");
$wgExtensionFunctions[] = "wfExampleExtension";
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// Register the extension with the WikiText parser.
// The first parameter is the name of the new tag. In this case it defines
// the tag:
// <server-id> ... </server-id>
// The second parameter is the callback function for processing the text
// between the tags.
//
function wfExampleExtension() {
global $wgParser; // MediaWiki global variable
$wgParser->setHook("server-id", "renderSERVERID");
}
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// The callback function for converting the input text to HTML output.
// The function registered by the extension gets the text between the
// tags as $input and transforms it into arbitrary HTML code.
// Note: the output is not interpreted as WikiText but directly included in
// the HTML output. So Wiki markup is not supported.
//
// To activate the extension, include it from your LocalSettings.php
// with: include("extensions/YourExtensionName.php");
//
// $argv is an array containing any arguments passed to the extension like:
// <server-id what="foo" bar>..
//
// According to the metawiki, this works in MediaWiki 1.5.5.
// <server-id what="person" id="62">This text is not actually used</server-id>
//
// Personal information:
// <server-id what='person' id='62'></server-id>
//
// Information for a group:
// <server-id what='publications' cc='IP02'></server-id>
//
function renderSERVERID($input, $argv) {
// connect to the database
$idDBLink = odbc_connect('SERVER ID', 'some_db', 'some_db_pw');
if (!$idDBLink) { exit("Connection to database failed! Please contact root#server-id.org."); }
$html = "";
if ($argv['what'] == 'person') {
$id = split(",", trim($argv["id"]));
if ($id != '') {
// information about someone:
// 1. personal contacts and summary
// 2. publications by person
// 3. advisory work by person
//
$html .= personById($idDBLink, $id[0]);
$internalIds = authorIdByNumber($idDBLink, $id); // use all Ids
$html .= pubsById($idDBLink, $internalIds);
$html .= advisingById($idDBLink, $internalIds);
}
}
else if ($argv['what'] == 'advising') {
$id = split(",", trim($argv["id"]));
if ($id != '') {
$internalIds = authorIdByNumber($idDBLink, $id); // use all Ids
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', advisingById($idDBLink, $internalIds));
}
}
else if ($argv['what'] == 'publications') {
// information about some "centro de custo":
// 1. currently, only a list of publications
//
$cc = trim($argv["cc"]);
$id = trim($argv["id"]);
if ($cc != '') {
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', pubsByCC($idDBLink, $cc));
}
else if ($id != '') {
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', pubsById($idDBLink, authorIdByNumber($idDBLink, array($id))));
}
}
/*else if ($argv['what'] == 'publications') {
// information about some "centro de custo":
// 1. currently, only a list of publications
//
$cc = trim($argv["cc"]);
if ($cc != '') {
$html .= pubsByCC($idDBLink, $cc);
}
}*/
else if ($argv['what'] == 'calls') {
// information about some "centro de custo":
// 1. currently, only a list of publications
//
$cc = trim($argv["cc"]);
$showClosed = isset($argv['showclosed']) ? trim($argv['showclosed']) : "";
if ($cc != '') {
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', callsByCC($idDBLink, $cc, $showClosed == "yes"));
}
}
else {
// oops! no text...
}
odbc_close($idDBLink);
return $html;
}
?>
My WordPress Try Version
Here you will see what I try to do with WordPress Code:
<?php
// ==================================================
// WordPress Plugin
// ==================================================
/*
Plugin Name: Publications Importer
Plugin URI: http://someperson.me/downloads/publications-importer
Description: Integrates the Publications Importer plugin into your WordPress install.
Version: 0.0.1
Author: Someone
Author URI: http://someperson.me/
*/
require_once 'server-id-config.php';
require_once 'server-id-util.php';
require_once 'server-id-people.php';
require_once 'server-id-pubs.php';
require_once 'server-id-advising.php';
defined( 'ABSPATH' ) or die( 'Plugin file cannot be accessed directly.' );
if ( ! class_exists( 'Publication' ) ) {
class Publication
{
/**
* Tag identifier used by file includes and selector attributes.
* #var string
*/
protected $tag = 'publications-importer';
/**
* User friendly name used to identify the plugin.
* #var string
*/
protected $name = 'Publications Importer';
/**
* Current version of the plugin.
* #var string
*/
protected $version = '0.0.1';
public function __construct()
{
add_shortcode( $this->tag, array( &$this, 'shortcode' ) );
}
public function shortcode( $atts, $content = null )
{
extract( shortcode_atts( array(
'what' => false,
'cc' => false
), $atts ) );
$styles = array();
if ( is_numeric( $what ) ) {
$styles[] = esc_attr( 'what: ' . $what );
}
$classes = array(
$this->tag
);
if ( !empty( $cc ) ) {
$classes[] = esc_attr( $cc );
}
ob_start();
?><pre cc="<?php esc_attr_e( implode( ' ', $classes ) ); ?>"<?php
echo ( count( $styles ) > 0 ? ' style="' . implode( ' ', $styles ) . '"' : '' );
?>><p><?php echo $content; ?></p></pre><?php
return ob_get_clean();
}
}
new Publication;
}
// ==================================================
// END WordPress Plugin
// ==================================================
# the function registered by the extension gets the text between the
# tags as input and can transform it into arbitrary HTML code.
# Note: The output is not interpreted as WikiText but directly
# included in the HTML output. So Wiki markup is not supported.
# To activate the extension, include it from your LocalSettings.php
# with: include("extensions/YourExtensionName.php");
$wgExtensionFunctions[] = "wfExampleExtension";
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// Register the extension with the WikiText parser.
// The first parameter is the name of the new tag. In this case it defines
// the tag:
// <server-id> ... </server-id>
// The second parameter is the callback function for processing the text
// between the tags.
//
function wfExampleExtension() {
global $wgParser; // MediaWiki global variable
$wgParser->setHook("server-id", "renderSERVERID");
}
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// The callback function for converting the input text to HTML output.
// The function registered by the extension gets the text between the
// tags as $input and transforms it into arbitrary HTML code.
// Note: the output is not interpreted as WikiText but directly included in
// the HTML output. So Wiki markup is not supported.
//
// To activate the extension, include it from your LocalSettings.php
// with: include("extensions/YourExtensionName.php");
//
// $argv is an array containing any arguments passed to the extension like:
// <server-id what="foo" bar>..
//
// According to the metawiki, this works in MediaWiki 1.5.5.
// <server-id what="person" id="62">This text is not actually used</server-id>
//
// Personal information:
// <server-id what='person' id='62'></server-id>
//
// Information for a group:
// <server-id what='publications' cc='IP02'></server-id>
//
function renderSERVERID($input, $argv) {
// connect to the database
$idDBLink = odbc_connect('SERVER ID', 'some_db', 'some_db_pw');
if (!$idDBLink) { exit("Connection to database failed! Please contact root#server-id.org."); }
$html = "";
if ($argv['what'] == 'person') {
$id = split(",", trim($argv["id"]));
if ($id != '') {
// information about someone:
// 1. personal contacts and summary
// 2. publications by person
// 3. advisory work by person
//
$html .= personById($idDBLink, $id[0]);
$internalIds = authorIdByNumber($idDBLink, $id); // use all Ids
$html .= pubsById($idDBLink, $internalIds);
$html .= advisingById($idDBLink, $internalIds);
}
}
else if ($argv['what'] == 'advising') {
$id = split(",", trim($argv["id"]));
if ($id != '') {
$internalIds = authorIdByNumber($idDBLink, $id); // use all Ids
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', advisingById($idDBLink, $internalIds));
}
}
else if ($argv['what'] == 'publications') {
// information about some "centro de custo":
// 1. currently, only a list of publications
//
$cc = trim($argv["cc"]);
$id = trim($argv["id"]);
if ($cc != '') {
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', pubsByCC($idDBLink, $cc));
}
else if ($id != '') {
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', pubsById($idDBLink, authorIdByNumber($idDBLink, array($id))));
}
}
/*else if ($argv['what'] == 'publications') {
// information about some "centro de custo":
// 1. currently, only a list of publications
//
$cc = trim($argv["cc"]);
if ($cc != '') {
$html .= pubsByCC($idDBLink, $cc);
}
}*/
else if ($argv['what'] == 'calls') {
// information about some "centro de custo":
// 1. currently, only a list of publications
//
$cc = trim($argv["cc"]);
$showClosed = isset($argv['showclosed']) ? trim($argv['showclosed']) : "";
if ($cc != '') {
$html .= iconv('latin1', 'UTF-8', callsByCC($idDBLink, $cc, $showClosed == "yes"));
}
}
else {
// oops! no text...
}
odbc_close($idDBLink);
return $html;
}
?>
So what I exactly need to know is:
1) Should not WordPress be able to interpret the MediaWiki tags (for example: <server-id what='publications' cc='IP02'></server-id>) and do this automatically?
2) Where can I find more documentation about this kind of migrations?
3) Am I doing this the wrong way?

Answer 1

WordPress and MediaWiki are independent applications and one can not expect a plugin written for one to be directly portable to the other. If you are lucky some of the code may be reusable but it will not be as simple as a cut and paste. The two application has different ways of doing things.
1) No, WordPress will not be able to understand such tags. WordPress can be made to understand MediaWiki style markdown tags with additional plugins but I do not recognise the tag example you highlight.
2) I think your current approach is sound, you will need to understand what the MediaWiki code is doing and re-create this within a WordPress plugin. I doubt there is a short cut to this other than taking some time to get to grips with WP plugins. If you enjoy coding and writing plugins thin this is time well spent. Being able to customise WordPress is very useful.
3) Other than re-coding it yourself the other option would be to see if there is a WordPress plugin that does what you are looking for. Your question does not detail what exactly the functionality is that you are trying to add.
Having written plugins for both MediaWiki and WordPress I have found the easier more enjoyable to work with.