5 Namespace manager

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The Namespace manager allows a user with administrative rights to create,edit, and delete namespaces and to change the settings of these namespaces.

Where to find the namespace manager

The navigation link to the Namespace manager is located under Global actions > Management > Namespaces. This link opens the page Special:NamespaceManager.

Manual:NamespaceManager-link.png

Creating a namespace

Note:If you haven't created namespaces before, familiarize yourself with the concept of namespaces first to understand when it makes sense to set up a namespace. Although it is theoretically possible to create a large number of namespaces, the BlueSpice user interface supports at best a number of 10-30 user-created additional namespaces. If you need more namespaces, consider using several individual wikis or a wiki farm.

To create a namespace:

  1. Click the "Plus" icon at the top of the page. A dialog opens.
    Create a namespace
    Create a namespace
  2. Enter the name for the new namespace and select the namespace options. Make sure that the name for the namespace is as short as possible, since the name becomes part of the page name of the pages in this namespace. This makes it easier to type in page names, e.g. using search fields in the wiki. Search results and all types of page lists are also displayed more clearly in this way. Examples: QM (for the namespace "Quality Management"), RM (for "Risk Management). Optionally, an alias can also be specified for the namespace. This name can then be used at any time in the wiki instead of the actual name.
  3. Choose the features you want to activate.
    Usually, the following features are activated: Subpages, Content namespace, PageTemplates, VisualEditor, Semantic MediaWiki.

    Description of the available features:
    • Subpages: It is possible to create subpages. If this feature is deactivated the syntax Pagename/withslash does not produce a subpage in the wiki.
    • Content namespace: This function determines that a namespace is considered by specific extensions:
      • Popups: Popups only appear in content namespaces.
      • BlueSpiceFoundation: API for watchlist list is only displayed in content namespaces.
      • BlueSpiceExtendedSearch: Content namespaces get a boost and are placed preferentially in the results list.
      • HitCounters: Entire function is restricted to content namespaces. Other pages are counted as "0".
      • ContentTransfer: Can optionally be restricted to use in content namespaces.
      • BlueSpiceExtendedStatistics: Certain namespace selection filters are restricted to this content namespace.
      • PageForms (see also:mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:ContentHandler)
    • CategoryCheck: Each time the user saves a page, the save-dialog shows a checkbox to confirm that the users reviewed the categories on the page. This applies to all pages in this namespace and makes sense when a wiki is organized primarily through manual categorization of pages by users.
    • Secured page assignments: Only assigned users can edit the page.
    • PageTemplates
    • Visual editor: Activation of the extension VisualEditor. If this is not activated, the pages can only be edited in source editing mode. If this setting is activated after pages already exist in the namespace, it will take a few minutes for the visual editor to work on the pages.
    • Rating: Allows users to rate each page from 1 to 5 stars. An overview page in the wiki shows rated pages sorted by rating.
    • Recommendations: Allows users to recommend a page. An overview page in the wiki shows recommended pages by number of recommendations.
    • Read Confirmation: Assigned users must mark a checkbox to confirm that they have read the changes to a page.
    • Semantic MediaWiki: Activates the link to the page Special:Browse/<pagename> in the page tools.
    • Approval: New versions of a page are created as drafts. These remain in place until a user with approval rights reviews and approves the page.
  4. Click Done. The namespace is now ready to use.
Note:The corresponding talk namespace for the new namespace is automatically created. This namespace allows users to discuss a page in the wiki on an associated discussions page.


Editing a namespace

A namespace can be edited by clicking on the "wrench"-icon in the table row or above the table when a namespace is selected.

Edit a namespace
Edit a namespace

When renaming a namespace, all pages in the namespace are automatically renamed as well.

Links to the renamed pages as well as page lists that filter by the original namespace designation are not renamed and therefore no longer work.

Discussion namespace names and system namespace names (File, MediaWiki, etc. cannot be changed manually.

Deleting a namespace

Only namespaces created by users can be deleted. The corresponding button (2) is only displayed in such namespaces.

After clicking the delete icon, a dialog box opens.

Deleting a namespace


  • Will be deleted: deletes the pages in this namespace together with the namespace
  • Will be moved into "(Pages)": moves the pages of this namespace into the main namespace
  • Will be moved into "(Pages)" with the suffix "(from [namespace name])": moves and appends the pages with "from [namespace]"

Talk namespaces are deleted with their corresponding namespace and cannot be deleted separately.


Related info



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