Board Thread:Wiki General Discussion/@comment-5428123-20130809090556

Over the last little while, I've received several inquiries from a bunch of people all asking where they can find a comprehensive list of all the cards in the game, with stats and everything laid out in a neat table format. Indeed, I've been looking to build such a table for a long time, but could never commit to updating it on a regular basis. At this point, I don't think anyone would want to take on the task themselves (there's something like 2000 cards in the game).

To get to the point, I've been researching ways to compile such a table automatically, and I believe I've found the solution to our troubles. Meet the DynamicPageList (DPL) wiki extension. This handy extension has the ability to compile lists and tables of pages automatically with little to no work from a human user. It can grab lists based on categories, and even pull data from page templates, and list them in order.

However, the extension is not installed on our wiki by default, so I'll need to make a request to wikia staff. Before I do that, I need to be sure that everyone here is in favor of DPL.

Now, it may seem like a no brainer, but this extension does have a cost. Since the process of compiling lists of pages, and pulling data requires a significant amount of resources, there's a realistic chance that it could affect server performance and loading times at this site.

This can be mitigated by having created lists and tables cached by the servers, so that a new list is not recompiled everytime you visit the page. In this way, the lists will ideally only be updating every two or three days, so you'll be viewing a table that is a little bit behind. Still, it shouldn't be too much of an issue, since this will minimize the impact on wiki servers, and still provide a valuable tool.

Despite the drawbacks, this tool can potentially be used to save time and effort for a lot of things at the wiki (potentially help with the price guides maybe), and I really think the benefits outweigh the costs. What does everyone think of this? Thoughts and feedback would be greatly appreciated. 