# Semantic MediaWiki 1.0 Released on December 31, 2007. ## Changes in SMW1.0 as compared to SMW0.7 * Simplified semantic annotations: just one kind of annotation ("Property"). * Significant speedup (both server and network load substantially reduced, faster RDF export, more efficient query result formatting). * Prettier and easier to understand interfaces: ** New tooltips for warnings and additional information. ** Simplified factbox layout, with all properties in alphabetic order. ** Inline warnings to simplify trouble shooting with annotations. ** Improved, more helpful and informative warning and error messages. ** Highlighting for built-in elements. E.g. built-in types are visually distinguished from arbitrary types; useful as visual feedback. ** Error/warning reporting for (inline) queries. * More powerful output formatting for semantic querying: ** new {{#ask:...}} parser function syntax for inline queries, fully compatible with MediaWiki templates, template parameters, and parser functions of other extension ** more readable inline query structure in #ask parser function, printouts separated from query ** semantic RSS feeds making feeds from query results via "format=rss" ** new printout format "?Category:Name" for #ask ** option to hide main column by setting "mainlabel=-", and reinserting via print request "?" (only for #ask) * More expressivity for semantic querying: ** support for subproperties, ** improved equality resolution (redirects), ** support for disjunctions, ** inequality check for datavalues ("[[property::!value]]") ** optional pattern matching for string values ("[[property::~Semant*]]") ** automatic sorting on sort-parameter (no additional condition needed) * New/improved datatypes: ** Type:Page for explicitly specifying properties that are "relations" ** better media support in Type:Page: special treatment of Image: and Media: ** Type:Number as universal replacement for Type:Integer and Type:Float ** Type:URL as universal replacement for old Type:URL and Type:URI ** Type:Geographic coordinates completely rewritten. More input formats supported, more liberal parsing to accept most inputs ** special property "allows value" works for all types ** display units are now easier to select via property "display units" ** Improved data display: URL-links and tooltips work for queries results and on special pages * Improved special pages: ** simpler interface for Special:Ask, hide query when using "further results" link ** hints and warning for property usage/declaration in Special:Properties ** extra information and warnings for types on Special:Types ** Special:SemanticStatistics as faster replacement for earlier "ExtendedStatistics" * Better internationalisation: ** updates in all translation files ** new translations to Dutch, Chinese (tw/ch), Korean (beta) ** alias strings for all SMW elements; English labels are allowed in all languages, names of old SMW elements still work as aliases for their replacements. * New experimental n-ary properties, allowing property values to consist of a list of entries. * Ontology import re-enabled (simple annotation import) * Maintenance script SMW_refreshData now can rebuild all SMW data structures, fixing even exotic database problems on most sites. * New maintenance script for announcing site to Semantic Web crawlers. * Support for upcoming MediaWiki 1.12 * Improved APIs and various new hooks to simplify the life of SMW extension developers. * Many bugfixes. Other changes for SMW1.0 include: * Type:Enum became obsolete, since all types now suppport "allows value", but it remains an alias for Type:String. * Some configuration options for LocalSettings.php have changed. Read INSTALL for details on how to upgrade from your old installation. ## Semantic MediaWiki post 1.0RC3 * Support for dynamic, query-generated RSS-feeds via query format "rss". * Optional query feature for pattern matching in Type:String property values. * Correct dynamic sorting of result tables, even for dates and numerical values. * Thumbnail images when displaying property values from Image namespace. * Simplified use of "sort" parameter in queries. * Support for upcoming MediaWiki 1.12 (major parser changes). * More efficient link generation in query results. Link all query results by default now. * Maintenance script SMW_refreshData now can rebuild all SMW data structures, fixing even exotic database problems on most sites. * New maintenance script for announcing site to Semantic Web crawlers. * Various bugfixes. ## Semantic MediaWiki 1.0RC3 * New method for integrating inline queries via #ask parser function, separation of query and printout requests, full compatibility with templates. * New layout for Special:Ask to reflect #ask structure. * New printout option: "?Category:Name" to ask for membership in that category. * Re-enabled service links (e.g. use [[provides service::online maps]] on any page of a property to Type:Geographic coordinates). * Re-enabled Type:Boolean. * Prototype translation for Korean (still alpha). * Various minor bugfixes. ## Semantic MediaWiki 1.0RC2 * Experimental Postgres support. * More liberal parsing for geographic coordinates, most user inputs accepted now. * Improved URL datatype: better linking behavior, tolerant towards Unicode-URLs. * Significantly improved performance for RDF export. * Complete translations for Fr, Zh-tw, and Zh-ch added. * Various minor bugfixes. ## Semantic MediaWiki 1.0RC1 * Simplified semantic annotations: just one kind of annotation ("Property"). * Significant speedup (both server and network load substantially reduced). * Prettier and easier to understand interfaces: ** New tooltips that work on both normal and special pages. ** Simplified factbox layout, with all properties in alphabetic order. ** Inline warnings to simplify trouble shooting with annotations. ** Improved, more helpful and informative warning and error messages. ** Highlighting for built-in elements. E.g. built-in types are visually distinguished from arbitrary types; useful as visual feedback. ** Error/warning reporting for (inline) queries. * Alias strings for all SMW elements. English labels are allowed in all languages, names of old SMW elements still work as aliases for their replacements. * More expressivity for semantic querying: ** support for subproperties, ** improved equality resolution (redirects), ** support for disjunctions, ** inequality check for datavalues ("[[property::!value]]") * New/improved datatypes: ** Type:Page for explicitly specifying properties that are "relations" ** Type:Number as universal replacement for Type:Integer and Type:Float ** Type:URL as universal replacement for old Type:URL and Type:URI ** Type:Geographic coordinates completely rewritten. More input formats supported now (e.g. coordinates without "," separating Lat and Long) ** special property "allows value" works for all types ** display units are now easier to select via property "display units" ** Improved data display: linked URLs and tooltips work for queries and special pages * Improved maintenance special pages: ** Hints and warning for property usage/declaration in Special:Properties ** Extra information and warnings for types on Special:Types ** Special:SemanticStatistics as faster replacement for earlier "ExtendedStatistics" * New experimental n-ary properties, allowing property values to consist of a list of entries. * Ontology import re-enabled (simple annotation import) * Dutch translation added (by Siebrand Mazeland) * Improved APIs and various new hooks to simplify the life of SMW extension developers. * Many bugfixes. Other changes for the RC1 include: * No more support for Type:Boolean. Will be re-enabled later. * Type:Enum became obsolete, since all types now suppport "allows value", but it remains an alias for Type:String. * Service links are not working in this Release Candidate yet, especially coordinate values do not link to maps yet. This will reappear before SMW1.0 final.