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Create API for mass deleting pages (aka Special:Nuke)
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Description

People would like an API module that can mass delete things, aka Special:Nuke

Details

Event Timeline

bzimport raised the priority of this task from to Medium.Nov 22 2014, 12:05 AM
bzimport set Reference to bz33470.
bzimport added a subscriber: Unknown Object (MLST).
Reedy added a project: MediaWiki-Action-API.
Reedy moved this task from Unsorted to Non-core-API stuff on the MediaWiki-Action-API board.
Reedy removed a subscriber: wikibugs-l-list.
Mainframe98 subscribed.

I've got a patch ready for this bug.

Change 341133 had a related patch set uploaded (by mainframe98):
[mediawiki/extensions/Nuke] add an API module for Nuke

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/341133

@Anomie raised a valid concern related to this issue: Do we really need an API for Nuke? If I take this script for example, it utilizes existing API modules to emulate the nuke functionality, with the only drawback being that it has to delete each page individually.

Change 341133 abandoned by Mainframe98:
add an API module for Nuke

Reason:
See last comment of Anomie, an action=massdelete would be better.

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/341133

I'll de-assign myself from this. I think it would be best to think up a strategy to tackle this bug, before submitting any patches.

Legoktm renamed this task from create api for Special:Nuke to Create API for mass deleting pages (aka Special:Nuke).Mar 2 2018, 3:34 AM
Legoktm removed a project: Patch-For-Review.
Legoktm updated the task description. (Show Details)

I clarified the summary that people just want an API to mass delete pages, not necessarily the full equivalent of Special:Nuke. I wonder if we could have action=delete take a generator?

I am loading a large number of elements in a local Wikibase installation and I often need to reprocess the dataset.
A batch delete function to mass delete elements inserted by a bot user would be useful.

I am loading a large number of elements in a local Wikibase installation and I often need to reprocess the dataset.
A batch delete function to mass delete elements inserted by a bot user would be useful.

I’m in the same situation. Deleting a thousand items individually is slow.