Regex lists should have distinct content model, including syntax highlighting and line numbers like CSS/Javascript pages.
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	Bugreporter2
	Apr 19 2025, 7:46 AM

Description

Background:

Regex lists exist in MediaWiki installation, including:

MediaWiki:Titleblacklist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Titleblacklist
MediaWiki:Titlewhitelist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Titlewhitelist
MediaWiki:filename-prefix-blacklist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Filename-prefix-blacklist
MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist
MediaWiki:Captcha-addurl-whitelist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Captcha-addurl-whitelist
MediaWiki:Spam-whitelist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Spam-whitelist
MediaWiki:Email-blacklist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Email-blacklist
MediaWiki:Email-whitelist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Email-whitelist
MediaWiki:pageimages-blacklist, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Pageimages-blacklist

Plus

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Title_blacklist

And possibly others that I've missed.

Observations:

There is currently no syntax highlighting on the Regex pages on Wikipedia. Presumably, nobody has thought to do it yet.

Syntax highlighting is possible however using <syntaxhighlight lang=python> or <syntaxhighlight lang=perl>, or <syntaxhighlight lang=bash>, etc. Note that, unfortunately, there is no <syntaxhighlight lang=regex>. The colour schemes vary a little depending on the lingo, but you end up with something like:

But where the code block begins...

# <syntaxhighlight lang=python>

The formatting ends up a little bit weird, because the parser initially treats it as WikiText:

It might be possible to start with <syntaxhighlight> tag not in a comment, but that would be treated as Regex, and might have unintended consequences, although page titles can't include <> so maybe it won't have any impact.

OK, so there is a quick fix, but let's dig a little deeper...

Which content model is best?:

Two possible content models are possible for this (both work the same, functionally):

Plain text, which permits *no* syntax highlighting. After T202424 at least this looks like plain text.
Wikitext, which allows syntax highlighting, but this clearly isn't really wikitext. It doesn't function as wikitext, and doing so produces some formatting issues.

And btw, it clearly isn't CSS or Javascript, but those two existing content models serve as examples of how to use content models on different types of pages, including appropriate syntax highlighting, and line numbers.

New content model is needed:

I think what's needed here, therefore, is an additional content model called Regex (or similar name). This would wrap the whole page in a <syntaxhighlight lang=python> (or whatever tag is preferred), and add line numbers, but otherwise function as Wikitext, and allow [[double-square bracket]] links and urls, e.g.

Thank you for your consideration. Sorry, this one is a bit long-winded.

Notes:

Add further notes here.

Related Objects

Mentioned Here: T337431: Rework MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist
T202424: Implementing line breaks on wiki viewer for plain text content model

Event Timeline

Bugreporter2 created this task.Apr 19 2025, 7:46 AM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptApr 19 2025, 7:46 AM

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Bugreporter2 updated the task description. (Show Details)Apr 19 2025, 8:21 AM

Nemoralis added projects: TitleBlacklist, SpamBlacklist, ConfirmEdit (CAPTCHA extension).Apr 19 2025, 12:17 PM

taavi raised the priority of this task from Low to Needs Triage.Apr 19 2025, 1:03 PM

Pppery awarded a token.Apr 19 2025, 2:05 PM

Pppery added a project: MediaWiki-ContentHandler.

I would suggest forking the spam related content to a new task to be a child of T337431: Rework MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist and this task.

Thanks @Izno

I note the plan with T337431 is to completely deprecate the MediaWiki:Spamblacklist.

At present, that would still leave the other lists as Regex lists unless they also got similar treatment.

In T392330#10756228, @Izno wrote:

I would suggest forking the spam related content to a new task to be a child of T337431: Rework MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist and this task.

I honestly think this should be actually declined. Most regexes should be moved out to simple cases (as outlined in T337431) and what's left will be small enough that wouldn't require a dedicated content model or syntax highlighting. In most cases in software engineering, using a regex means something has gone wrong

And using a JSON content model as in the new BlockedDomains would likely highlight regexes appropriately anyway. So yes, I more or less agree with that suggestion regarding the context of the spam blacklist.

It does not, however, account for reworking the other items listed in the original task, which would probably deserve their own tasks a la 337431's efforts.

Wrapping everything in <syntaxhighlight lang=json> makes a completely incoherent neon-coloured headache-inducing mess. There is no lang=regex option, but there are, at least, other language options that aren't quite as bad.

In T392330#10767132, @Bugreporter2 wrote:

Wrapping everything in <syntaxhighlight lang=json> makes a completely incoherent neon-coloured headache-inducing mess. There is no lang=regex option, but there are, at least, other language options that aren't quite as bad.

You misunderstand. The context of interest would be

{
  [
    "a? reg(ular )?ex(pression)?",
    "really\?",
    "It\'s more likely than you think",
  ],
}

If there is an actual highlighter out there, it's probably over in the direction of regex101, and is perhaps not supported by the editor (or pair) anyway.

Nemoralis subscribed.Apr 25 2025, 11:59 AM

Pppery merged a task: T209806: TitleBlacklist should have its own content type.Jun 29 2025, 3:15 PM

Pppery added subscribers: Tgr, Krenair.

	F59385455: image.png
	Apr 24 2025, 11:52 PM

Regex lists should have distinct content model, including syntax highlighting and line numbers like CSS/Javascript pages.Open, Needs TriagePublicFeatureActions

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Regex lists should have distinct content model, including syntax highlighting and line numbers like CSS/Javascript pages.
Open, Needs TriagePublicFeature
Actions