This is a framework for automated content retrieval, editing and upload on Mediawiki sites. This utility is meant to be used on Wikinews.
The Wikinewsbot is currently maintained by IlyaHaykinson of en:Wikinews. The software is free and open-source. You will need the Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 installed to run this software. It's a 23.14MB download, so only get it if t he system will not install.
Sorry that this is so preliminary. I just wanted to get the software out the door.
You have to compile it, for now. You will then either use the .config file to specific a path to an .xml file that defines your bot, or call Wikinewsbot.exe BotFile.xml on the command line. The config file overrides the command line.
The config file looks like this.
Overview
The file contains commands, which are executed sequentially.
Each <command>...</command> block has three sections: input, output, and conditions.
The input section has elements that look like <in name="paramname" value="somevalue" /> — this mean "take the string 'somevalue' and put it in slot named 'paramname' that the command expects". If somevalue was instead $somevalue it would pull the data from the variable $somevalue. If there were two dollar signs — $$somevalue — it would mean a global variable. If value="blah" is missing, it will take the data in between <in ...> and </in>
Output has out elements. These mean: take value that's in the slot named the name="blah", and put it in variable named in target="$blah" or target="$$blah" (one for local, one for global variables). Currently global and local variables are basically the same.
Conditions can currently only test for a variable having been set, or equaling another string. Boolean variables equal True or False.
Please post a note on the Wikinewsbot support page, or email wikinewsbot-support@tiredbrain.com.
1-mar-05 initial release
The application is free for use and is licensed under GPL.
You can browse the source code (or download it as a tarball) at http://www.tiredbrain.com/viewcvs/viewcvs.cgi/wikinewsbot/. Optionally, you can access the CVS repository directly with t
he CVS root of :pserver:anonymous@tiredbrain.com:/usr/local/cvs – module wikinewsbot – for checkins, send diffs via email or email and ask for write access.
Send email to wikinewsbot@tiredbrain.com