ScreenPlay is a MediaWiki extension that provides text-formatting capabilities.
The MediaWiki ScreenPlay Extension (ScreenPlay) is a valuable text-formatting tool designed for screenwriters and enthusiasts who wish to use MediaWiki as a screenwriting software. Written in PHP, the ScreenPlay project offers three new editing hooks that visually re-format specific wiki syntax (used for definition lists) into proper screenplay format. Additionally, the extension provides a new "Special" page that generates PDF output complete with notation like page and scene numbering and dialogue continuation notes.
While ScreenPlay is not an all-inclusive screenwriting software, it offers certain features worth highlighting. For starters, it's free and provides all the benefits of a wiki platform. This includes version control, distributed access, multiple user edits, etc. Plus, it allows users to export and print PDFs featuring built-in reference systems for notes, character drafts, images, and more. ScreenPlay is also easily extendable.
Installation is an effortless process, as ScreenPlay installs like any other MediaWiki extension. Simply download the php source file and copy it into your 'extensions/' directory under your MediaWiki installation. Then, add an appropriate include to your LocalSettings.php file. Once installed, creating a new wiki page with screenplay formatting is a breeze. Starting with a '< screenplay >' tag on the first line, users can add scenes with the '< scene >' tag.
Stage directions are entered as normal paragraphs, while dialogue is written using "dl" syntax (the ';' and ':' characters). This method is used because, by merely changing the style attributes associated with them, the "dt" and "dd" HTML elements become the ideal tool for formatting dialogue. While users can use any built-in wiki formatting, the PDF engine does not yet support any additional formatting codes, so users must be cautious when developing.
ScreenPlay was written and tested with a standard MediaWiki 1.5 installation under PHP 5.0.5. The latest release (version not specified) adds support for generating title pages when creating PDFs as well as some minor code cleanup and a bugfix that corrects the default character width when producing PDFs. In summary, ScreenPlay offers a functional and cost-effective way for screenwriters and hobbyists to leverage the power of MediaWiki in creating screenplays.
While ScreenPlay is not an all-inclusive screenwriting software, it offers certain features worth highlighting. For starters, it's free and provides all the benefits of a wiki platform. This includes version control, distributed access, multiple user edits, etc. Plus, it allows users to export and print PDFs featuring built-in reference systems for notes, character drafts, images, and more. ScreenPlay is also easily extendable.
Installation is an effortless process, as ScreenPlay installs like any other MediaWiki extension. Simply download the php source file and copy it into your 'extensions/' directory under your MediaWiki installation. Then, add an appropriate include to your LocalSettings.php file. Once installed, creating a new wiki page with screenplay formatting is a breeze. Starting with a '< screenplay >' tag on the first line, users can add scenes with the '< scene >' tag.
Stage directions are entered as normal paragraphs, while dialogue is written using "dl" syntax (the ';' and ':' characters). This method is used because, by merely changing the style attributes associated with them, the "dt" and "dd" HTML elements become the ideal tool for formatting dialogue. While users can use any built-in wiki formatting, the PDF engine does not yet support any additional formatting codes, so users must be cautious when developing.
ScreenPlay was written and tested with a standard MediaWiki 1.5 installation under PHP 5.0.5. The latest release (version not specified) adds support for generating title pages when creating PDFs as well as some minor code cleanup and a bugfix that corrects the default character width when producing PDFs. In summary, ScreenPlay offers a functional and cost-effective way for screenwriters and hobbyists to leverage the power of MediaWiki in creating screenplays.
What's New
Version 0.4: N/A