Wikimedia hackathon

In May 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the MediaWiki Hackathon held in the captivating city of Athens, Greece. As a first-time attendee, I was eager to immerse myself in the vibrant community of developers, designers, and contributors who gather to enhance and shape the future of MediaWiki. Over the course of three days, I engaged in various sessions, including “Get setup with MediaWiki and build a skin” and “An introduction to Codex: the design system for Wikimedia.” Little did I know that my journey would lead me to the heart of the Codex Design System, where I would contribute to the creation of an Accordion component. In this blog post, I will recount my experiences, shed light on MediaWiki and the Codex Design System, and share the story of my involvement and collaboration within this exciting open-source project.

MediaWiki stands as a widely renowned and powerful open-source wiki software that powers numerous websites, including the notable Wikipedia. Developed by the Wikimedia Foundation, it enables collaborative editing and content management, making it an essential platform for knowledge sharing and community-driven projects. MediaWiki encompasses an extensive ecosystem of extensions, skins, and design systems that allow developers and designers to customize and extend the core functionality according to specific needs.

The first day of the hackathon commenced with an informative session on “Get setup with MediaWiki and build a skin.” Here, I gained valuable insights into the process of setting up a MediaWiki instance and creating customized skins to tailor the visual appearance and layout. Following this, I eagerly attended the session titled “An introduction to Codex: the design system for Wikimedia.” It provided an overview of the purpose, principles, and architecture of Codex. Learning about the structure of the design system sparked my curiosity, motivating me to seek deeper involvement.

Motivated by the prospects of collaborating with the talented individuals behind the Codex Design System, I approached the team after the session. They warmly welcomed my enthusiasm and shared their roadmap, highlighting components that were yet to be developed. Intrigued by the challenge, I expressed my interest in assisting with the creation of the Accordion component. Over the course of the hackathon, I worked closely with the Codex team, leveraging my expertise in Vue 3 and TypeScript to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) version of the Accordion component. With each line of code, I delved deeper into the intricacies of the Codex architecture and its guidelines, ensuring that the Accordion component aligned seamlessly with the existing ecosystem.

On the final day of the hackathon, I had the exhilarating opportunity to showcase the Accordion component in front of the entire community. The positive feedback and appreciation I received validated the effort I had put into the development process. Following the presentation, I submitted a patch containing the Accordion component to the Codex repository, aiming for future integration and usability by the wider MediaWiki community. Reflecting on this remarkable journey, I realize that the hackathon was just the beginning of my involvement with the Codex Design System. The community’s warmth and encouragement motivated me to continue contributing to the project and explore additional avenues for growth and collaboration.

If you are interested I attach a video where you can watch what I showcased at the end of the event.

My participation in the MediaWiki Hackathon in Athens was an unforgettable experience that opened doors to the vast world of MediaWiki and the Codex Design System. Engaging with fellow developers and designers, attending informative sessions, and contributing to the creation of the Accordion component were pivotal moments that enriched my knowledge and expanded my horizons. The hackathon showcased the power of open-source collaboration and the dedication of the Wikimedia Foundation to foster a unified and user-centric ecosystem. As I eagerly await the merging of my patch into the Codex repository, I look forward to further journeys, collaborations, and advancements within the vibrant realm of MediaWiki and the Codex Design System.