Help:Howto/Move plugin to deprecated
When plugin's development is stopped the information about the plugin is not wiped off the wiki but is kept under Deprecated plugins section on Plugin list page. When a plugin becomes deprecated the following changes should be done:
Plugin list and Download pages
Update Template:PluginInfo
Cut the plugin entry and paste it at the bottom, below this commentary (mind the alphabetical order):
<!-- Dropped/deprecated -->
Add type=deprecated and hideDownloadLinks=1 at the end of the plugin entry.
This will remove the plugin from Download pages and move it to Deprecated plugins section on Plugin list pages.
Update Template:PluginDescription/*
Cut the plugin entry and paste it at the bottom, below this commentary (mind the alphabetical order):
<!-- Dropped/deprecated -->
All PluginDescription templates can be found in Plugin descriptions category.
Even those entries are out of use right now, some plugins/protocols could be resurrected. They aren't displayed anywhere if plugin is deprecated so there will be no harm to keep them for little longer. We do not delete plugin's pages so they could be used some day. If list of those entries will start to be too long then some separate template for deprecated plugins could be created.
Editing a page for plugin
It is desirable that some note should be left on the plugin's page explaining the reasons it was discontinued for and what plugin people might use instead. Usually a simple sentence is enough (e.g., Gender), in case of serious changes (like with databases) Template:Warning may be suitable (e.g., Dbx_3x).
You may want to add such an explanation to plugin's pages in all the languages. If you don't know the language, paste the note in English and add Template:Untranslated.
Updating Template:PluginInfo/Groups
Cut the plugin entry and paste it at the bottom, below this commentary:
<!-- Dropped/deprecated -->
Replace all grp- parameters of the plugin entry with grp-deprecated=1.
Remove the plugin from all groups it belongs to – edit the corresponding group template(s), all of them can be found in Plugin groups category.