# Commons Coverage

> map for Wikimedia Commons

**Wikidata**: [Q116897905](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116897905)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/commons-coverage

## Summary
Commons Coverage is a free software tool and website that functions as a map for Wikimedia Commons. Created by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada in 2014, it is designed to visualize information related to the media repository. The tool is written in PHP and is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0.

## Key Facts
- **Nature:** It is classified as both a website and free software.
- **Primary Function:** It serves as a map for Wikimedia Commons.
- **Creator:** The tool was created by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada.
- **Inception:** It was launched in 2014.
- **License:** It is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0.
- **Technology:** The software is written in PHP, a scripting language focused on web development.
- **Source Code:** The repository is hosted on GitHub at `https://github.com/emijrp/commons-coverage`.
- **Website:** The tool is accessible at `https://tools.wmflabs.org/commons-coverage/`.
- **Subject:** Its main subject is Wikimedia Commons.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Commons Coverage?
A: Commons Coverage is a web-based tool that provides a map interface for Wikimedia Commons. It allows users to visualize data related to the Wikimedia Commons media repository.

### Q: Who created Commons Coverage and when was it released?
A: The tool was created by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada and was inceptioned in 2014.

### Q: Is Commons Coverage free to use?
A: Yes, it is classified as free software distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0. This means users can freely run, study, change, and distribute the software.

### Q: What programming language is Commons Coverage built with?
A: The tool is built using PHP, a widely used scripting language specifically focused on web development.

## Why It Matters
Commons Coverage plays a specific role in the Wikimedia ecosystem by enhancing the accessibility and utility of Wikimedia Commons data through visualization. As a "map for Wikimedia Commons," it addresses the complexity of navigating vast amounts of media files by providing a geographical or structural overview, though the specific type of map visualization relies on the tool's execution.

The project is significant as an example of the "free software" philosophy in action within the Wikimedia movement. By utilizing the GNU General Public License (version 3.0), the creator ensured that the tool remains open for community inspection, modification, and improvement. This aligns with the broader ethos of Wikimedia, where the underlying code—written in PHP—is just as accessible as the content it helps organize. Hosted on the Wikimedia Toolforge infrastructure (indicated by the `tools.wmflabs.org` domain), it represents the collaborative technical efforts that support one of the world's largest free-knowledge repositories.

## Notable For
- **Specific Utility:** It is distinctively designed as a "map" for Wikimedia Commons, differentiating it from standard file browsers.
- **Open Licensing:** The use of the GNU General Public License, version 3.0, guarantees user freedoms to modify and redistribute the software.
- **Creatorship:** It is a notable independent tool developed by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada, a recognized contributor to the Wikimedia technical environment.
- **Technical Foundation:** Built on PHP, a robust scripting language with a long history in web development (inception 1995).

## Body
### Development and Technical Specifications
Commons Coverage is a web-based tool developed using PHP. The project was inceptioned in 2014 by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada. The source code is publicly available, reflecting its status as free software.

**Repository and Access:**
- **Source Code:** `https://github.com/emijrp/commons-coverage`
- **Web Access:** `https://tools.wmflabs.org/commons-coverage/`
- **Image Asset:** `https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Commons-coverage.png`

### Licensing and Classification
The tool is explicitly classified as "free software," defined as software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it and modified versions. Specifically, it uses the **GNU General Public License, version 3.0**.

Despite being free software, the copyright status is listed as "copyrighted," which is standard for GPL-licensed works (copyleft). The tool is categorized as:
- **Instance of:** Website, Free Software
- **Main Subject:** Wikimedia Commons
- **Commons Category:** Commons-coverage (tool)

### Related Technologies
The development of Commons Coverage relies on **PHP**. As a background context provided in the knowledge base, PHP is a scripting language focused on web development, originally inceptioned on June 8, 1995. The tool operates within the broader ecosystem of free software and Wikimedia utilities.