How to display a category list in a mediawiki like way?

Question

I would like to reproduce on Wordpress the same behaviour of mediawiki when it comes to display the posts of a certain category (with an alphabetical order, in columns and using first letters in bold as section titles). Do you think it's possible ?if yes, how would I do that ?

Currently I'm using a wordpress blog as a Laboratory Notebook and would like to add to it the good sides of a wiki. I already have the post revisions but this kind of category view is a plus I would like to add. It's one of the feature that makes me have difficulties to choose between both applications.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

You can play with Walker to customize output into being split by letters. From there it is matter of CSS to achieve column formatting.

Quick take on Walker:

class Walker_Alphabetized_Category extends Walker_Category {

    var $letter = '';

    function start_el(&$output, $category, $depth, $args) {

        $current_letter = strtoupper(substr($category->name,0,1));

        if( empty($this->letter) ) {

            $this->letter = $current_letter;
            $output .= "<li>{$current_letter}<ul>";
        }
        elseif( $this->letter != $current_letter ) {

            $output .= "</ul></li>";
            $this->letter = $current_letter;
            $output .= "<li>{$current_letter}<ul>";
        }

        parent::start_el(&$output, $category, $depth, $args);
    }
}

echo '<ul>';
wp_list_categories(array(
                    'hierarchical' => false,
                    'orderby' => 'name',
                    'title_li' => '',
                    'walker' => new Walker_Alphabetized_Category(),
                   ));
echo '</ul>';