Prior to maintenance scripts were a hodgepodge of code that had no cohesion or formal method of action Beginning maintenance scripts have been cleaned up to use a unified class Directory structure How to run a script How to write your own DIRECTORY STRUCTURE The maintenance directory of a MediaWiki installation contains several all of which have unique purposes HOW TO RUN A SCRIPT Ridiculously just call php someScript php that s in the top level maintenance directory if not default wiki
you have access to all of the normal MediaWiki so you can get a DB use the etc For full docs on the Maintenance class