• TWiki Skins to customize the look of headers and footers when topics are converted to Web pages for display:

• • fully configurable look and feel
  • apply skins across an entire TWiki web, or to a single displayed page
  • use included skins and easily create new ones
  • try the [Printable] skin below: stripped down headers and footers suitable for clean hard copy

• • do all of this through whatever web browser you are familiar with

TWiki Topics

Characteristics

• name

• • link to it from other topics just by typing it in it's WikiWord
• content
  • edited by simply clicking the edit link

• • enter simple TWiki shorthand to represent complex HTML and special TWiki tags
  • enter HTML if you are familiar with it
  • include links to other topics, URLs, Web sites, files, images, sounds, or anything else you can put on a regular Web page
  • handy pop-up quick reference
  • do all of this through whatever web browswer you are familiar with
• access control
  • independently determine who can see, edit, rename, move or delete topics
  • set permissions by individual users and user groups
  • over-ride topic, TWiki web or site
• revision control
  • topic changes are automatically saved
  • efficiently stores every change made to the original version
  • lets you compare and retrieve changes between any two versions, or review them all
  • displays any previous version as a regular Web page or as raw topic text
• TWiki web
  • a TWiki organizational unit to which the topic belongs
  • relevant when searching for a topic, referencing it or typing in it's URL
• meta-data
  • hidden contextual data stored within each topic.
  • parents
    • automatically links a new topic as the "child" of the topic it was created from
    • hierarchical, parent-child navigation
    • allows manual assignment of parent topic from a list of all topics in the local web
    • offers navigation by topic parents
• backlinks
  • named referred-by (Ref-By)
  • lists all topics that reference the current topic

Features that can be used by topics and sites include:

• skins
  • fully configurable look and feel for all topics
  • default and user selectable per session
• plug-ins
  • new feature packages
  • developer community evolving existing and new capabilities
• add-ons
  • enhanced capability without an interface to users
• FileAttachment
  • upload files through your browser to the TWiki server
  • attach any type of file (documents, images, applications) for viewing online, storage or sharing downloads with others
  • upload revisions of existing files with automatic backup of all previous revisions
• formatted search
  • embedded searches of topics, data and meta-data, optional regular expressions
  • custom formatting for outputting lists or tables, optional layout, headings, summary, etc.
• variables
  • similar to a command line context with site wide and locally defined variables
  • over-ride topic, TWiki web or site
• forms

• • accesses meta-data

• renaming, moving, and deleting

Creating and editing topics

• To modify a topic: click the Edit link in the toolbar at the bottom left of every page (using the Default skin). An editing window appears. Type away. Use the GoodStyle and TextFormattingRules links to get pop-up window help.

• To add a new topic: the simplest way is to type a new WikiName in an existing topic, while you're in edit mode. When the topic is saved, the new name will appear highlighted, with a ? at the end: click the ? and a new edit window appears. Enter, preview and save as usual. The new topic now exists.

Other features

• [Ref-By] - displays all the TWiki topics with links to the current topic
• [Diffs] - generates a page showing every change made to the current topic, with names, dates, and changes made (diffs)
• r1.3 | > | r1.2 (ex) - view most recent revision and changes
• [More] - opens up a new screen containing additional controls

It looks complicated, but the basics you need to begin with are very simple to use. The flexible and optional features are ready when you care to learn about them - the only way to confuse yourself or your site set-up and users is by using features you really don't need. Unlike the usual expensive, complex collaboration and project management packages, TWiki is fully functional and effective just by typing in text and making WikiWord links. All the additional features are there, but only if you need them!

• Some controls are self-explanatory and also include instructions and help links.
• Experiment. You can always Cancel an edit or (using revision control) go Back whenever you like.
• Get in-depth info from the complete documentation, including the User's Guide, Configuration Manual and TWiki Reference.

Renaming, moving or deleting topics

Reviewing and Reverting

1. In the Diffs view, take note of what version of the topic you want to reclaim and then return to View.
2. Select More in the topic commands.
3. Under "View previous topic revision," enter the version number you want to reclaim and check "raw text format." Then click on "View revision."
4. Select either the portion of that version you want to reclaim or the entire text of the topic if you want to revert completely to that version. Select Copy under your browser's Edit menu.
5. Return to the most recent version of the topic and select Edit from the topic commands.
6. Either paste in the portion of the topic you wish to reclaimed or replace the entire text with the text you copied from the earlier version.
7. Preview and save the topic.

TWiki Topics

Topic Features

• • instantly identify what the topic is about
  • link to it from other topics just by typing it in

• • enter plain text, leaving a blank space between paragraphs like email (all you need)
  • use simple TWiki shorthand to represent complex HTML and special TWiki tags
  • include links to other topics, Web sites, images, sound files, or anything else you can put on a regular Web page, using easy shorthand
  • do all of that within your browswer, with no HTML editor, just simple codes and a handy pop-up quick reference panel
• extra Web forms option:
  • store database-style info alongside the free-form topic content

• • create your own forms to tag topics to later search, sort and display

• • attach any type of file (documents, images, applications) for viewing online, storage or sharing downloads with others

• TWiki Skins to customize the look of headers and footers when topics are converted to Web pages for display:
  • apply skins across an entire TWiki web, or to a single displayed page

• • try the [Printable] skin below: stripped down headers and footers suitable for clean hard copy
• browser-based controls for renaming, moving, and deleting topics:
  • rename a topic and automatically update all of the links to it, site-wide
  • move a topic from one TWiki web to another

• • lets you compare and retrieve changes between any two versions, or review them all
  • displays any previous version as a regular Web page or as raw topic text
• a referred-by search that list all topics that link to a particular topic

• • automatically links a new topic as the "child" of the topic it was created from
  • allows manual assignment of parent topic from a list of all topics in the local web

• many more features...

How to create and edit a topic

• To modify a topic, click the Edit link at the left of the toolbar at the bottom of every page. An editing window appears. Type away. Use the GoodStyle and TextFormattingRules links to get pop-up window help.
  • Click Preview Changes to see how your edit looks.
  • Click Save Changes to save.

• To add a new topic, the simplest way is to type a new WikiName on an existing topic, while you're in edit mode. When the topic is saved, the new name will appear highlighted, with a ? at the end: click the ? and a new edit window appears. Enter, preview and save as usual. The new topic now exists.
  • Go back to the topic where you started, and you'll see the ? has disappeared, and your WikiWord name is now a regular link. Type it anywhere on any topic in that web, and it will be turned into a link.
  • One little links rule: each topic, and its WikiWord link, belong to one unique web only. To link between webs, you must first enter the topic's web name.
    Example: This is TWikiTopic^?, in the TWiki web, so that's all you need to type on any topic in this web. But to link to TWikiTopics from a topic in the Main web, you have to type TWiki.TWikiTopics - Webname.TopicName. It's easy.

• [Attach] - pops a new screen for FileAttachments
• [Ref-By] - displays all the TWiki topics with links to the topic you're on
• [Diffs] - generates a page showing every change made to the topic you're on, with names, dates, and changes made

• Most controls are self-explanatory, and also include instructions and help links.
• Experiment. You can always Cancel or go Back whenever you like.
• Get in-depth info from the complete documentation, including the User's Guide and Configuration Manual and TWiki Reference.

How to rename, move or delete a topic

1. Go to the top you want to change, click More > Rename/move

1. To update links: From the list of topics that show links to the topic you're changing, uncheck each entry you DON'T want to update - only checked links will be updated;
2. Click Rename/move: the topic is renamed and/or moved, and the checked links to the topic are updated.

• • If a linked topic can't be updated (it may be locked because someone's editing it), an alert will appear. You can update missed topics later by again pressing Rename/move.

• • link to it from other pages just by typing it in
• an edit link to a collaboration area where you can:
  • enter plain or HTML-formatted text (plain text is all you need)
  • use simple TWiki shorthand to enter HTML and special TWiki functions

• an extra Web forms option:
  • store database-style info alongside the free-form page content

• • create your own forms to gather searchable, sortable input
  • select one form per topic from as many choices as you like

• • upload revisions of existing files with automatic backup of all previous versions

• • apply skins across an entire TWiki web, or to a single page
  • use included skins and easily create new ones
  • try the [Printable] skin below: stripped down headers and footers suitable for printing

• • rename a page and automatically update all of the links to it, site-wide

• • safely delete a topic to a special Trash web (invisible, but recoverable from the Web server if necessary)

• RCS revision control to automatically save all topic changes:

• • lets you compare changes between any two versions or review all chnages
  • displays any previous version as a regular Web page or as raw text
• referred-by searches that list all topics that link to a particular page

• many more features - see TWikiMetaData, for a start - as well as special TWiki effects that you can store on a top (start with TWikiVariables)...

• To modify a page, click the [Edit] link at the left of the toolbar at the bottom of every page. An editing window appears. Type away. Use the GoodStyle and TextFormattingRules links to get pop-up window help.

• To add a new page, the simplest way is to type a new WikiName on an existing page, while you're in edit mode. When the page is saved, the new name will appear highlighted, with a ? at the end: click the ? and a new edit window appears. Enter, preview and save as usual. The new page now exists.
  • Go back to the page where you started, and you'll see the ? has disappeared, and your WikiWord name is now a regular link. Type it anywhere on any page in that web, and it will be turned into a link.
  • One little links rule: each topic, and its WikiWord link, belongs to one unique web only. To link between webs, you must first enter the topic's web name.
    For example: This is TWikiPages^?, in the TWiki web, so that's all you need to type on any page in this web. But to link to TWikiPages^? from a page in the Main web, you have to type TWiki.TWikiPages - Web.TopicName. It's simple.

• [Attach] - pops a new screen for file attachments
• [Ref-By] - displays all the TWiki pages with links to the page you're on
• [Diffs] - generates a page showing every change made to the page you're on, with names, dates, and changes
• r1.3 | > | r1.2 (ex) - some specific previous version stuff that you can check out on your own
• [More] - opens up a whole new screen of additional controls

• Most controls are self-explanatory, and also include instructions and help links.

1. Go to the page you want to change, click [More] > [Rename/move]
2. To move or delete: select the target web (Trash to delete)from the pull-down menu (otherwise, leave on the current web)
3. To rename: fill in a new WikiName (otherwise, leave the current topic name)
4. To update links: From the list of pages that show links to the topic you're changing, uncheck each entry you DON'T want to update - only checked links will be updated;
5. Click [Rename/move]: the topic are renamed and/or moved, and the checked links to the topic are updated.
   • Any problems are listed - take note, and you can fix them later.
   • If a linked page can't be updated (it may be locked because someone's editing it), an alert will appear. You can update missed pages later by again pressing [Rename/move].

• • automatically link to it from other pages

• • enter plain or fully-HTML formatted text
  • work with simple TWiki editing shorthand (that includes HTML mark-up and special TWiki functions)
  • include Web links, images, anything else you can put on a Web page
• an extra forms input option:
  • store structured info alongside the free-form page content

• • select from one or many different input forms, with all data preserved
• a FileAttachment feature that lets you:

• • attach any type of file (documents, images, applications) for viewing or downloading

• TWiki Skins to customize the look of headers and footers:
  • apply skins across an entire TWiki web level, or to a single page

• • rename a page and automatically update all the references to it, site-wide

• flexible access control:
  • independently determine who can see, edit, rename, move or delete topics

• revision control automatically saves topic changes:
  • uses the established standard RCS (Revision Control System)
  • efficiently stores every change made to the original version
  • allows comparison of changes between any two versions, and review of any version, as formatted or raw text
• referred-by searches that list all topics in a web or site wide that link to a particular page
• hierarchical parent-child topic navigation:
  • automatically links a new page as the "child" of the page it was created from
  • allows manual assignment of parent page from a list of all topics in the local web
  • offers navigation displays, by topic parent, or by related topic

How to create and edit a page

Adding and editing information on existing pages, and creating new pages, is TWiki's main function.

• To modify a topic, click the [Edit] link at the bottom left of every page. An editing window appears. Type away. Use the GoodStyle and TextFormattingRules links to get pop-up window help.
  • Click [Preview Changes] to see how your edit looks.
  • Click [Save Changes] to save.

• To add a new page, the simplest way is to type a new WikiName on an existing page. When the page is saved, the new name will appear highlighted, with a ? at the end: click the ? and a new edit window appears. Enter, preview and save as usual. The new page now exists.

How to attach files and use other features

The color-coded control strip at the bottom of every page displays a series of links, including [Attach] (for attachments), [Ref-by] (to display referring pages), and [More], which opens a new screen of additional controls).

• Most controls are self-explanatory, and also include explanatory text and help links.
• Experiment. You can always cancel or go Back whenever you like.
• Get in-depth info from the complete documentation, including the User's Guide and Reference Manual.

1. On the topic you want to change, click More > Rename/move

• • If a referring page can't be update because it's locked (ex: someone's editing), it appears on an alert. You can missed pages later by again pressing Rename/move.

• • autolink to it from other pages simply by typing it in

• • enter plain or HTML-formatted text
  • work with simple TWikiShorthand (the power of HTML plus special TWiki tags)
  • include links, images, anything else you can put on a regular Web page
• an optional form feature to:
  • store structured info along with the freeform page content

• • select the right input template for each page from a choice of multiple form
• a FileAttachment function that allows you to:

• • attach any size and type of file (documents, images, applications) for viewing or downloading

• TWiki Skins that work on the web level, but can also be used to customize the look of headers and footers on a single page

• • rename a page and automatically update all the links referring to it, site-wide

• • independently determine who can view, edit, rename, move or delete topics

1. On the page you want to change, click More > Rename/move

• • If a referring page can't be update because it's locked (ex: someone is editing), it appears on an alert. You can update missed pages later by again pressing Rename/move.

-- MikeMannix^? - 02 Oct 2001

TWiki Pages

Each page in a TWiki web is called a topic, defined by its meaningful, descriptive WikiWord title.

Page Features

A TWiki topic is a self-contained information unit rich in features:

• a WikiWord title that lets you:
  • instantly identify what the page is about
  • automatically link to it from other pages
• an edit-anywhere collaboration area where you can:
  • enter plain or fully-HTML formatted text
  • work with simple TWiki editing shorthand (that includes HTML mark-up and special TWiki functions)
  • include Web links, images, anything else you can put on a Web page
• an extra forms input option:
  • store structured info alongside the free-form page content
  • use text fields and boxes, radio buttons, pulldown selector menus, checkboxes
  • select from one or many different input forms, with all data preserved
• a FileAttachment feature that lets you:
  • upload files through your browser to the TWiki server
  • attach any type of file (documents, images, applications) for viewing or downloading
  • make changes and update existing files
• TWiki Skins work on the web level, but can also be used to customize the look of headers and footers on a single pages
• browser-based controls for renaming, moving, and deleting pages:
  • rename a page and automatically update all the references to it, site-wide
  • move a page from one TWiki web to another
  • safely delete a topic to a special Trash web (invisible, but accessible to the TWiki administrators if needed)
• flexible access control:
  • independently determine who can see, edit, rename, move or delete topics
  • set permissions by individual users and user groups

Depending on the set-up of your TWiki site and your own user account, you have several or all of the above.

How to rename, move or delete a page

You can now rename, move and delete individual topics from your browser. All three options are available by clicking More on the control strip at the bottom of every page. The access settings for a topic, web or entire site may be disabled for one or more of the three options. In any case, all three are similar and extremely self-explanatory.

1. On the topic you want to change, click More > Rename/move
2. To move or delete: select the target web (Trash for delete)from the pull-down menu; otherwise, leave on the current web
3. To rename: fill in a new WikiName (otherwise, leave the current topic name)
4. To update occurrences of the topic name on other pages: From the list of pages that link to the topic, check or uncheck each entry as you desire - only checked links will be updated;
5. Click Rename/move: the topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated.
   • Any problems are listed ; you can change them later.
   • If a referring page can't be update because it's locked (ex: someone's editing), it appears on an alert. You can missed pages later by again pressing Rename/move.

See ManagingTopics for more details.

How to rename, move, or delete a topic

1. You will be warned if there are locks or if there is a name clash - adjust accordingly, or [Cancel]

1. Click [Rename/Move]: the topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated.

Rename/move/delete a topic

You can now rename, move and delete individual topics from your browser. All three options are available by clicking the Rename/move on the lower toolbar. The access settings for a particular page, web or entire site may disable one or more of the three options. In any case, all three are similar and extremely self-explanatory on-screen.

1. On the topic you want to change, click Rename/move
2. To move or delete, from the pull-down menu, select the target web ("Trash" for delete); otherwise, leave on the current web
3. To rename, fill in new WikiName, or leave the default current topic anme
4. You will be warned if there are locks or if there is a name clash - adjust accordingly, or Cancel
5. A list of pages that link to the topic will be listed, checked by default: checked links will be updated; clear the checkbox to prevent any unwanted changes
6. Click Rename/Move: the topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated.
   • If any of the referring pages are locked then they will be listed. You can correct these later by again pressing Rename/Move.

Note: Deleting means moving the topic to the Trash web. Since all webs share the one Trash, name conflicts may come up.