TWiki Extensions and Other Wikis
In last month’s LAMP Post column (available online at http://www.linux-mag.com/2002-12/lamp_01.html), we looked at TWiki, a popular web collaboration tool. This month, let’s dig a bit deeper into TWiki, and consider TWiki alternatives.
Wednesday, January 15th, 2003
In last month’s LAMP Post column (available online at http://www.linux-mag.com/2002-12/lamp_01.html), we looked at TWiki, a popular web collaboration tool. This month, let’s dig a bit deeper into TWiki, and consider TWiki alternatives.
You may recall that TWiki bills itself as a “platform for collaboration.” What makes it a “platform” rather than a mere “application” is that anyone can extend it, build upon it, change its appearance, or otherwise modify it’s behavior.
Plugins
TWiki plugins are the most common way users add features to TWiki. Plugins are to TWiki what PHP is to Web development: plugins provide easy access to the rest of the non-TWiki world. You can write a plug-in to add new syntax, interface with a proprietary database, or do just about anything you want. After all, plugins are just Perl code, and Perl is a very powerful language.
To get an idea of what plugins are already available, start with the TWiki Plug-in Repository (http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/ view/Plugins/WebHome). The Repository has an official list of TWiki plugins, instructions for writing your own plugins, and more.
The variety of plugins is impressive. As we go to press, there are over 50 plugins available, representing a wide range of enhancements. Here’s just a sample:
