What is a WikiWord?

A WikiWord might seem a bit weird at first - but it is really useful when linking pages together - so just bear with it - it is just two or more words with initial capitals, all joined together. WikiWords are used here as topic names. A topic will always have this format as a name - the name of this topic is: WikiWord. This means that when you type the name of a topic, you will create a link to that topic - so if you type =OpenSourceYoga = and when you save the page it will get published as OpenSourceYoga. Easy !

Remember, when you type in a WikiWord, you make a hyperlink to that topic. That is SO easy !!

WikiWord linking like this is easy because:-

• You don't have to know the technical data as to where the topic is stored - you just type the name!
• You don't need to write in web code (like HTML)
• And without all the web coding, the topic text stays easier to read when making changes (editing)
• Easy linking like this encourages interesting text links that are placed in context

WikiWords have this format so:-

• Wiki hyperlinks are recognised right away (after a bit of practice)
• It encourages other interesting topics to be made that are related to each other
• It avoids the need to fiddle with Geeky web coding like HTML tags
• It stops general topics like Yoga - because at least two words are needed

The format of a WikiWord

• Uppercase letter(s)
• Lowercase letter(s) or numbers(s)
• Uppercase letter(s)
• Optional lowercase or uppercase letter(s) or number(s)

WikiWord syntax in Extended Backus.Naur form (EBNF):

    wikiWord        = upperLetters , lowerNumLetters , upperLetters , { alphaNum } ;
    upperLetters    = upperCase , { upperCase } ;
    lowerNumLetters = lowerNum , { lowerNum } ;
    alphaNum        = upperCase | lowerCase | digit ;
    lowerNum        = lowerCase | digit ;
    lowerCase       = "a" | "b" | "c" | "d" | "e" | "f" | "g" | "h" | "i"
                    | "j" | "k" | "l" | "m" | "n" | "o" | "p" | "q" | "r"
                    | "s" | "t" | "u" | "v" | "w" | "x" | "y" | "z" ;
    upperCase       = "A" | "B" | "C" | "D" | "E" | "F" | "G" | "H" | "I"
                    | "J" | "K" | "L" | "M" | "N" | "O" | "P" | "Q" | "R"
                    | "S" | "T" | "U" | "V" | "W" | "X" | "Y" | "Z" ;
    digit           = "0" | "1" | "2" | "3" | "4" | "5" | "6" | "7" | "8" | "9" ;

Good examples of WikiWords

• WikiWord
• GoodStyle
• VersionFiveDotThree?
• ReleaseVersion5dot3?
• AVeryLongWikiTopicNameIsAlsoPossible? : wherever an uppercase or lowercase letter is allowed, a group of letters of the same case is allowed
• YearTwoThousand?
• Nine2Five? : Note that numbers are considered to be lowercase letters in WikiWords

Bad examples of WikiWords:

• Web: Name without the uppercase letter(s), lowercase letter(s), uppercase letter(s) sequence
• 5TWiki: Name beginning with a number
• Know-How: Name with dashes in between

Variations in linking

When you write the name of a topic, it becomes a link. There are more ways

• To write a custom link label, use bracket notation: [[AccessControl][access control]] - this becomes: access control
• To link to a topic in another web, write: Trash/Sandbox - this becomes: Trash/Sandbox
• To link to a topic in another subweb write: Trash.YogaMeYogaMe/Trash/Sandbox.
• To show the web name in the link use bracket notation: [[Sandbox.OpenSourceYoga]] - this becomes: Sandbox.OpenSourceYoga?
• To link to a topic on another Wiki site, use: TWiki:Main/WebHome - this becomes: TWiki:Main/WebHome (sites are defined in the InterwikiPlugin)
• To link to a part on the same page, write a "#" followed by the name of an anchor. The anchor is a "#" followed by a name which must be a WikiName. Example #MyAnchor. You can also link to an anchor on another page: YogaMe.OpenSourceYoga#MyAnchor.
• To link to a header on the same page, write a "#" followed by the header text, with spaces replaced by underscores (and ! removed): [[#Good_examples_of_WikiWords]] becomes: #Good_examples_of_WikiWords. You can also link to a header on another page: YogaMe.OpenSourceYoga#Disclaimer becomes: OpenSourceYoga#Disclaimer.

Hints

• Insert WikiWords wherever you can. Rich linking will help make this Wiki successful.
• Be specific. All topics in a web share one name space. For example, instead of FunctionalSpec write BreadSlicerFunctionalSpec because other projects might also have a functional spec topic.
• To stop a WikiWord from being turned into a hyperlink, insert an exclamation point immediately before the WikiWord. For example, write !SunOS to get SunOS.
• Create topics with singular names. Plural WikiWords are automatically linked to the singular topic, i.e. the link WikiWords links to the topic WikiWord (works only in English).
• Sometimes you have to be creative to find a good WikiName. Examples:
  • To create a topic about the the Bread Slicer 1.2 product, use BreadSlicer1dot2 or BreadSlicer1pt2, but not BreadSlicer1.2.
  • Numbers are considered lowercase which makes Year2K and Y2K WikiWords but not Y2000 and Y2k.
• Turn acronyms into WikiWords, i.e. take FaqIndex for a "FAQ index" topic.
• It is possible to turn off the auto-linking of WikiWords and to rely only on the bracket notation. See NOAUTOLINK setting in UserForm#Default_Web_Preferences? .
• When linking to a OpenSourceYoga topic in another web, the link will be rendered as the name of the web, e.g. Sandbox.OpenSourceYoga becomes Sandbox? .
• Dots (.) are used as seperators between webs, subwebs, and topics. It is not possible to use dots in topic names. TWiki does not attempt to guess if a dot could be part of a topic name.

Related Topics: WikiSyntax, TextFormattingRules

-- Contributors: TWiki:YogaGroups, TWiki:YogaGroups, TWiki:YogaGroups