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[git.ikiwiki.info.git] / doc / features.mdwn

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@@ -1,111 +1,126 @@
 An overview of some of ikiwiki's features:
 An overview of some of ikiwiki's features:

-[[toc ]]
+[[!toc ]]

 
 ## Uses a real RCS
 
 Rather than implement its own system for storing page histories etc,
 
 ## Uses a real RCS
 
 Rather than implement its own system for storing page histories etc,

-ikiwiki uses a real RCS. This isn't because we're lazy, it's because a
-real RCS is a good thing to have, and there are advantages to using one
-that are not possible with a standard wiki.
+ikiwiki uses a real [[Revision_Control_System|rcs]]. This isn't (just)
+because we're lazy, it's because a real RCS is a good thing to have, and
+there are advantages to using one that are not possible with a standard
+wiki.

 
 Instead of editing pages in a stupid web form, you can use vim and commit
 
 Instead of editing pages in a stupid web form, you can use vim and commit

-changes via svn. Or work disconnected using svk and push your changes out
-when you come online. Or use git to work in a distributed fashion all the
-time. (It's also possible to [[plugins/write]] a plugin to support other
-systems.)
+changes via [[Subversion|rcs/svn]], [[rcs/git]], or any of a number of other
+[[Revision_Control_Systems|rcs]].

 
 

-ikiwiki can be run from a [[post-commit]] hook to update your wiki
-immediately whenever you commit.
+Ikiwiki can be run from a [[post-commit]] hook to update your wiki
+immediately whenever you commit a change using the RCS.
+
+It's even possible to securely let
+[[anonymous_users_git_push_changes|tips/untrusted_git_push]]
+to the wiki.

 
 Note that ikiwiki does not require a RCS to function. If you want to
 run a simple wiki without page history, it can do that too.
 
 
 Note that ikiwiki does not require a RCS to function. If you want to
 run a simple wiki without page history, it can do that too.
 

+## A wiki compiler
+
+Ikiwiki is a wiki compiler; it builds a static website for your wiki, and
+updates it as pages are edited. It is fast and smart about updating a wiki,
+it only builds pages that have changed (and tracks things like creation of
+new pages and links that can indirectly cause a page to need a rebuild)
+

 ## Supports many markup languages
 
 ## Supports many markup languages
 

-By default, pages in the wiki are written using the [[MarkDown]] format.
+By default, pages in the wiki are written using the [[ikiwiki/MarkDown]] format.

 Any page with a filename ending in ".mdwn" is converted from markdown to html
 by ikiwiki. Markdown understands text formatted as it would be in an email,
 and is quite smart about converting it to html. The only additional markup
 Any page with a filename ending in ".mdwn" is converted from markdown to html
 by ikiwiki. Markdown understands text formatted as it would be in an email,
 and is quite smart about converting it to html. The only additional markup

-provided by ikiwiki on top of regular markdown is the [[WikiLink]] and 
-[[PreprocessorDirective]].
+provided by ikiwiki on top of regular markdown is the [[ikiwiki/WikiLink]] and 
+the [[ikiwiki/directive]].

 
 If you prefer to use some other markup language, ikiwiki allows others to
 easily be added by [[plugins]]. For example it also supports traditional
 [[plugins/WikiText]] formatted pages, pages written as pure
 
 If you prefer to use some other markup language, ikiwiki allows others to
 easily be added by [[plugins]]. For example it also supports traditional
 [[plugins/WikiText]] formatted pages, pages written as pure

-[[plugins/HTML]], or pages written in [[reStructuredText|plugins/rst]].
+[[plugins/HTML]], or pages written in [[reStructuredText|plugins/rst]]
+or [[Textile|plugins/textile]].

 
 

-## support for other file types
-
-ikiwiki also supports files of any other type, including plain text,
+Ikiwiki also supports files of any other type, including plain text,

 images, etc. These are not converted to wiki pages, they are just copied
 unchanged by ikiwiki as it builds your wiki. So you can check in an image,
 program, or other special file and link to it from your wiki pages.
 
 images, etc. These are not converted to wiki pages, they are just copied
 unchanged by ikiwiki as it builds your wiki. So you can check in an image,
 program, or other special file and link to it from your wiki pages.
 

-## Fast compiler
-
-ikiwiki is fast and smart about updating a wiki, it only builds pages
-that have changed (and tracks things like creation of new pages and links
-that can indirectly cause a page to need a rebuild)
-
-## [[blogging|blog]]
+## Blogging

 
 You can turn any page in the wiki into a [[blog]]. Pages matching a
 
 You can turn any page in the wiki into a [[blog]]. Pages matching a

-specified [[PageSpec]] will be displayed as a weblog within the blog
-page. And an RSS feed can be generated to follow the blog.
+specified [[ikiwiki/PageSpec]] will be displayed as a weblog within the blog
+page. And RSS or Atom feeds can be generated to follow the blog.

 
 Ikiwiki's own [[TODO]], [[news]], and [[plugins]] pages are good examples
 
 Ikiwiki's own [[TODO]], [[news]], and [[plugins]] pages are good examples

-of some of the flexible ways that this can be used.
+of some of the flexible ways that this can be used. There is also an 
+[[example_blog|examples/blog]] set up that you can copy into your own wiki.

 
 Ikiwiki can also [[plugins/aggregate]] external blogs, feeding them into
 the wiki. This can be used to create a Planet type site that aggregates
 interesting feeds.
 
 
 Ikiwiki can also [[plugins/aggregate]] external blogs, feeding them into
 the wiki. This can be used to create a Planet type site that aggregates
 interesting feeds.
 

-## [[tags]]
+You can also mix blogging with [[podcasting|podcast]]. Simply drop
+media files where they will be picked up like blog posts. For
+fuller-featured podcast feeds, enclose media files in blog posts
+using [[plugins/meta]]. Either way, this will work for any files
+that you would care to syndicate.

 
 

-You can tag pages and use these tags in various ways. Tags will show
-up in the ways you'd expect, like at the bottom of pages, in blogs, and
-in rss feeds.
-
-## valid html and css
+## Valid html and [[css]]

 
 

-ikiwiki aims to produce 
+Ikiwiki aims to produce 

 [valid XHTML 1.0](http://validator.w3.org/check?url=referer).
 [valid XHTML 1.0](http://validator.w3.org/check?url=referer).

-ikiwiki generates html using [[templates]], and uses css, so you can 
-change the look and layout of all pages in any way you would like.
+(Experimental [[tips/HTML5]] support is also available.)

 
 

-## [[SubPages|SubPage]]
+Ikiwiki generates html using [[templates]], and uses [[css]], so you
+can change the look and layout of all pages in any way you would like.

 
 

-Arbitrarily deep hierarchies of pages with fairly simple and useful
-[[SubPage/LinkingRules]]
+Ikiwiki ships with several ready to use [[themes]].

 
 

-## [[BackLinks]]
+## [[Plugins]]

 
 

-Automatically included on pages. Rather faster than eg MoinMoin and
-always there to help with navigation.
+Plugins can be used to add additional features to ikiwiki. The interface is
+quite flexible, allowing plugins to implement additional markup languages,
+register [[directives|ikiwiki/directive]], provide a [[RCS]] backend, hook
+into [[CGI]] mode, and much more. Most of ikiwiki's features are actually
+provided by plugins.

 
 

-## [[PageHistory]]
+The standard language for ikiwiki plugins is perl, but ikiwiki also supports
+[[plugins/write/external]] plugins: Standalone programs that can be written in
+any language and communicate with ikiwiki using XML RPC.

 
 

-Well, sorta. Rather than implementing YA history browser, it can link to
-[[ViewCVS]] or the like to browse the history of a wiki page.
+## [[todo/utf8]]

 
 

-## [[RecentChanges]], editing pages in a web browser
+After rather a lot of fiddling, we think that ikiwiki correctly and fully
+supports utf8 everywhere.

 
 

-Nearly the definition of a wiki, although perhaps ikiwiki challenges how
-much of that web gunk a wiki really needs. These features are optional
-and can be enabled by enabling [[CGI]].
+## Other features

 
 

-## User registration
+The above are the core design goals and features of ikiwiki, but on that
+foundation a lot of other important features are added. Here is an
+incomplete list of some of them.

 
 

-Can optionally be configured to allow only registered users to post
-pages; online user registration form, etc.
+### [[Tags]]

 
 

-## Discussion pages
+You can tag pages and use these tags in various ways. Tags will show
+up in the ways you'd expect, like at the bottom of pages, in blogs, and
+in RSS and Atom feeds.

 
 

-Thanks to subpages, every page can easily and automatically have a
-/Discussion subpage. By default, these links are included in the
-[[templates]] for each page.
+### [[SubPages|ikiwiki/SubPage]]
+
+Arbitrarily deep hierarchies of pages with fairly simple and useful
+[[ikiwiki/SubPage/LinkingRules]]

 
 

-## Smart merging and conflict resolution in your web browser
+### [[BackLinks]]
+
+Automatically included on pages. Rather faster than eg MoinMoin and
+always there to help with navigation.
+
+### Smart merging and conflict resolution in your web browser

 
 Since it uses a real RCS, ikiwiki takes advantage of its smart merging to
 avoid any conflicts when two people edit different parts of the same page
 
 Since it uses a real RCS, ikiwiki takes advantage of its smart merging to
 avoid any conflicts when two people edit different parts of the same page


@@ -118,35 +133,51 @@ page being concurrently edited, regular commit conflict markers are
 shown in the file to resolve the conflict, so if you're already familiar
 with that there's no new commit marker syntax to learn.
 
 shown in the file to resolve the conflict, so if you're already familiar
 with that there's no new commit marker syntax to learn.
 

-## page locking
+### [[RecentChanges]], editing pages in a web browser

 
 

-Wiki admins can lock pages so that only other admins can edit them.
+Nearly the definition of a wiki, although perhaps ikiwiki challenges how
+much of that web gunk a wiki really needs. These features are optional
+and can be enabled by enabling [[CGI]] and a [[Revision_Control_System|rcs]].

 
 

-## Full text search
+### User registration

 
 

-ikiwiki can use the [[HyperEstraier]] search engine to add powerful
-full text search capabilities to your wiki.
+Can optionally be configured to allow only registered users to edit
+pages.

 
 

-## Commit mails
+User registration can be done using a web form, or ikiwiki can be
+configured to accept users authenticated with OpenID, or HTTP basic
+authentication, or other methods implemented via plugins.

 
 

-ikiwiki can be configured to send you commit mails with diffs of changes
-to selected pages.
+### Discussion pages

 
 

-## [[Plugins]]
+Thanks to subpages, every page can easily and automatically have a
+/Discussion subpage. By default, these links are included in the
+[[templates]] for each page. If you prefer blog-style
+[[plugins/comments]], that is available too.

 
 

-Plugins can be used to add additional features to ikiwiki. The interface
-is quite flexible, allowing plugins to implement additional markup
-languages, register [[PreProcessorDirective]]s, hook into [[CGI]] mode,
-and more. Most of ikiwiki's features are actually provided by plugins.
-Ikiwiki's backend RCS support is also pluggable, so support for new
-revision control systems can be added to ikiwiki. 
+### Edit controls

 
 

-## [[todo/utf8]]
+Wiki admins can lock pages so that only other admins can edit them. Or a
+wiki can be set up to allow anyone to edit Discussion pages, but only
+registered users to edit other pages. These are just two possibilities,
+since page edit controls can be changed via plugins.

 
 

-After rather a lot of fiddling, we think that ikiwiki correctly and fully
-supports utf8 everywhere.
+### [[PageHistory]]
+
+Well, sorta. Rather than implementing YA history browser, it can link to
+[[ViewVC]] or the like to browse the history of a wiki page.
+
+### Full text search
+
+Ikiwiki can use the xapian search engine to add powerful
+full text [[plugins/search]] capabilities to your wiki.
+
+### Translation via po files
+
+The [[plugins/po]] plugin allows translating individual wiki pages using
+standard `po` files.

 
 

-## [[w3mmode]]
+### [[w3mmode]]

 
 Can be set up so that w3m can be used to browse a wiki and edit pages
 without using a web server.
 
 Can be set up so that w3m can be used to browse a wiki and edit pages
 without using a web server.