TWiki Plugins

• InterwikiPlugin is preinstalled but can be disabled or removed. Use it for quick linking to to remote sites: TWiki:Plugins expands to TWiki:Plugins on TWiki.org. You can add your own shortcuts and URLs to the existing directory of Wiki-related and other probably useful sites.

• Dev page: Post feature requests, bug reports and general dev comments; topic title ends in Dev (SomePluginDev).
• User support: Post installation, how to use type questions (and answers, if you have them) in the TWiki:Support web.

• Method 2: List the Plugin under Test in the DISABLEDPLUGINS variable in TWikiPreferences. Redefine the DISABLEDPLUGINS variable in the Test web and do the testing there.

• • Set DEBUG = 0
• The settings can be retrieved as Preferences variables like %<pluginname>_<var>%, ex: %DEFAULTPLUGIN_SHORTDESCRIPTION% shows the description of the DefaultPlugin.

• The %ACTIVATEDPLUGINS% variable lists activated Plugins by name. (This variable is displayed in TWikiPreferences for debugging use.)

• For best performance, enable only the functions you really need. NOTE: outsidePREHandler and insidePREHandler are particularly expensive.

• All but the initPlugin are disabled. To enable a call back, remove DISABLE_ from the function name.

• $VERSION='1.000' is the current setting in TWiki::Plugins.pm and in the preinstalled system Plugins (DefaultPlugin? , EmptyPlugin, InterwikiPlugin).

• DefaultPlugin can handle some outdated TWiki variables, found, for example, in sites recently updated from an old version. Settings are in TWikiPreferences. You can also add your own simple custom processing rules here, though in all but very simple cases, writing a new Plugin is preferable.

• • pub/TWiki/YourPlugin/uparrow.gif

TWiki Plugins

• All modules require a $VERSION='0.000' variable, beginning at 1.000.

• • The Plugin initialization code does not register a Plugin that returns FALSE (or that has no initPlugin handler).

• $VERSION='1.000' is the current setting in TWiki::Plugins.pm and in the preinstalled system Plugins (DefaultPlugin? , EmptyPlugin, InterwikiPlugin).

• a documentation topic, ex: YourPlugin.txt

The Perl module can be a block of code that connects with TWiki alone, or it can include other elements, like other Perl modules (including other Plugins), graphics, TWiki templates, external applications (ex: a Java applet), or just about anything else it can call.

TWiki Plugins

• heavily customize an installation and still do clean updates to new versions of TWiki;
• rapidly develop new TWiki functions in Perl using the Plugin API.

Installing Plugins

1. Distribute the files to their proper locations - unzip the zip archive in your TWiki installation directory - if have a standard TWiki installation, this will distribute automatically. Otherwise, place the files according to the directory paths listed on the Plugin top in TWiki:Plugins.
2. Check the demo example on the Plugin topic: if it's working, the installation was fine!

• Doc page: Read all available info about the Plugin; download the attached distribution files.

• User support: Post installation, how to use type questions (and answers, if you have them) in the TWiki:Support web.

Managing Plugins

• SpreadSheetPlugin (any TWiki, 10197): Add spreadsheet calculation like "$SUM( $ABOVE() )" to TWiki tables and other topic text
• ActionTrackerPlugin (21 May 2007, $Rev: 14969 (20 Sep 2007) $): Adds support for action tags in topics, and automatic notification of action statuses
• AttachmentListPlugin (1.0.1, $Rev: 15921 (07 Dec 2007) $): Displays a formattable list of topic attachments, anywhere in a topic.
• BreadCrumbsPlugin (v1.00, $Rev: 13657 (08 May 2007) $): A flexible way to display breadcrumbs navigation
• CalendarPlugin (Dakar, 9113): Show a monthly calendar with highlighted events
• CommentPlugin (Dakar, 11359): Allows users to quickly post comments to a page without an edit/preview/save cycle
• CompareRevisionsAddonPlugin (Dakar, $Rev: 9808$):
• EditTablePlugin (any TWiki, 11646): Edit TWiki tables using edit fields, date pickers and drop down boxes
• FilterPlugin (1.40, $Rev: 15932 (07 Dec 2007) $): Substitute and extract information from content by using regular expressions
• FlexWebListPlugin (v1.21, $Rev: 16132 (03 Jan 2008) $): Flexible way to display hierarchical weblists
• FootNotePlugin (2.006): Footnotes are notes placed at the end of a topic.
• GluePlugin (2.00, $Rev: 15708 (23 Nov 2007) $): Enable markup to span multiple lines
• IfDefinedPlugin (v1.01, $Rev: 15157 (05 Oct 2007) $): Render content conditionally
• InterwikiPlugin (Dakar, $Rev: 11935$): Link ExternalSite:Page text to external sites based on aliases defined in a rules topic
• JQueryPlugin (v0.4, $Rev: 15608 (15 Nov 2007) $): jQuery JavaScript library for TWiki
• NatSkinPlugin (3.00-pre17, $Rev: 15581 (13 Nov 2007) $): Supplements the bare bones NatSkin theme for TWiki
• PreferencesPlugin (Dakar, 9839): Allows editing of preferences using fields predefined in a form
• RedDotPlugin (1.40, $Rev: 16137 (03 Jan 2008) $): Renders edit-links as little red dots
• RenderListPlugin (any TWiki, 1.034): Render bullet lists in a variety of formats
• SlideShowPlugin (Any TWiki, $Rev: 12847$): Create web based presentations based on topics with headings.
• SmiliesPlugin (Dakar, 8154): Render smilies as icons, like for  :-) or for = :eek:=
• TablePlugin (1.020, 12339): Control attributes of tables and sorting of table columns
• TreeBrowserPlugin (v1.8): Renders a list as a collapsable/expandable tree.
• TreePlugin (1.7): Dynamic generation of TWiki topic trees
• TwistyPlugin (1.2.0, $Rev: 12154$): Twisty section JavaScript library to open/close content dynamically
• VotePlugin (1.33, $Rev: 14312 (01 Jul 2007) $): Simple way to count votes
• WysiwygPlugin (Dakar, 12422): Translator framework for Wysiwyg editors

The DefaultPlugin Alternative

• DefaultPlugin can handle some outdated TWiki variables, found, for example, in sites recently updated from an old version. Settings are in TWikiPreferences. You can also add your own simple custom processing rules here, though in all but very simple cases, writing a new Plugin is preferable.

Creating the Perl Module

Copy file (EmptyPlugin.pm to <name>Plugin.pm EmptyPlugin.pm contains no executable code, so it does nothing, but it's ready to be used. Customize it. Refer to the Plugin API specs for more information.

1. Attach the distribution zip file to the topic, ex: YourPlugin.zip.
2. Link from the doc page to a new, blank page named after the Plugin, and ending in Dev, ex: YourPluginDev. This is the discussion page for future development. (User support for Plugins is handled in TWiki:Support.)

TWiki Plugins

• Dev page: Post feature requests, bug reports and general dev comments; topic title ends in Dev (ex: SomePluginDev).
• User support: Post installation, how to use type questions (and answers, if you have them) in the TWiki:Support web.

• InterwikiPlugin is included but can be disabled or removed. Use it for quick linking to frequently linked to remote sites. Ex: TWiki:Plugins expands to TWiki:Plugins - on TWiki.org. You can add your own shortcuts and URLs to the existing directory of Wiki-related sites.

• • Set DEBUG = 0
• The settings can be retrieved as Preferences variables like %<pluginname>_<var>%, ex: %DEFAULTPLUGIN_SHORTDESCRIPTION% shows the description of the DefaultPlugin.

• The %ACTIVATEDPLUGINS% variable lists activated Plugins by name. (This variable is displayed in TWikiPreferences for debugging use.)

• Method 2: List the Plugin under test in the DISABLEDPLUGINS variable in TWikiPreferences. Redefine the DISABLEDPLUGINS variable in the test web and do the testing there.

• For improve performance, enable only the functions you really need. NOTE: outsidePREHandler and insidePREHandler are particularly expensive.

• DefaultPlugin can handle some outdated TWiki variables, found, for example, in sites recently updated from an old version. Settings are in TWikiPreferences. You can also add your own simple custom processing rules here, though in all but very simple cases, writing a new Plugin is preferable.

• • pub/TWiki/YourPlugin/uparrow.gif

TWiki Plugins

• add virtually unlimited features while keeping the main TWiki program compact and efficient;