What is a WikiWord?

A WikiWord consists of two or more words with initial capitals, run together. WikiWords are topic names. A TWiki topic name always has a fixed format: two or more words with initial capitals, run together. Like the name of the current topic: WikiWord. When you type the name of a topic, you create a link to that topic. You type WebHome and on saving the page this becomes WebHome. It's as easy as that.

When you type a WikiWord, you establish a hyper link. It's as easy as that.

WikiWord linking is easy to use:

• You don't have to know the full path to where the topic is stored - you just type the name
• You don't need to write HTML
• Without HTML, the topic text is easier to read when editing
• Easy linking leads to interesting texts with links placed in context

Syntax of a WikiWord

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

Good examples of WikiWords

• WikiWord
• GoodStyle
• Version12Dot3
• ReleaseVersion12dot3
• AVeryLongWikiTopicNameIsAlsoPossible: wherever an uppercase or lowercase letter is allowed, a group of letters of the same case is allowed
• YearTwoThousand
• Up2Date: 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 or periods or other punctuation in between

Hints

• Insert WikiWords wherever you can. Rich linking helps to make a Wiki successful.
• Be specific. All topics in a web share one name space. For example, instead of FunctionalSpec write BudgetProcessFunctionalSpec because other projects might also have a functional spec topic.
• To stop a WikiWord from being turned into a hyper link, 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 Release 12.0.4 software, use R12Dot0Dot4 or Release12Dot0Dot4, but not Release12.0.4.
  • 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.

Related Topics: WikiSyntax, TextFormattingRules

-- JimCrum - 12 Mar 2007