For Example : Structuring a public twiki to include a private web(s)

This topic is linked to : AuthenticationScenario

Overview

A twiki setup might have:

• an entry web - with WebHome as the page where people come in from the common URL. You might have some orientation and welcome type pages here. Typically this is the Main web but you can make any web the entry web. Your entry web would be open to viewing by all (that is no restrictions set in the WebPreferences topic of the web) but you might have some pages restricted from editing with an access control setting on the relevant pages such as the WebHome page. To restrict from editing would involve you having one or more TWikiGroups set up for people who have write privileges for the topic(s). For example overall structural pages such as WebHome might be be able to be edited by TWikiAdminGroup only. You could include a link to the private page on the entry web (nav bar or home page) but just add a note about it being for a certain group only - the equivalent of telling Joe or Anne Anyone that this isn't for her/him. Even if they try to access that web after being logged in for their ordinary privileges they will get an access denied oops message if they try to access the private web.

• public webs within which certain pages are restricted either from editing or from viewing by using the relevant access control setting for specified user groups on restricted pages. The allowtopicchange setting works well. The allowtopicview setting works fine on individual pages although the oops message leaves a lot to be desired. You also need to make sure that the page is restricted from view right from the start as there is a hole in the Total page history that lets people parts of the page from previous versions that weren't restricted from view.

• private webs - require an allowtopicview setting for the authorised group to be set on the WebPreferences topic for the relevant web. You can only then get into that web if your TWiki name has been added to the group with access privileges. See AuthenticationScenario for further information on restricting a private web from the site map and a search all action.

Recording Access Permissions

Keeping track of access permissions can be really time-consuming. MartinCleaver created a search statement that lets you see what has been set all on one page (and possibly this feature is being incorporated into Dakar?). Here it is (just adapt the second search statement for access groups that you wish to recod) :

Topics with Twiki admin group only access permissions

-- SueLocke - 28 Jul 2005