Question

What is the recommended way to identify and direct users to the site's default web? What is happening is that after I installed TWiki and starting to configure, experiment, create webs, etc., a few people I invited to look around started adding content pages to Main. It is my understanding that Main is primarily for pages of Users, Groups, etc. and lists thereof. But in the initial installation, all the other webs have specific purposes too. In the most straightforward use of TWiki, what is the expectation for where users will put their content? Is it expected that an installation would always have additional webs? Is there a commonly used name for a default content web? What's the best way to put users who connect to TWiki without specifying a web into the default content web? Etc. (I get the feeling I'm missing something basic about using TWiki in the area of webs.)

• TWiki version:
• Web server:
• Server OS:
• Web browser:
• Client OS:

-- MitchellModel - 11 Oct 2002

Answer

The typical use of the Main web is just for users and groups. Specific content should go into other webs. The Main web is typically the entry point, Main.WebHome has the list of webs.

There are some installations who merged everything into the Main web, including the TWiki documentation. That way users do not need to learn about webs, but step on each other's toes because of the shared topic namespace.

Sorry, I'd like to ask that question again...

You write:

• Specific content should go into other webs. The Main web is typically the entry point, Main.WebHome has the list of webs.

But if I'm using TWiki primarily to document my chosen subject matter and would like to focus on that, shouldn't I be able to change that entry point? As you point out, Main is for users and groups. An implementation detail, that I'd like to be able to show in a ConfigureTwikiUsers link.

Ideally, I'd like my users to start at my specific web Capmon.WebHome, not at Main.WebHome. And Rename the "Twiki" string at the top of every page to be "Capmon" and lead to Capmon.WebHome. On that page, I'll have a link to Main.WebHome. How can I do that?

Also, make Capmon.WebHome the page that is visited when someone goes directly to http://myserver/twiki/bin/view

If my users aren't Wiki savvy, wouldn't it be better to start them at my topic matter, than at the configuration pages for TWiki?

Or where have I gone wrong? Isn't this quite a legitimate (and normal) wish?

Sincerely,

Peter Mørch

-- PeterMorch - 22 Mar 2003

And I'll answer that myself....

In templates/twiki.tmpl I found this on line 11:

   <a href="%SCRIPTURL%/view%SCRIPTSUFFIX%/%MAINWEB%/%HOMETOPIC%">%WIKITOOLNAME%</a>

I changed that to:

   <a href="%SCRIPTURL%/view%SCRIPTSUFFIX%/%DEFAULTWEB%/%HOMETOPIC%">%ROOTCATEGORYNAME%</a>

And then introduced this into TWiki.TWikiPreferences:

• • Set DEFAULTWEB = Capmon
  • Set ROOTCATEGORYNAME = Home

Gotta love TWiki!

(Of course, that doesn't handle the case where http://myserver/twiki/bin/view should go to

%DEFAULTWEB%

-- PeterMorch - 22 Mar 2003

Yes this is a legitimate and normal wish. This issue has arisen a couple of times before, raising much discussion but little code. See RenameMainWebToHome.

My solution has been to create an index page at the site root http://localhost/index.html which redirects to http://localhost/twiki/bin/view/Defaultweb/WebHome. Not very elegant but it'll do for now.

-- MattWilkie - 26 Mar 2003