Managing Webs

Adding, renaming and deleting webs are all web-based operations.

Overview

A TWikiSite is divided into webs; each one represents one workspace, one area of collaboration. Each web is a container for topics. Each topic is a container for page content and attachments. Administrators can add/rename/delete webs.

Namespace and URL

The name of the web and topic is represented in the page URL. For example, http://twiki.example.com/do/view/Sandbox/WebNotify tells us that we view topic WebNotify located in the Sandbox web.

Tip: The URL of a web's homepage ends in /WebHome by default. The name of the homepage topic can safely be omitted to make for shorter and more legible links. For example, http://twiki.example.com/do/view/Sandbox links to the homepage of the Sandbox web.

Choose Web Template

New webs are based on a web you specify. There are two types of webs you can use to create a new web:

• Use a specially designed TemplateWeb. This is an invisible web that begins with an underscore "_" character (for example _default).
• Use an existing web as a template web. This may be useful if you already have a web that you would like to use as a starting point.

In either case all topics in the template web will be copied into the new web. Make sure to verify that your new web has all the custom modifications that you desire. Any settings defined in the form below will automatically be set in the WebPreferences of the new web.

Adding a New Web

Create a new web by filling out this form.
Note: Keep the number of webs to a minimum! Don't create a new web for each little project. Cross-linking topics is easier, and searches are faster, if there are only a few larger webs. You can organize content within a web using categories, TWikiForms and FormattedSearch.

Name of new web:		The name must start with an upper case letter, followed by upper or lower case letters or numbers. Specify a short name to avoid long URLs.
Based on web:	_default _empty Main Sandbox TWiki	Select a TemplateWeb.
Exclude Topic:	Enter comma separated list of topics to exclude from the template web. For example, Data* excludes all topics whose name starts with Data. Specify exception (you don't need to change most of the time) Hide exception e.g. if *Form is specified as exception, DataForm is copied even if Data* is specified to be excluded.
Web color:		Select color for the new web, shown in the list of webs. Note: Use a light color within the top 1/4th area of the center square depicting the saturation/luminance gradients.
Site Map:	Yes   No	Include this web in the site map
Description:	Enter a short description of the web. Write [[Web.TopicName][title]] instead of just TopicName if you include links. This description will be used in the SiteMap.
Hidden:	Yes   No	Specify if you want to exclude the web from a "search all webs" search. This will not prevent users accessing the web, it will simply hide it from searches. Use access control if needed.

Notes:

• You must have ROOTCHANGE access to create a top-level web (one with no parent)
• Only the person who created it has permission to change the WebPreferences in the new web

Hierarchical Webs

You can only create hierarchical webs (webs within webs) if the {EnableHierarchicalWebs} setting in configure is enabled. Hierarchical webs are currently enabled.

Note: You might not need hierarchical webs. TWiki topics already have a parent/child relationship within a web, which is shown in the breadcrumb. Try to keep the number of webs to a minimum in order to keep search and cross-referencing simple. TWiki runs faster if hierarchical webs are disabled.

You can create hierarchical webs via the Adding a New Web form above, by using a slash- or dot-separated path name which is based on an existing web name in the Name of new web: field.

Example:

To create a sub-web named Bar inside a web named Foo, use Foo/Bar or Foo.Bar as the new web name in the form above.

Sub-web Preferences are Inherited

The preferences of a sub-web are inherited from the parent web and overridden locally. Preferences are ultimately inherited from the TWiki.TWikiPreferences topic.

Example Preference Inheritance for Sandbox/TestWeb/SubWeb.SubWebTopic topic:

1. TWiki.TWikiPreferences site-wide preferences
2. Sandbox.WebPreferences inherits from and overrides settings in TWiki.TWikiPreferences
3. Sandbox/TestWeb.WebPreferences inherits from and overrides settings in Sandbox.WebPreferences
4. Sandbox/TestWeb/SubWeb.WebPreferences inherits from and overrides settings in Sandbox/TestWeb.WebPreferences
5. Sandbox/TestWeb/SubWeb.SubWebTopic inherits from and overrides settings in Sandbox/TestWeb/SubWeb.WebPreferences

Navigation

The PatternSkin indicates sub-webs by indenting them in the sidebar relative to their level in the hierarchy. The SiteMap shows a list of webs; sub-webs are separated by dots, such as Web.SubWeb.SubSubWeb.

Renaming or Deleting a Web

Rename a web via the Tools section in each web's WebPreferences topic. You may delete a web by moving it into a Trash web.

Permissions

You may only rename a web if you have the following permissions

• You must be allowed to rename and changes topics in the web you want to rename
• You must be allowed to rename topics in the parent web of the web you want to rename
• If the web is a root web (i.e. it has no parent web) then you must have permission to both create and rename root webs. These permissions are controlled by the ALLOWROOTCHANGE preference, which can be set in Main.TWikiPreferences.
• If you move the web to another parent web you must be allowed to create and change topics in the new parent web.

When you rename a web TWiki will try and update all links that refer to the old web. You should note that links only get updated in topics that you are allowed to edit. If you use access rights in the TWiki installation it is generally best to let an administrator rename webs to avoid too many broken links.

Edit Conflicts

If anyone is editing a topic which requires updating, or which lives in the web being renamed, a second confirmation screen will come up which will indicate which topics are still locked for edit. You may continue to hit the refresh button until an edit lease is obtained for each topic which requires updating (the "Refresh" button will change to "Submit"), or hit "Cancel", which will cancel your edit lease on all affected topics.

Renaming the TWiki or Main webs

Although technically possible, it is strongly advised not to rename the TWiki and Main webs. It complicates upgrades, and some extensions may make assumptions on the names of those system webs. For this reason, the rename web link is disabled in the WebPreferences topic in those webs.

Suggestion: Create a web that is the entry point for your TWiki, and change the link of the upper left site logo to that web. Do that with a WIKILOGOURL setting in Main.TWikiPreferences.

If you want to rename the TWiki or Main webs anyway:

• Physically move the webs below twiki/data and twiki/pub on the shell level.
• Change the {SystemWebName}, {UsersWebName} and/or {LocalSitePreferences} settings in the configuration using the configure interface.

Related Topics: AdminDocumentationCategory, AdminToolsCategory

-- Contributors: TWiki:Main/MikeMannix, TWiki:Main/PeterThoeny, TWiki:Main/GrantBow