This FAQ is to help explain the creation and use of Wiki documents in a Plato web.

What are Wiki documents for ?

A Wiki document is a type of document that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change content. Plato provides a framework for such documents and includes a wysiwig editor that runs in browsers supporting Javascript. This ease of interaction and operation makes wiki documents an effective tool for collaborative authoring within the Plato framework.

How does it act as a Wiki?

By use of the wysiwig editor to create the Document text and Description fields, and then using the version feature to version the document, multiple users can create and edit a document. You can track changes by viewing the diffs (available when multiple versions of a document exist).

How do the diffs work?

When you have multiple versions of a Wiki document, a diffs symbol will appear below the Document text field. This allows you to see the diffs to the previous version. The diffs are shown as redlined diffs. If you show all versions, you can then select the appropriate version to display diffs.

How do I create a Wiki document in Plato ?

A Wiki document is defined in the same way as any other document within Plato. Each document has a Wiki Area associated with it.

How do I edit an existing Wiki document in Plato ?

If you are the document owner and you want to make changes to a Wiki document without versioning then use Update. If you are not the owner then you must use Version.

Is this a full Wiki ?

No, at the moment the Wiki feature within Plato provides limited functionality. In particular you are limited where the page is created and can only upload embedded objects that are gif or jpeg files when you are connected to the https server.

What is the version?

The version is the usual identification of the change history of the document.

Is the version mandatory?

Yes it must be supplied to be able to create a Wiki document with multiple versions.

Who can update a Wiki document ?

Only the owner and members of the maintainers group can update documents. Wiki users working on a document should version the document. Versioning allows users who have write level access to a document to add a new version even though they do not own the document.

Do I have to attach a document as well as use the Wiki field ?

No. A wiki document does not require attachments, but does permit them.

What appears on the home page ?

Wiki documents appear within the regular document tree. As usual, a maintainer can configure the number of documents to appear on the home page. The section contains the titles of the latest documents, sorted by date of creation, together with links to their attached files.

Further information on Plato including troubleshooting tips is available here