# 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 hyperlink. 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 WikiWords are styled like this because: - It makes Wiki hyperlinks instantly recognizable - It leads to interesting Wiki topics - It avoids the need to fiddle with HTML tags - It avoids over-general topics because at least two words are required ## Syntax of a WikiWord - Uppercase letter(s) - Lowercase letter(s) - Uppercase letter(s) - Optional lowercase or uppercase letter(s) or number(s) ## Good examples of WikiWords - [[WikiWord]] - [[GoodStyle]] - [[VersionFiveDotThree]] - [[ReleaseVersion5dot3]] - [[AVeryLongWikiTopicNameIsAlsoPossible]]: wherever an uppercase or lowercase letter is allowed, a group of letters of the same case is allowed - [[YearTwoThousand]] ## Bad examples of WikiWords: - Web: Name without the uppercase letter(s), lowercase letter(s), uppercase letter(s) sequence - [[T5Wiki]]: Name with number before the uppercase, lowercase, uppercase sequence - [[Md5sumsAfterBurning]]: Name with number before the uppercase, lowercase, uppercase sequence - Know-How: Name with dashes in between ## Variations in linking When you write the name of a topic, it becomes a link. There are more ways - To write a custom **link label**, use bracket notation: `[[TWikiAccessControl][access control]]` - this becomes: [[access control|Main/TWikiAccessControl]] - To link to a topic in **another web**, write: `Sandbox.WebSearch` - this becomes: [[WebSearch]] - To show the web name in the link use bracket notation: `[[Sandbox.WebHome]]` - this becomes: [[Sandbox.WebHome|Sandbox/WebHome]] - To link to a topic on **another Wiki site**, use: `TWiki:Main/WebHome` - this becomes: TWiki:Main/WebHome (sites are defined in the [[InterwikiPlugin]]) - To link to a part on the **same page**, write a dash and the name of the header, with spaces replaced by underscores (and `!` removed): `[[#Good_examples_of_WikiWords]]` becomes: [[#Good_examples_of_WikiWords|Main/WebHome#Good_examples_of_WikiWords]]. You can also link to a part on another page: `TWiki.WebHome#Disclaimer` becomes: [[WebHome#Disclaimer]]. ## 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 `BreadSlicerFunctionalSpec` because other projects might also have a functional spec topic. - To stop a WikiWord from being turned into a hyperlink, 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]]. - Sometimes you have to be creative to find a good WikiName. Examples: - To create a topic about the the **Bread Slicer 1.2** product, use `BreadSlicer1dot2` or `BreadSlicer1pt2`, but not `BreadSlicer1.2`. - To create a topic about **year 2000**, you could go for `YearTwoK` or `YearTwoThousand`, but not `Year2K` or `Y2K` or `Y2000`. - Turn acronyms into WikiWords, i.e. take `FaqIndex` for a "FAQ index" topic. - It is possible to turn off the auto-linking of WikiWords and to rely only on the bracket notation. See NOAUTOLINK setting in [[TWikiPreferences#Default_Web_Preferences]]. - %X% When linking to a WebHome topic _in another web_, the link will be rendered as the name of the web, e.g. `Sandbox.WebHome` becomes [[Sandbox|Sandbox/WebHome]]. **_Related Topics:_** [[WikiSyntax]], [[TextFormattingRules]]