# 20-Minute TWiki This step-by-step, hands-on tutorial gets you up to speed with all the [[TWikiSite]] basics, in _mere minutes_... > ## 1. Get set... > > Open two browser windows, so that you can follow these steps in one window, while trying things out in the other. > > ## 2. Take a quick tour... > > A > > [[TWikiSite]] > > is divided into webs; each one usually represents one area of collaboration. You can navigate the webs from the upper right corner of each web page. > > - Each web has hyperlinked topics, displayed as pages in your browser. > - The home page in each web is the [[WebHome]] topic. > - To browse a TWiki web, just click on any highlighted link. These links are called [[WikiWords]] and comprise two or more words with initial capitals, run together. > - Follow the [[WikiWord]] link and learn what it is. > - If you know the name of a topic, you can jump directly to it by typing its name into the **Go** field on the top of the page. Type `WebSearch` to jump to the search page. **_Hint:_** Do not confuse the **Go** field with search. > - You can search each TWiki web. Enter a search string in the [[WebHome]] topic or the [[WebSearch]] topic accessible from the `Search` link on each topic. TWiki searches for an exact match; optionally, you can also use [[RegularExpressions]]. > > ## 3. Open a private account... > > To edit topics, you need to have a TWiki account. > > - Go to the [[TWikiRegistration]] page to create your TWiki account. Fill in a couple of lines and you're set! > > ## 4. Check out TWiki users, groups, offices... > > - Go to the [[TWikiUsers]] topic in the TWiki.Main web; it has a list of all users of TWiki. Your [[WikiName]] will be in this list after you register. > - Go to the [[TWikiGroups]] topic in the TWiki.Main web; it has a list of groups which can be used to define fine grained [[TWikiAccessControl]] in TWiki. > - Go to the [[OfficeLocations]] topic in the TWiki.Main web; it has a sample list of corporate offices. This type of set-up can be used for departments, client companies, or any other type of organizational divisions. > > ## 5. Test the page controls... > > Go to the > > [[bottom of the page|Main/WebHome#PageBottom]] > > to see what you can do. The color-coded control strip has a collection of action links: > > - **[Edit]** - add to or edit the topic (discussed later) > - **[Attach]** - attach files to a topic (discussed later) > - **[Ref-By]** - find out what other topics link to this topic (reverse link) > - **[Printable]** - goes to a stripped down version of the page, good for printing > - **[Diffs]** - topics are under revision control - `[Diffs]` shows you the complete change history of the topic, ex: who changed what and when. > - **[r1.3 | > | r1.2 | > | r1.1]** - view a previous version of the topic or the difference between two versions. > - **[More]** - additional controls, like **[Rename/move]**, version control and setting the topic's parent. > > ## 6. Change a page, and create a new one... > > Go to the > > [[Sandbox|Sandbox/WebHome]] > > . This is the sandbox web, where you can make changes and try it all out at will. > > - Click the **[Edit]** link. You are now in edit mode and you can see the source of the page. (Go to a different topic like [[TestTopic3]] in case you see a "Topic is locked by an other user" warning.) > - Look at the text in edit mode and compare it with the rendered page (move back and forth in your browser.) > - Notice how [[WikiWords]] are linked automatically; there is no link if you look at the text in edit mode. > - Now, create a new topic - your own test page: > 1. In edit mode, enter a new text with a [[WikiWord]], ex:
`This is YourOwnSandBox topic.` > 2. Preview and save the topic. The name appears, highlighted, with a linked question mark at the end. This means that the topic doesn't exist yet. > 3. Click on the question mark. Now you're in edit mode of the new topic. > 4. Type some text, basically, like you write an email. > 5. A signature with your name is already entered by default. **_NOTE:_** The `Main.` in front of your name means that you have a link from the current web to your personal topic located in the Main web. > 6. Preview and save the topic... > - Learn about text formatting. You can enter text in [[TWikiShorthand]], a very simple markup language. Follow the [[TWikiShorthand]] link to see how, then: > 1. Go back to your sandbox topic end edit it. > 2. Enter some text in [[TWikiShorthand]]: **bold** text, _italic_ text, **_bold italic_** text, a bullet list, tables, paragraphs, etc. **_Hint:_** If you need help, click on the [[TextFormattingRules]] link located below the text box in edit mode. > 3. Preview and save the topic. > > ## 7. Use your browser to upload files as page attachments... > > You can attach > > _any_ > > type of file to a topic - documents, images, programs, whatever - where they can be opened, viewed, or downloaded. > > - Attaching files is just like including a file with an email. > 1. Go back to your sandbox topic and click on the **[Attach]** link at the bottom. > 2. Click **[Browse]** to find a file on your PC that you'd like to attach; enter an optional comment; leave everything else unchecked. > 3. Click **[Upload file]**, then scroll to the end of the page to see the new attachment listing. > - Do this again - this time, upload a GIF, JPG or PNG image file. > - Check the **[Link:]** box to _Create a link to the attached file at the end of the topic_. The image will show up at the bottom of the topic. > - To move the image, edit the topic and place the last line (containing `%ATTACHURL%`) anywhere on the page. > - If you have a GIF, JPG or PNG image of yourself, your cat, your sprawling family estate...why not upload it now to personalize your account page: Main.admin? > > ## 8. Get email alerts whenever pages are changed... > > [[WebNotify]] > > is a subscription service that automatically notifies you by email when topics change in a TWiki web. This is a convenience service - for many people, checking email is easier than checking the Web. > > - If you're using TWiki to collaborate on a project, it's important to know when anyone on your team posts an update. If you're following a specific discussion, it's convenient to know when there's new input. > - Alerts are emailed as links to individual topics that've been changed in a set period: each day, every hour, whatever is configured for your system. > - It's strongly recommended that you try out the service by subscribing to each TWiki web that's relevant to you. You can subscribe and unsubscribe instantly, on a per web basis using [[WebNotify]]. That's it! You're now equipped with all the TWiki essentials. You are ready to roll. **_NOTE:_** When first using TWiki, it will probably seem strange to be able to change other people's postings - we're used to _separating_ individual messages, with email, message boards, non-Wiki collaboration platforms. **_Don't worry about it._** You can't accidentally delete important stuff - you can always check previous versions, and copy-and-paste from them if you want to undo any changes. After a short while, TWiki-style free-form communication becomes second-nature. You'll expect it everywhere! -- [[MikeMannix]] - 01 Dec 2001