Question

When creating a topic body you are allowed to define a link to an other topic in the way

[[New Topic Name]]

which is automatically converted into a valid Wiki name when viewed.

But how to do this when creating a new topic using a html form:

<form name="new" action="/cgi-bin/edit/Support/">
   * New topic: 
     <input type="text" name="topic" value="" size="23" />
     <input type="hidden" name="templatetopic" value="MyTemplate" />
     <input type="submit" value="Create" />
</form>

Actually, when i enter a non Wiki name in the form i am informed that i tried to create a topic whose name is not a WikiName.

What i want is that the user don't have to enter a Wikiname - instead the topic name entered into the form is automatically converted into one.

Is this possible ? How it have to be done ?

• TWiki version:1 Dec. 2001
• Web server: Apache
• Server OS: SunOS
• Web browser: Netscape 4.7
• Client OS: Win NT

-- PetricFrank - 10 Jan 2002

Answer

On my TWiki site I've been working on a system to do something similar. I let people enter Bible verses with a pulldown for the book, then entry fields for the chapter and verse. Then JavaScript assembles the formfields and sends you to the created page. Kind of a pain but was fun. You have to play some tricks to get javascript to work in some cases as you fight the TWiki processing ( see NoTwikiWordsBetweenScriptTags ) Hope looking at my script helps you out.

http://www.mattwalsh.com/twiki/bin/view/Test/VersePrototype

Reply

Your workaround is good, but why the creation of the topic does not work ?

Even if i add

<input type="hidden" name="onlywikiname" value="off" />

to the form, it complains about topic to create not having a wiki name.

Using the option above i expect the edit script creates a wiki name from the name given.

Am i wrong ?

Update

I've changed bin/edit at line 72 from

    # prevent non-Wiki names?                                                              
    if( ( $onlyWikiName ) && ( ! &TWiki::isWikiName( $topic ) ) &&                         
        ( ! &TWiki::Store::topicExists( $webName, $topic ) ) ) {                           
        # do not allow non-wikinames, redirect to view topic                               
        TWiki::redirect( $query, &TWiki::getViewUrl( $webName, $topic ) );                 
        return;                                                                            
    }                                                                                      

to

    # prevent non-Wiki names?                                                              
    if( ( $onlyWikiName ) && ( ! &TWiki::isWikiName( $topic ) ) &&                         
        ( ! &TWiki::Store::topicExists( $webName, $topic ) ) ) {                           
        # do not allow non-wikinames, redirect to view topic                               
        TWiki::redirect( $query, &TWiki::getViewUrl( $webName, $topic ) );                 
        return;                                                                            
    } else {                                                                               
        $topic =~ s/^\s*//;                                                                
        $topic =~ s/\s*$//;                                                                
        $topic =~ s/^(.)/\U$1/;                                                            
        $topic =~ s/\s([a-zA-Z0-9])/\U$1/g;                                                
                                                                                           
        if( ( ! &TWiki::isWikiName( $topic ) ) &&                                          
            ( ! &TWiki::Store::topicExists( $webName, $topic ) ) ) {                       
            # do not allow non-wikinames, redirect to view topic                           
            TWiki::redirect( $query, &TWiki::getViewUrl( $webName, $topic ) );             
            return;                                                                        
        }                                                                                  
    }                                                                                      

This does it for me. Any problems with that ?

Probably somebody integrates this to official wiki.