• Due to current limitations, fairly heavy use of Rename/Move/Delete functions can lead to an accumulation of minor technical problems (ex: broken links) and usability issues (ex: user confusion). If Rename... is used heavily, these negatives will obviously increase, in number and effect.

Overview

How to Rename/Move/Delete a Topic

• • Since simple FTP access to the Trash directory is all that's required for maintenance, it's possible to grant Trash admin privileges to multiple users, while strictly limiting server access.

1. Click on [More] (bottom right of page) on the topic to be changed, then, in the new screen, on [Rename/move]. You can now rename and/or move/delete in one operation:
2. Move/Delete: Select the target web if other than the current web - choose Trash to delete a topic.
3. Rename: Enter the new topic name - default is current name
   NOTE: You'll be warned if any of the topics to be affected are locked (being edited), or if there is a name conflict.
4. Prevent updates by unchecking individual items on the list of referring links - these topics will NOT to be updated with the new name (by default, all referring links will be updated).
5. Click on [Rename/Move]: the topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated as requested.
   • If any of the referring pages are locked then they will be listed: you can correct these later by again pressing [Rename/Move].
   • There is a Put back feature that allows you to undo a Rename/Move/Delete - an instruction line and undo link will appear at the bottom of the modified topic. This allows you to revert from the last modification only.

Deleted Topics: How to Clear the Trash

• This can only be done from on the server, not through the browser.
  • Since simple FTP access to the Trash directory is all that's required to maintain Trash, it's possible grant users Trash admin privileges while limiting server access.

How Rename/Move Works

• • User can omit one or more topics from the update list by unchecking them.

1. Any referring topics that can't be changed due to locks are listed - user can take note and change them at another time.

How Referring Topics Are Found

Referring topics are found using the %SEARCH% variable - see the template searchrenameview.tmpl. First, matching topics in the current web are listed - matches are to topic. Next, all webs (including the current one) are listed that match web.topic. Because %SEARCH% is used, webs marked in WebPreferences as NOSEARCHALL will not show up in the search for references to the topic being changed.

Changed references are kept are as short as possible, ex: topic is used in preference to web.topic.

Effect of User Access Settings

User permissions affect the Rename function in various ways. To rename a topic, you need both ALLOWTOPICCHANGE and ALLOWTOPICRENAME permission for that topic. To alter referring topics, you need change permission. See TWikiAccessControl for information on setting up access permissions.

Special Considerations

Consider carefully whether to make browser-based Rename/Move/Delete widely available, or to restrict it to an administrator/moderator group. Allowing all users to easily manipulate topics can be extremely useful in refactoring a busy web or site. However, there are at least two significant potential drawbacks to take into account:

• When referring links are updated, the modified topics appear in WebChanges, creating the impression that editorial changes were made. This can undermine the usefulness of WebChanges.
• Due to current limitations, fairly heavy use of rename/move/delete functions can lead to an accumulation of minor technical problems (ex: broken links) and usability issues (ex: user confusion). If Rename is used heavily, these types of negatives will obviously increase.

Ultimately, the size, objectives, and policies of your TWiki site, and the real-world behavior of your user group, will determine the most effective implementation of this feature.

Known Issues

How to Rename/Move/Delete a Topic

1. Click on [More] (bottom right of page) on the topic to be changed, then, in the new screen, on [Rename/move].
2. Select target web if other than the current web - chose Trash to delete a topic

1. Select from the list of referring links any topics NOT to be updated with the new name (by default, all referring links will be updated).
2. Click on [Rename/Move]: the topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated as requested.
   • If any of the referring pages are locked then they will be listed.
   • You can correct these later by again pressing [Rename/Move].

About Deleting a Topic

Clearing the Trash

Effect of Access Settings

1. %SEARCH%, with a special template, finds and displays all occurrences of the topic name in other topics, site-wide. These referring links are by default automatically changed to the new topic and/or web name. This includes relevant TWikiMetaData definitions.
   • User can omit one or more topics from the update list.
   • <pre> and <verbatim> are honoured - no changes are made to text within these areas.
2. The topic is moved (if locks allow).
3. References are changed (locks and permissions permitting).
4. Any referring topics that can't be changed due to locks are listed - user can change them at another time.

1. Enter the new topic name - default is current name
   

• %SEARCH% is used with a special template to show text in topics that requires updating to point to the new topic and/or web name. This includes relevent TWikiMetaData definition.

• <pre> and <verbatim> are honoured - no changes are made to text within these areas

<-- template: messages.nat.tmpl -->

Managing Topics

Overview

Referring Topics

Deleting a Topic

Clearing the Trash

Redirecting from an Old Topic

Impact of Topic Access Settings

How Rename/move Works

Known Limitations

Overview

Select Rename/move when viewing a topic to change its name, move it to another TWiki web, or delete it:

1. Select target web if other than the current web - chose Trash to delete a topic
2. Enter the new topic name - default is current name
   NOTE: You will be warned if there are locks or if there is a name conflict
3. Select from the list of links to the topic that will be changed those to OMIT from changes (by default, all referring links will be updated)
4. Click on Rename/Move to rename/remove topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated as requested.

Referring Topics

Deleting a Topic

Clearing the Trash

NOTE: The Trash web should be be cleared periodically, by archiving the contents if required (recommended), then deleting the files from the Trash directory.

Impact of Topic Access Settings

How Rename/move Works

• %SEARCH% is used with a special template to show text in topics that requires updating to point to the new topic and/or web name. This includes relevent MetaData

• <PRE> and <VERBATIM> are honoured - no changes are made to text within these areas

• References are changed (locks and permissions permitting)
• Any referring topics that can't be changed due to locks are listed - user can change them at another time.

Managing Topics

Referring Topics

Deleting a Topic

Redirecting from an Old Topic

Procedure

Known Limitations

Modifying Topics

• %SEARCH% is used with a special template to show text in topics that requires alteration to point to the new topic name. This includes relavent meta data
  • User chooses which topics will be altered
• <PRE> and <verbatim> are honoured - no changes to text within these areas
• Topic is moved (if locks allow)
• References are changed (locks and permissions allowing)
• Any refering topics that can't be changed due to locks are listed - user can try getting these references changed at any time.

Rename/move/delete a topic

Referring topics

Deleting a topic

Redirection from old topic

Permissions

Approach

• %SEARCH% is used with a special template to show the text would be changed
  • User chooses which topics
• <PRE> and <verbatim> are honoured
• FIXME - more needed

Limitations

Rename in a Wiki is fairly complicated, due to the dynamic generation of links. Ideally it would be possible to run the required part of rendering in a way that would allow identification of the text to be changed. Unfortunately, these hooks don't exist in TWiki at present. Instead, %SEARCH% is used with a special template to show the text to be changed. And the selected topics and then altered. Search can show matches that will not be updated e.g. because of case differences. Other mis-matches to actual rendered output are also possible as the approaches are so different.

The following shows some limitations of square bracket processing.

[[Old Topic]]  => [[NewTopic][Old Topic]]
[[old topic]]  => [[NewTopic][old topic]]
[[old t opic]] => not changed
[[OldTopic]]   => [[NewTopic]]

Select rename/move when viewing a topic to change its name, do DeleteTopic? or MoveTopic.

1. Select target Web if other than existing Web
2. Fill in new name - defaults to current name
3. You will be warned if there are locks or if there is a name clash
4. A list of links to the topic will be listed, by default these links will be updated, click checkbox to prevent this
5. Press the Rename/Move button, topic will be renamed and links to the topic updated as requested.
   • If any of the referring pages are locked then they will be listed
   • You can correct these later by again pressing Rename/Move

++ Referring topics

Referring topics are found using the the %SEARCH% variable, see the template searchrenameview.tmpl. First, matching topics in the current Web are listed - matches are to topic. Next, all Webs (including the current one) are listed that match web.topic. Because %SEARCH% is used, Webs marked in WebPreferences as NOSEARCHALL will not show up in the search for refernces to the topic being changed.

Changed references are kept are as short as possible, i.e. topic is used in preference to web.topic.

++ Deleting a topic

Topics can be deleted by moving them to the Trash Web (this should be added to the default distribution). Note that topics from all Webs go into this, so there could be name clashes, the user is warned of this and asked to choose a new name. When TWiki support sub-webs, these could be created on demand in the Trash Web, which would avoid this name clash problem.

It is up to the administrator of a TWiki installation to clean the Trash Web periodically e.g. by archiving to tape of CDROM entries older than 6 months.

++ Redirection from old topic

Something like the following can be put in WebTopicViewTemplate and WebTopicNonWikiTemplate to show if a topic has moved. It does this by searching for the tag %META:TOPICMOVED{...}%.

This topic used to exist and was moved to: 

++ Permissions

Permissions affect rename in various ways. To rename a topic you need both change and rename permissions. To alter refering topics, you need change permission. See TWikiAccessControl for information on setting up permissions.