TikiWiki is open source software - it is written in PHP, uses phpAdmin for mySQL database administration, and uses the Smarty Template Engine.
Installation - Since our host installed the TikiWiki, I cannot comment on ease of installation.
While TikiWiki has many features, only the features used on the Spotlight on Lake website will be reviewed.
Administration - It is hard to determine what some features are and do, such as the Ephemerides feature. Documentation is sadly lacking! The most complete documentation is for Version 1.6, and Version 1.9 is the current release - so many of the newer features do not have any documentation. While there are Forums and a documentation website, the "Search" feature does not work for either site! Many Forum questions are not answered in a timely manner or incorrect information is supplied. Asking a question with IRC chat may also be an exercise in futility or frustration. On the plus side, it is a simple process to turn features on and off by unchecking or checking a box.
User Rights - It is easy to set user rights to groups or individuals.
General Preferences - While you can add the site's title in this section, you cannot add metatag keywords or description. In order to add this information, you will need to modify the "header.tpl" file.
Theme - If you want to create a custom design or to modify an existing CSS theme, be sure to select the "moreneat" theme. After basing my design on a different style, I was later informed, "The others are buggy at best, use 'moreneat' as it's the most stable CSS template".
Home Page - Do not select the "custom home" option. I originally selected this option, and was told "It doesn't work correctly - don't use that feature".
The Wiki - This section was easy to set up and use. If you have never used a Wiki before there are several items of note: (1) to create a link to a new Wiki page, do not use any spaces in the link text and add double parentheses before and after the link text; (2) use the question mark ("?") link, to add content to the new Wiki page; (3) with spellchecking, there are times when the Wiki will place a question mark after a business name or word. To avoid this, use double parentheses around the word.
Articles and Submissions - This section was also easy to set up. It was also easy to add new Types and Topics. However, it is difficult to display only one Type or Topic on the Articles page. It was easier to use phpAdmin to modify the database tables than it was to use the Articles Administration Section to make this simple type of modification.
Calendar - There are 2 calendars: one is for private use in the "My Tiki" section; the other is for public use. The public feature Calendar is "buggy". There are so many steps to complete in order to add an event to the Calendar that I found it was necessary to include "How-To-Use" instructions on the Calendar page.
Banner Ads - Simple to set up and allows text or image displays. There are several options for frequency and you can set the zone where the add is to be displayed.
Featured Links, Forums, and Polls - These features were also easy to set up, and no problems were encountered.
Category System - There are 2 Category Systems. One is for the Directory feature, and the other is for the Wiki.
Directory - The Directory feature automatically checks for URL validation.
Email - The Email system uses only a very basic form with input boxes for user email address and comments. Ease of Modification
With college courses in C and C++, it has always been easy to read and understand other programming languages. However, the Smarty Template Engine code was a new experience. Quite a few hours were spent searching through the Smarty site, my PHP books, and both of the TikiWiki sites. I even asked the assistance of a friend who is a PHP whiz, and he couldn't figure out the problem.
Modifying the existing TikiWiki code should only be attempted by experienced programmers. After many hours searching through the Development section of the TikiWiki website looking for a flowchart, I was finally able to find a section that contained file relations.
With perserverance, I was able to modify the Directory, to build a Listing feature based on the modified Directory, and to include a customized Email system for the Advertising Contact page. By modifying the database, I was able to have only Articles listed on the Articles page and only Events on the Events page.
TikiWiki Rating
If I were to rate TikiWiki on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it an 8. This is due to the lack of documentation and also due to the fact that "buggy" sections are included. In my opinion, if a feature does not work correctly, it should not be included as an option!
Diane Hildebrandt owns MsDetta, Inc., a Northwest Indiana web development firm. Diane has a B.S. in Computer Science and believes that websites should be designed to be accessible by every visitor. Diane also emphasizes relationship marketing - turning a visitor into a potential customer of your product or service. Web development services include scripting, programming, Flash and graphic design, ecommerce solutions, database management, and content management systems.
Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is now approaching the phase of... Read More
.Net Framework is a platform or development environment to seamlessly... Read More
We would like first emphasize the change in the paradigm.... Read More
When my daughter was getting into AOL instant messaging (AIM)... Read More
Logistics automation is often considered as barcoding extension to Sales... Read More
We'll give you non formal view, based on our consulting... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves multiple industries in the... Read More
The Internet is reshaping every form of communications medium, and... Read More
How do you run a program on a remote server... Read More
Sales are all about leverage, because there is only so... Read More
While paper labeling CDs and DVDs may appear to be... Read More
Upgrading. Downtime. Maintenance. Hardware obsolescence. Implementation issues. The litany of... Read More
Designing without tables by using CSS layouts is fast becoming... Read More
Navision Software was purchased by Microsoft and now it is... Read More
Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a software development methodology. In... Read More
Bill of Lading is required report for Logistics and Freight... Read More
Microsoft Client Relation Management system (Microsoft CRM) and Microsoft RMS... Read More
Do you remember that frustrating feeling when you find an... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains ? ERM from Microsoft Business Solutions and... Read More
Program Flow is what you think it is. How the... Read More
C++ Function templates are those functions which can handle different... Read More
1. With mapping software you can create a report that... Read More
Finally, you have some time to personalize your desktop with... Read More
This is intermediate level SQL scripting article for DB Administrator,... Read More
In this small article we will show you the possible... Read More
Midsize business or non-profit organization should decide if one-vendor solution... Read More
While I was in college, if you would have asked... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Retail Management System (Microsoft RMS)... Read More
Spyware is like the new technological nuclear weapon on the... Read More
Microsoft CRM has built-in conversion tool, however you should probably... Read More
During the years of our consulting practice, which comes back... Read More
Considering whether or not your software company should hire a... Read More
It won't matter how effective your WinRunner Team is if... Read More
With so many Microsoft Windows related viruses, errors, and other... Read More
Are Spreadsheets Robbing your Enterprise of Competitive Advantage?'90% of "average"... Read More
I started using PIP (Picture It Publishing) Platinum 2002 right... Read More
Innovative Maintenance Systems (IMS) is one company that offers solutions... Read More
Mapping Software Improves Data VisualizationFrom the outset, it is important... Read More
It is now common thing when large corporation selects mid-market... Read More
The objective for Zandi Digital is to make available clever... Read More
It's no secret that software companies operate in a very... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software eEnterprise,... Read More
Fundraising software lets you connect with donors in a way... Read More
Microsoft-Outlook is a pretty amazing program. So much more than... Read More
Former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise, and currently Microsoft Business Solutions... Read More
In the early days of the personal computer, we're talking... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is Dexterity-written application and currently... Read More
The first thing that you will notice about Linux Red... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has several options to enable... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was designed back in the... Read More
Just stress testing one of the latest Linux distributions. Been... Read More
In our opinion, traditional approach when you select ERP/MRP system... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains might be considered as ERP... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics / eEnterprise... Read More
For those who still don't know, Microsoft Publisher helps computer... Read More
Ad-Aware and Spybot are probably the two most well known... Read More
Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More
Microsoft Retail Management System serves retail single store as well... Read More
I've been active in the Cisco Certification track for four... Read More
IBM Lotus Notes Domino and Microsoft CRM (Client Relation Management)... Read More
The intuitive algorithm.Roger Penrose considered it impossible. Thinking could never... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains is becoming more and more popular and... Read More
Assertion facility is added in J2SE 1.4. In order to... Read More
So let's begin crunching down these 300 images using Adobe... Read More
If you are in the market for new staffing software,... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions is now in process of creating so... Read More
Software |