Differences between NBWiki and roWiki
The descriptions here assume knowledge of roWiki. NBWiki is based on roWiki version 0.96 but incorporates some code and ideas from later roWiki releases.See also History of NBWiki.
Language
NBWiki (like roWiki, I believe) assumes the use of PHP4. Please advise any problems with particular implimentations of PHP.Changes to markup syntax
- Wiki links: [xxxxxx] replaced by [[xxxxxx]]
- External links: "automagic" link creation from URL replaced by [!Description|URL!]
- Four dashes (----) to create a horizontal ruler line are interpreted more strictly. They must be the only characters on the line.
- Four heading levels replace the previous three. The biggest - !!!! - is equivalent to te old !!!.
- The {xxxx xxxx} syntax for pre-formatted code has changed to require doubled curly brackets. However, the results are not always as desired and the treatment of the contents may chnage in future versions of NBWiki.
- Generally, multiple spaces are retained.
New markup syntax
See Page markup in NBWiki for full information on the following features.- Pictures (images) may be shown within NBWiki.
- Links to non-Wiki documents can be included.
- Tables (with and without ruler lines) may be included. They may be nested.
- Table cell attributes may be specified for any cell.
- A seqence of two opening and two closing curly brackets with nothing between may be used to split up character sequences that would otherwise be treated as markup commands. They are not displayed. Only likely to be needed (a) in pages explaining page markup or (b) to force an initial blank line on a page as this would otherwise be stripped.
- Comments (for editor's eyes only) may be included between three opening and three closing curly brackets
Operational changes
- The navigation bar occurs both above and below the wiki contents. (This is purely a template change).
- The basic PHP script can now have any name.
- Editing rights can be restricted to certain people with others simply able to view.
- An NBWiki can have a "super editor" who can edit anything and sub-editors who can only edit certain assigned groups of pages. In such a group of pages each starts with a particular text string such as "This page is managed by the Baptist Church." Control is handled by having different versions of the script for each editor.
- Image and document files referenced from NBWiki may be stored with it. At present such files must be sent to the administrator for uploading.
Other changes
- Additional configuration options have been introduced. See Configuring NBWiki.
- The PHP function filectime has been substituted for filemtime as filemtime reported the date a file was (say) copied rather than the date it's contents were changed.
- A minor problem with certain sequences of markup resulting in some markup being treated as text are believed to have been resolved, as has the creation of an extra blank line at the end whenever a page was edited. (These may well have been resolved also by recent updates to roWiki itself).