History: Wiki Plugins

            ! Wiki Plugins
{DIV(class="lead")}
Tiki's wiki __plugins__ are a way to quickly insert wiki syntax, HTML and so on to powerfully extend basic wiki syntax. Wiki plugins are used to embed features and interactive data and functions in any wiki text area in the Tiki site, including in wiki pages, blogs, articles, forums, and so on. Importantly, although they are called "plugins", they are not third-party or aftermarket additions to Tiki - they are included with the Tiki installation.{DIV}
You can use wiki plugins to:
* Show images and play videos or audio files.
* Arrange content in rows and columns and create specially formatted tables and boxes.
* Automatically build a table of contents, display backlinks, or redirect visitors to other pages.
* Display charts, gauges, drawings, and maps. 
* Display user and tracking information, query databases, or show information from other pages.  
* And much more....

Many plugins are enabled by default. The others can be enabled easily from the ((Text Area)) Admin page. As a security measure, some plugins require admin-level approval before becoming "live" on a page.

{REMARKSBOX(type=tip, title=Tip)}''Plugins are also easy to develop - see ((dev:Create a Plugin)) for some tips on how to get started.''{REMARKSBOX}

!! Distributed Plugins
{toc structId="4315" type="fancy"}
{REMARKSBOX(type=note, title=Note)}''When in the edit window of a page, click on the {img src=img/icons/help.png} icon and then click on 'Plugins help' for a list of plugins and their descriptions with buttons for inserting the syntax and linking to the documentation.''{REMARKSBOX}

!! Plugin Syntax
The way plugin syntax works in general is described below. The individual documentation page for a plugin also gives examples of the specific syntax for that plugin.

There are two basic styles of syntax, upper case, which works for virtually all plugins, and lower case, which works for plugins that do not require a body.

!!! Uppercase Syntax
This syntax works for virtually all plugins (an exception is {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{maketoc}~/np~{DIV}) and here is an example:
{CODE(wrap=1, colors="tiki")}
{PLUGINNAME(parameter1="value1|value2" parameter2="value")} 
content affected by plugin and called body or data
{PLUGINNAME}
{CODE}
* __Avoid spaces:__ No spaces in or around the tag names or parameter values, except between parameter names
+ %%%
* __Case sensitive:__ Tags must be in all caps
+ %%%
* __Ending tag:__ For plugins that do not require text in the body of the plugin (between the tags), a forward slash can be used instead of a closing tag as follows: 
+ {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{AGENTINFO(info="IP") /}~/np~{DIV} instead of  {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{AGENTINFO(info="IP")}{AGENTINFO}~/np~{DIV}
+ %%% 
* __Parameters:__
** Parentheses are always necessary even if no parameters are set. For example: ~np~{CODE~/np~{DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}(){DIV}}
** Parameters are separated by spaces, commas, or a comma and a space. Values within a parameter are usually separated by vertical bars ({DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}|{DIV}) or colons  ({DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}:{DIV}) - check the documentation for the specific plugin to be sure
** Either {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}={DIV} or {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}=>{DIV} can be used to separate parameters from values
** It is best to enclose parameter values in single or double quotes, although the plugin may work without quotes if there are no spaces or unusual characters in the parameter values. Example: ~np~{CODE(wrap=~/np~{DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}"1"{DIV})}
** Parameters you don't specify may be set to a default - check the documentation for that plugin for more information.

!!! Lowercase Syntax
For plugins that do not require a body (i.e., content between the beginning and ending plugin tags), the lower case syntax can be used (since ((Tiki6))). Here's an example:
{CODE(wrap=1, colors="tiki")}
{pluginname parameter1="value1|value2" parameter2="value"} 
{CODE}
Here's what's different about the syntax for these: 
* Only one tag, and it's in lower case
* No parentheses for the parameters are needed 
* For example:
+ {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{toc}~/np~{DIV} instead of {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{TOC()}{TOC}~/np~{DIV}
+ {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{toc type="fancy"}~/np~{DIV} instead of {DIV(type="span" class="inline_syntax")}~np~{TOC(type="fancy")}{TOC}~/np~{DIV}

!! Site Settings for Plugins

!!! Enabling Plugins
If not enabled by default, the site administrator must enable a plugin before it can be used by (since 3.0) going to __Admin Home > Editing and Plugins > Plugins (tab)__ and checking the "Enable" box of that plugin and clicking "Change Preferences."

!!! Enable Edit Plugin Icons
On the same tab (__Admin Home > Editing and Plugins > Plugins (tab)__), a feature called "Enable edit plugin icons" can be enabled, which will place an {img src=img/icons/wiki_plugin_edit.png} icon wherever there's a plugin. This edit icon will display a popup input form when clicked so that the plugin can be edited without editing and saving the whole page.

!!! Toggle Plugin Edit Icons
Also, "Toggle display of section and plugin edit icons" can be enabled (at __Admin Home > Wiki > General Preferences (tab) > Edit (section)__). This will place an icon at the top of every page for turning section and plugin edit icons on or off with a single click ({img src=img/icons/wiki_plugin_edit_view.png} to toggle on and {img src=img/icons/wiki_plugin_edit_hide.png} to toggle off).

!!! Plugin Security
Plugins that are a potential security risk require approval by an administrator before they can be used - a notice will appear when that's the case.

!!! Pending Approval Notification 
There is a setting called "__Plugin pending notification__" in "__Admin home > Editing and plugins > Plugins (tab)__", which allows users in groups with the permission __tiki_p_plugin_approve__ to receive an email notification each time a new plugin call is added in a wiki page as pending approval.

!! Related Pages
* ((All Plugins))
* ((Plugin Security)) - regarding enabling and approving plugins
* ((Plugin Help)) - illustration of plugin help for version 3.0
* ((Plugin Alias)) - powerful feature that allows you to configure plugins with your own defaults
* For developers: [http://dev.tiki.org/Create+a+Plugin|Create a plugin], [http://dev.tiki.org/Hello+World#To_create_a_new_plugin|Hello World#To_create_a_plugin]
!! Aliases
* (alias(Plugin))
* (alias(Plugins))
* (alias(Wiki Plugin))
* (alias(WikiPlugin))
* (alias(WikiPlugins))
* (alias(wikiplugins))
* (alias(Wiki-Plugin))