Text strings expanded on the fly to display data or system info
Overview
TWikiVariables are text strings - %VARIABLE% - that expand into content whenever a page is opened. Variables are replaced by their actual values: stored data, or system info (like the date, or the current user). There are predefined variables, and Preference variables that you set. You can also define custom variables, with new names and values.
Predefined Variables
Most predefined variables return values that were either defined when TWiki was installed, or taken from server info (like current username, or date and time). Many of the variables let you control how the formatted results appear.
netfrag.org expands the following variables (enclosed in % percent signs):
Variable:
Expanded to:
%WIKIHOMEURL%
The base script URL of netfrag.org, is the link of the Home icon in the upper left corner, is http://TWiki.org/
%SCRIPTURL%
The script URL of netfrag.org, is https://netfrag.org/twiki/bin
%SCRIPTURLPATH%
The path of the script URL of netfrag.org, is /twiki/bin
%SCRIPTSUFFIX%
The script suffix, ex: .pl, .cgi is
%PUBURL%
The public URL of TWiki, is https://netfrag.org/twiki/pub
%PUBURLPATH%
The path of the public URL of netfrag.org, is /twiki/pub
%ATTACHURL%
The attachment URL of the current topic, is https://netfrag.org/twiki/pub/TWiki/TWikiVariables Example: If you attach a file you can refer to it as %ATTACHURL%/image.gif
%ATTACHURLPATH%
The path of the attachment URL of the current topic, is /twiki/pub/TWiki/TWikiVariables
%URLPARAM{"name"}%
Returns the value of a URL parameter. Ex: %URLPARAM{"skin"}% returns print for a .../view/TWiki/TWikiVariables?skin=print URL. Is
%WIKITOOLNAME%
Name of wiki tool, is netfrag.org
%WIKIVERSION%
Wiki tool version is 04 Sep 2004 $Rev: 1742 $
%USERNAME%
Your login username is guest
%WIKINAME%
Your Wiki username. Same as %USERNAME% if not defined in the TWikiUsers topic. Is TWikiGuest
%WIKIUSERNAME%
Your %WIKINAME% including the Main web name. Usefull for signatures. Is Main.TWikiGuest
%MAINWEB%
The Main web containing TWikiUsers, OfficeLocations? and TWikiGroups?. Is Main
%TWIKIWEB%
The web containing all documentation and configuration of netfrag.org is TWiki
%WEB%
The current web is TWiki
%BASEWEB%
The web name where the includes started, e.g. the web of the first topic of nested includes. Same as %WEB% in case there is no include.
%INCLUDINGWEB%
The web name of the topic that includes the current topic. Same as %WEB% in case there is no include.
The index topic of all registered users. Is TWikiUsers
%WIKIPREFSTOPIC%
The web preferences topic. Is TWikiPreferences
%WEBPREFSTOPIC%
The web preferences topic. Is WebPreferences
%STATISTICSTOPIC%
The web statistics topic. Is WebStatistics
%TOPIC%
The current topic name, is TWikiVariables
%BASETOPIC%
The name of the topic where the includes started, e.g. the first topic of nested includes. Same as %TOPIC% in case there is no include.
%INCLUDINGTOPIC%
The name of the topic that includes the current topic. Same as %TOPIC% in case there is no include.
%SPACEDTOPIC%
The current topic name with added spaces, for regular expression search of Ref-By, is TWiki%20*Variables
%TOPICLIST{"format"}%
Topic index of a web. The "format" defines the format of one topic item. It may include variables: The $name variable gets expanded to the topic name; the $web variable gets expanded to the name of the web.
Parameters are format, separator and web:
Format of one line, may include $name and $web variables
"$name"
format="format"
(Alternative to above)
"$name"
separator=", "
line separator
"\n" (new line)
web="Name"
Name of web
Current web
Examples:
%TOPICLIST{" * $web.$name"}% creates a bullet list of all topics.
%TOPICLIST{separator=", "}% creates a comma separated list of all topics.
%TOPICLIST{" <option>$name</option>"}% creates an option list (for drop down menus).
%WEBLIST{"format"}%
Web index, e.g. list of all webs. Hidden webs are excluded, e.g. webs with a NOSEARCHALL=on preference variable. The "format" defines the format of one web item. The $name variable gets expanded to the name of the web, $qname gets expanded to double quoted name, $marker to marker where web matches selection.
Parameters are format, separator and web:
Text for $marker where item matches selection, otherwise equals ""
"selected"
separator=", "
line separator
"\n" (new line)
"format"
Format of one line, may include $name variable
"$name"
selection="%WEB%"
Current value to be selected in list
section="%WEB%"
webs="public"
comma sep list of Web, public expands to all non-hidden
"public"
format="format"
(Alternative to above)
"$name"
Examples: %WEBLIST{" * [[$name.Home]]"}% creates a bullet list of all webs.
%WEBLIST{"" webs="Trash,public" selection="TWiki" separator=" "}% Dropdown of all public Webs + Trash Web, current Web highlighted.
Variables can be shortened to 3 characters. Example: %GMTIME{"$day $month, $year - $hour:$min:$sec"}% is 25 Nov, 2024 - 03:13:55
%SERVERTIME%
Server time, is 25 Nov 2024 - 04:13
%SERVERTIME{"format"}%
Formatted server time. Example: %SERVERTIME{"$hou:$min"}% is 04:13
%HTTP_HOST%
HTTP_HOST environment variable, is netfrag.org
%REMOTE_ADDR%
REMOTE_ADDR environment variable, is 3.14.132.178
%REMOTE_PORT%
REMOTE_PORT environment variable, is 15391
%REMOTE_USER%
REMOTE_USER environment variable, is
%INCLUDE{"page" ...}%
Server side include to IncludeTopicsAndWebPages. Parameters are page name, and an optional pattern="(reg-exp)". The page name is:
"SomeTopic"
The name of a topic located in the current web, i.e. %INCLUDE{"WebNotify"}%
"Web.Topic"
A topic in another web, i.e. %INCLUDE{"TWiki.TWikiWebsTable"}%
"http://..."
A full qualified URL, i.e. %INCLUDE{"http://twiki.org/"}%
%STARTINCLUDE%
If present in included topic, start to include text from this location up to the end, or up to the location of the %STOPINCLUDE% variable. A normal view of the topic shows everyting exept the %STARTINCLUDE% variable itself.
%STOPINCLUDE%
If present in included topic, stop to include text at this location and ignore the remaining text. A normal view of the topic shows everyting exept the %STOPINCLUDE% variable itself.
%TOC%
Table of Contents of current topic.
%TOC{"SomeTopic" ...}%
Table of Contents. Shows a TOC that is generated automatically based on headings of a topic. Headings in WikiSyntax ("---++ text") and HTML ("<h2>text<h2>") are taken into account. (But not "<H2>text</H2>", which can be used to exclude a heading from the TOC.) Parameters are topic name, web and depth:
What sort of search is required? "topicmoved" if search for a topic that may have been moved "parent" if searcing for topics that have a specific parent i.e. its children
required
web="%WEB%"
Wiki web to search: A web, a list of webs separated by whitespace, or all webs.
required
topic="%TOPIC%"
The topic the search relates to
required
title="Title"
Text the is pre-pended to any search results
required
Example: %METASEARCH{type="topicmoved" web="%WEB%" topic="%TOPIC%" title="This topic used to exist and was moved to: "}%, you may want to use this in WebTopicViewTemplate and WebTopicNonWikiTemplate %METASEARCH{type="parent" web="%WEB%" topic="%TOPIC%" title="Children: "}%
%VAR{"NAME" web="Web"}%
Get a preference value from a web other then the current one. Example: To get %WEBBGCOLOR% of the Main web write %VAR{"WEBBGCOLOR" web="Main"}%, is #444444
[1] Note: The search form uses identical names for input fields.
[2] Note: A web can be excluded from a web="all" search if you define a NOSEARCHALL=on variable in its WebPreferences.
Preferences Variables
Additional variables are defined in the preferences ( site-level ( SL ) in TWikiPreferences, web-level ( WL ) in WebPreferences of each web, and user level ( UL ) preferences in individual user topics):
Variable:
Level:
What:
%WIKIWEBMASTER%
SL
Webmaster email address (sender of email notifications) , is webmaster@netfrag.org
%WIKIWEBLIST%
SL
List of netfrag.org webs (in upper right corner of topics)
%WEBTOPICLIST%
WL
Common links of web (second line of topics)
%WEBCOPYRIGHT%
SL , WL
Copyright notice (bottom right corner of topics)
%WEBBGCOLOR%
WL
Background color of web
%NOSEARCHALL%
WL
Exclude web from a web="all" search (set variable to on for hidden webs)
%NEWTOPICBGCOLOR%
SL , UL
Background color of non existing topic. ( UL needs authentication for topic views )
%NEWTOPICFONTCOLOR%
SL , UL
Font color of non existing topic. ( UL needs authentication for topic views )
%EDITBOXWIDTH%
SL , UL
Horizontal size of edit box, is 100
%EDITBOXHEIGHT%
SL , UL
Vertical size of edit box, is 20
%RELEASEEDITLOCKCHECKBOX%
SL , UL
Default state of the "Release edit lock" (UnlockTopic) check box in preview. Checkbox is initially checked if Set RELEASEEDITLOCKCHECKBOX = checked="checked", or unchecked if empty. If checked, make sure to click on Edit to do more changes; do not go back in your browser to the edit page, or you risk that someone else will edit the topic at the same time! Value is: checked
%DONTNOTIFYCHECKBOX%
SL , UL
Default state of the "Minor Changes, Don't Notify" (DontNotify) check box in preview. Check box is initially checked if Set DONTNOTIFYCHECKBOX = checked="checked", or unchecked if empty. Value is: checked
%ATTACHLINKBOX%
SL , UL
Default state of the link check box in the attach file page. Check box is initially checked if value is set to CHECKED , unchecked if empty. If checked, a link is created to the attached file at the end of the topic. Value is:
%HTTP_EQUIV_ON_VIEW%
SL
http-equiv meta tags for view, rdiff, attach, search* scripts.
%HTTP_EQUIV_ON_EDIT%
SL , UL
http-equiv meta tags for edit script.
%HTTP_EQUIV_ON_PREVIEW%
SL , UL
http-equiv meta tags for preview script.
%DENYWEBCHANGE%
WL
List of users and groups who are not allowed to change topics in the netfrag.org web. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%ALLOWWEBCHANGE%
WL
List of users and groups who are allowed to change topics in the netfrag.org web. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%DENYTOPICCHANGE%
(any topic)
List of users and groups who are not allowed to change the current topic. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%ALLOWTOPICCHANGE%
(any topic)
List of users and groups who are allowed to change the current topic. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%DENYWEBRENAME%
WL
List of users and groups who are not allowed to rename topics in the netfrag.org web. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%ALLOWWEBRENAME%
WL
List of users and groups who are allowed to rename topics in the netfrag.org web. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%DENYTOPICRENAME%
(any topic)
List of users and groups who are not allowed to rename the current topic. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%ALLOWTOPICRENAME%
(any topic)
List of users and groups who are allowed to rename the current topic. (More in TWikiAccessControl)
%FINALPREFERENCES%
SL , WL
List of preferences that are not allowed to be overridden by next level preferences
Setting Preferences
The syntax for Preferences variables is the same anywhere in TWiki. In Edit mode, from the start of a new line: [6 spaces] * [space] Set [space] VARIABLENAME [space] = [value] Example:
Set VARIABLENAME = value
Creating Custom Variables
You can add your own preference variables for an entire site, a single web, or a single topic, using the standard syntax. Whatever you include in your variable will be expanded on display, and treated exactly as if it had been written out. So you can place formatted text, page links, image paths.
Example: Create a custom logo variable
To place a logo anywhere in a web by typing %MYLOGO%, simply define the variable on the web's WebPreferences page. You also have to upload logo.gif - this can be done by attaching a file to LogoTopic (any topic name you choose):
Set MYLOGO = %PUBURL%/%MAINWEB%/LogoTopic/logo.gif
