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SharePoint Wiki Basics And Features

by AdrianaNoton

The SharePoint Wiki is what one could say is an 'out of the box' solution for a specific type of application. Easy implementation aside, the features it offers for administrators and users are on par with what's available in dedicated software. But let's take this in this in a step by step manner, with a basic explanation of what a Wiki means.

The term is derived from the Hawaiian term for 'quick' which is 'wikiwiki.' The correlation here is that it allows for quick and easy creation and editing of inter-linked web pages with a few clicks. The site's users do not need to have knowledge of HTML markups and the site's structure. Users can add links to target pages that don't exist, and these pages are created later simply by clicking on the link.

This comes in handy in user-generated content (UGC) sites where a large number of users can create pages and edit page content. It needs a huge database to maintain the activities of all the users and multiple versions of each page as it gets edited by more and more users. The software that can track and manage all this has to be one that's robust and secure.

There are plenty of dedicated solutions that are also just as capable of living up to the demands of a UGC site. But the concept of the whole idea is to make things simple - for both the site users and administrators. This is where Microsoft's SharePoint comes into the picture, with an out of the box functionality.

The main aim of this server is to facilitate collaborative efforts within and from outside a company's network, by setting up portals, websites and applications. Different users can be granted separate access permissions and it allows for sharing data and collaboration on documents and projects between employees, customers, suppliers and others on an enterprise level. Given such functionality, it's no big surprise that the SharePoint Wiki is a perfect match as a component in this server.

The process of creating it is also about the same as setting up other sites, with only a name for the site and basic information about the user permissions required. Once it is selected as the site type, the user gets to see some additional things. For instance, a toolbar offers direct access to edit mode for a page. It's also possible to see a list of the previous edits to the page, and the list of latest pages that have been changed.

Note that there are two types of sites that can be created here. One is a library and one is a site. When the SharePoint Wiki Library is created, it includes two pages by default - the home page and a how-to help page. When a site is created, it automatically creates a library within whose home page is used as a default page for the site.

For larger sites where the SharePoint Wiki is just one of the parts of the site, the user permissions can simply be inherited and it doesn't have to done separately. If any unique user permissions need to be given, this can also be done separately. Given the simple process of creating it and the full functionality, it's no wonder that it is a popular out of the box solution.

About the Author: Frank Cole

Knowledge-worker components and tools to assist with Sharepoint Web Parts, Sharepoint List, Sharepoint Wiki, Calendar Web Part, Sharepoint Search & Sharepoint Calendar.

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SharePoint Wiki Basics And Features