Top 10 XWiki Apps questions and their solutions

24 Sep 2019 5 min read
Written by Andreea Chirica, Communications and Support Specialist

As we shared with you tips about building a powerful knowledge base with XWiki Pro, and an article including a Top 10 XWiki questions and their solutions, we are now sharing with you a number of tips related to XWiki applications. XWiki users are more and more interested in apps that enhance the wiki's potential to foster collaboration or to display and organize information in a modern and efficient manner. They are also searching for platforms that can integrate with other tools in order to maximize their work processes.

Here are the top 10 XWiki apps questions and solutions addressed by XWiki users.

1. What can I do with the Diagram application?

Using the app you can edit and view diagrams straight in your wiki. Each diagram is stored in a wiki page. The revisions of the diagrams are synced in XWiki. The app provides intuitive functionalities and is perfectly suited for both beginners and advanced users. You can also import existing diagrams, include them in other wiki pages, or export them as PDFs from the Export option on the wiki diagram page.

Check here more details or watch the video below for a glimpse into the Diagram Pro application.

2. Is LDAP the same as Active Directory?

From time to time, we hear from our users that they don't have Active Directory, but they have LDAP. However, a clarification of this aspect is usually required because the meaning of this would probably be that they have another product, such as OpenLDAP (which is an LDAP server)1. While LDAP is a protocol compatible with many different directory services and access management solutions, Active Directory is a directory server that uses the LDAP protocol. XWiki supports several different authentication mechanisms for authenticating users. 

Learn here how to connect XWiki to Active Directory.

3. How to modify or add a new Tour in my wiki?

It's great to use a tour to help users understand the most important features inside a page. You can create a tour for any page you want in the wiki. You can also easily modify existing tours by adding or removing steps or even make it international.

Tour_XWiki.gif

4. How to create a new Poll in my wiki?

XWiki users have looked for ways to vote for various ideas using a simple Polls Application. To create a poll, you would need to access the home page of the application. Look for the Polls entry in the Applications panel located by default in the left panels section of the wiki, then click Create button from the top of the page. The next step will display a list of available templates where you can find the one corresponding to polls. Add the voting options in the proposals tab, and don't forget to set the poll status to Active in order to allow voting on a poll. Moreover, you can show on a wiki page a list with the most recent created polls using the Recent Polls macro.

XWiki_Polls.gif

5. How to build my own app in XWiki?

With App Within Minutes you can create a collaborative web application with as little steps as possible and with no technical knowledge necessary. You would simply need to follow the Application Wizard stages witch involve setting a location for the app, adding a structure, set where to add the created application entries, customize the look of the app home page.

App_Within_Minutes_XWiki.gif

6. How can I use the Google Apps Integration?

With the Google Apps Integration application you can:

  • log in to XWiki using your Google account
  • easily import a Google Apps document as an attachment in XWiki (in multiple formats)
  • launch editing of an XWiki attachment in Google Apps. Once the editing session is finished you can reimport it in XWiki.

Follow the steps here to configure the app and start integrating XWiki with Google's editing apps (Google Docs, Spreadsheet, Presentations and Drawing).

googleapps.png

7. Can I create and edit attached documents directly in the wiki?

Compared with editing docs outside of XWiki and then importing them on the wiki, you can also create and edit doc/docx, xls/xlsx, pps/ppsx attached to a wiki page using the OnlyOffice Connector Application. If you want to have multiple users editing the same attached document, don't forget to enable realtime editing in OnlyOffice on the UI administration page of the application. 

OnlyOffice_XWiki.gif

8. How can I receive notifications about wiki changes?

With the Notification Application you can keep up with updates brought by other users on the wiki or by receiving emails with the selected types of notifications. By default, users don't get any notification. You need to select which "types" of notifications you want to receive: when a page is created, when a blog article is published. To watch a location, all you need is to go to that place, and then click on the "alert" menu (represented by a bell). To follow a user's activity, go to the profile page of the user and click on the Follow button. Gain a better control of the notifications by adding specific filters with the settings available from the "alert" menu.

XWiki_Notifications.gif

9. Is there an app for sharing ideas and project proposals?

Yes. Use the Ideas Application to gather ideas, proposals, solutions or suggestions that need to be voted in order to be implemented. You can then include a list with your ideas on a wiki page using the Recent Ideas macro.

Ideas_XWiki.gif

10. How can I manage rights on a Forum?

There are four categories to take into consideration when we are talking about managing rights in the Forum application: forum, topic, answer and comment.
By default, any regular user is allowed to perform the same actions on all the above mentioned entities, just as they are on any other wiki page: create a new form, edit any forms (even created by others), delete only those that they created. The XWiki Access Rights Guide comes to your assistance when it comes to understanding basic rules or permission types. Enjoy afterwards the cool Forum features: voting, Wysiwyg editing for all fields, Admin or Topic Manager, moderating the content with the ability to flag inappropriate content.

How to install XWiki applications?

In order to install the application, follow the next steps inside your XWiki instance (on Cloud or on premise). In the Applications Panel click on "More Applications..." and then "Install new applications...". Alternatively navigate directly to the Administration and select the "Extensions" section. Search for the extension you wish to install and use the Install button to install it.

If it's an XWiki Pro application, you would need to activate a license in order to use it on your wiki or sub-wiki. Navigate to the "Licenses" section of the Administration, fill your details, look for the extension you just installed in the live table and click the buttons to get a trial license or to buy a license. If you are a Silver+ support client, please request a license for XWiki Pro applications and follow the instructions provided by the support team to add the license on your wiki.

How to keep up to date with XWiki Pro applications improvements?

Subscribe to our XWiki communications to receive updates about XWiki applications and other improvements brought to the XWiki platform.

1 More details regarding the differences between LDAP and Active Directory

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