PodWiki is a Perl-written collaborative authoring tool that operates on the web.
If you're looking for a collaborative, customizable Web-based authoring tool, you might want to check out PodWiki. Written in Perl, PodWiki differs from other WikiWiki tools in that it uses Perl POD as its markup language. This markup language is well-known within the Perl community and is used for documentation worldwide. PodWiki enhances POD to circumvent some lacking features, such as images or includes, with a shorthand markup that is easy for new users to understand.
One of the most significant advantages of PodWiki is its support of includes, graphics, version control (via RCS), diffs, merge-back, user/group authentication and authorization, page property inheritance, variables, attributes, and more. The user can utilize "formatters" to insert plain HTML or text content, which is ideal for a stylesheet or example C code. There's even a formatter for Perl code that allows for the creation of interactive PodWiki pages. However, this feature is turned off by default due to security reasons.
Moreover, PodWiki is customizable to the fullest extent possible. The whole wiki site is driven by the include feature, and the user can modify PodWiki's look-and-feel as they wish. Authentication by users and groups is supported, but it is also possible to work with PodWiki unauthenticated, in which case you will be logged in as an anonymous user. Additionally, pages can be protected for reading and/or writing for either one or more groups or for a single user.
Despite an impressive feature list, PodWiki is easy to install. There is no need for additional Perl modules or cryptic installation procedures. Just run "./configure & make install," and you're up and running. The configure script understands some parameters, which allows tweaking the installation, such as destination path or the like.
The latest release of PodWiki includes a re-licensing under the BSD license and abandonment of TWiki formatter support, as the module contained GPL code that is no longer compatible with PodWiki. PodWiki is fully mod_perl compliant, and users of Apache with mod_perl can speed up PodWiki.
Overall, PodWiki is an excellent choice for those looking for a collaborative, customizable, and user-friendly Web-based authoring tool.
One of the most significant advantages of PodWiki is its support of includes, graphics, version control (via RCS), diffs, merge-back, user/group authentication and authorization, page property inheritance, variables, attributes, and more. The user can utilize "formatters" to insert plain HTML or text content, which is ideal for a stylesheet or example C code. There's even a formatter for Perl code that allows for the creation of interactive PodWiki pages. However, this feature is turned off by default due to security reasons.
Moreover, PodWiki is customizable to the fullest extent possible. The whole wiki site is driven by the include feature, and the user can modify PodWiki's look-and-feel as they wish. Authentication by users and groups is supported, but it is also possible to work with PodWiki unauthenticated, in which case you will be logged in as an anonymous user. Additionally, pages can be protected for reading and/or writing for either one or more groups or for a single user.
Despite an impressive feature list, PodWiki is easy to install. There is no need for additional Perl modules or cryptic installation procedures. Just run "./configure & make install," and you're up and running. The configure script understands some parameters, which allows tweaking the installation, such as destination path or the like.
The latest release of PodWiki includes a re-licensing under the BSD license and abandonment of TWiki formatter support, as the module contained GPL code that is no longer compatible with PodWiki. PodWiki is fully mod_perl compliant, and users of Apache with mod_perl can speed up PodWiki.
Overall, PodWiki is an excellent choice for those looking for a collaborative, customizable, and user-friendly Web-based authoring tool.
What's New
Version 0.9.2: N/A