Which Python Wiki engine?

Kenneth McDonald kenneth.m.mcdonald at sbcglobal.net
Tue Jun 14 00:35:51 EDT 2005


I'm looking for a Wiki engine to set up for my company, so that we  
can incrementally add user documentation for a fairly complex  
program, plus allow users to add their own comments for the benefit  
of others. I'd strongly prefer a Python-based Wiki, since that allows  
me the chance to add plugins with minimal effort (being a python  
enthusiast and programmer).

However, I'd also like something that can provide a little more  
structure than MoinMoin seems able to provide (correct me if I'm  
wrong.) Though there would be cross-references amongst various  
sections, the idea is that the structure of the wiki would be very  
much that of an outline, with topics divided into sub topics and then  
into sub sub topics, etc. A person at our company would be the  
"editor"; responsible for setting up the original structure, putting  
in the documentation we currently have, and periodically editing  
contributions from users.

Here are some of the features I'd greatly like to have that I haven't  
seen provided by the (relatively few) wiki engines I've looked at.  
Mind you, I don't claim to have looked at even these few  
exhaustively. (No time!) MoinMoin is the one I've looked at the most.

1) Automatically generated table of contents, based on the outline  
structure. This would be regenerated periodically (probably nightly)
2) Ability for users to add new subsections, but not to change that  
part of the document structure which has been locked by the editor.
3) Clear visual distinction between material added by the users, and  
material added or approved by the editor.
4) Legal-style numbering of sections, subsections, etc.
5) Ability to have single pages containing both locked text (which  
users cannot edit or delete) and unlocked text. Such a page would  
consist of one or more locked blocks of text, interspersed with  
comments put in by users. Users could put comments anywhere except  
side a locked text block.

Ideally, this would also be something that doesn't depend on a  
backend database or other things besides the web server and python  
packages. This is not likely to be a wiki where huge amounts of  
interactivity must be supported; there will probably be a moderate  
amount of reading, and a small amount of writing.

If you know of any Python wiki engines which can satisfy (even  
partially) this list, please let me know. I'd strongly prefer to have  
a Python engine. On the other hand, if you know of another type of  
wiki that matches well with these requirements, I won't complain if  
you mention it :-)

Thanks,
Ken McDonald



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