Applications

As you've learned from the Programming feature, it's possible to put scripts inside wiki pages. You can also define your own data structures in wiki pages and then use them in other wiki pages. You can thus combine several pages together to form an application. In other words an application is simply a self-contained set of wiki pages. You can export these pages into a single ZIP archive file named a XAR (it stands for XWiki Archive) which can then be imported again into other wikis. That XAR can also be published as an Extension (see below) which makes it even simpler to install in other wikis. This is a very nice way to create reusable applications.

XWiki allows you to develop any web-based applications. This is what makes XWiki an application wiki (a.k.a second-generation wiki).

Here are some examples of Applications that you can find on xwiki.org and that you can install in your wiki (click on the images to see them in full screen).

Extensions

Extensions are adds-on that can be installed inside a running XWiki using the Extension Manager. Applications (described above) are a special type of Extensions but there are other types. For example, you could install the Markdown Syntax, LDAP integration or others, which are not Applications (Applications are made of wiki pages).

Flavors

A Flavor is a set of Extensions working together to achieve a goal. When you first start XWiki, you can pick the Flavor you want your wiki to be, from a list of existing Flavors.

The following flavor are available:

• Standard. This is the generic Flavor developed by the XWiki Dev Team. It can be used for various purposes, one of them being a Knowledge Base

When you start XWiki for the first time, you'll get the Distribution Wizard and one of the steps will let you pick the Flavor you wish to have for your wiki:

Creating Applications & Extensions

• If you'd like to create new applications with XWiki our Developer's Guide will help you through the process.
• If you are interested in participating to the XWiki project development itself or in building it from sources, you should refer to the XWiki development community.
• If you still have questions you may post on the Forum.