There's often a need to have structured information. For example you might want to use a wiki to collaboratively enter data, but you'd still like that data to be organized so that it can be searched and manipulated programmatically. In XWiki it's possible to present users with fields they have to fill in when editing a page.

To learn more about this feature check the Developer's Guide. More specifically you could start by trying to write a FAQ application as described in the FAQ Tutorial.

In addition to Forms there's also a need for Templates. Templates are predefined wiki pages that can be copied when creating a new page. The Template feature is provided and documented as part of the Administration Application.

Form Examples

FAQ Form

In this wiki we're using this feature to create FAQ entries. When the edit button on a FAQ page is clicked, the following type of screen is shown instead of the standard free form text:

Reference Form

Another good example of form utilization on XWiki.org is the References page. When an user wants to add a new reference, the only thing he has to do is to type in the name of the reference he wants to add. He is then presented with a form he can fill in easily. Check it out and add your own project here!

Questionnaire Form

Thanks to this mode, you can create advanced forms such as the following questionnaire: