# 260613 — TWiki deep dive (implementation, plugin API, ecosystem)

Date: 2026-06-13

## What this is

A focused study of **TWiki** — the original "structured enterprise wiki / wiki
application platform" (Peter Thoeny, ~1998), and the **file-based Perl counterpoint**
to XWiki's Java/DB platform. Covers TWiki's **implementation** (Perl + flat-file +
RCS store, Webs/Topics, TWiki Forms, TWikiML/variables), the **plugin API and
handler callbacks** that extend the core, the **extension package types** (Plugin /
Skin / AddOn / Contrib) and repository, and TWiki's **per-topic access control**
(the prior art behind yawex's `AccessControl`).

Read through shard-wiki's lens, paired with the XWiki dive: TWiki shows the same
"wiki-as-application-platform" goal reached with **text files + RCS** instead of a
database — which changes the adapter story (direct on-disk attach, git-convertible
history).

Complements:
- `research/260613-xwiki-deep-dive/` — the DB/Java app-platform sibling
- `research/260608-wikiengines-overview/` — the landscape scan
- `research/260608-yawex-prior-art/` — yawex borrowed TWiki's per-topic AccessControl

Note: most of TWiki's community forked to **Foswiki** in Oct 2008 (from TWiki
4.2.4); findings flag where TWiki/Foswiki differ.

## Contents

| Path | Role |
|------|------|
| `findings.md` | Architecture, plugin-handler API, ecosystem, capability profile, INTENT mapping, UC seeds, sources |

## Status

Initial deep dive complete. Two new use cases promoted to
`spec/UseCaseCatalog.md` (UC-40, UC-41); UC-06/34/36/38/39 enriched with TWiki
specifics. Adapter-contract implications feed
`workplans/SHARD-WP-0002-federation-architecture.md`.