The Worst Feature of Tiddlywiki

I don’t think so. That’s a security problem. There is a new API, that allows chrome-based browsers to write files directly to the harddisk, with a “user opt-in” mechanism. It’s named “The File System Access API”. There is a TW plugin already.

Starting other programs is possible with some special links eg: mailto and so on. Those special URLs and mime-types have to be registered in the windows registry to tell the browser what to do.

After the extensions are registered, the behaviour can be configured by the user in the browser settings. In FF it’s under “Applications”

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Thankyou for that! You are always so good on this kind of thing! I stand corrected for my over-optimism! :smiley: .

My issue is I want to use TW (single-file) interactively with the O/S since I often need to use programs to prepare tiddlers. It is a PITA to have to navigate away from TW to launch them. :frowning:

Just FYI, I am still using the previous version of Timimi that was just for FireFox (no longer supported) that allows O/S launch of programs via scripting directly from single file TW.

The price of doing that (for security reasons, I guess?) is you need to install a platform specific “back-end” that handles the O/S integration.

Best, TT

Exactly. … The FF AddOn can only send “data” to “that” particular program. The mechanism is called Native Messaging … It’s “kind of” secure, since the user or an admin has to install the program and usually OSes also have a “signing process” to assure, that installed programs are authentic and not modified.

Both elements have to be installed, to allow the browser to communicate with the native app.

With that mechanism in place you have a nice separation of concerns

So the browser can only send “do this” and “do that” requests to the native app. The app takes care, that those actions are not “hostile” …

BUT

If you allow the browser to create scripts that are then executed in the OS you basically “nullify” the only security mechanism in place.

I think that was the main reason, why this feature has been removed. …

Got it. The issue interests me more than the tech side too (though I take all your points) there is a largely unexplicated nuance that users are likely idiots.

I often wonder about the need for “Protection” …

… is it fiat regulation? (thoughts from the paranoid side).

Best, TT

A post was split to a new topic: [Howto] Use TW5-Syntax plugin for VSCode.dev

More documentation and better examples would be nice. I’ve seen so many examples and would have no idea how to implement them because I only get to see a small chunk of the code.

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very nice flexibility, which is why i use it. and im very glad it exists.

the people on these forums i’ve noticed are actually competent to some level in programming. but its far from perfect solution for me (and people like me). to start - its supre geeky. its the linux of note taking things. i spend more time fighting with it than doing work. things so simple in other programs need an undeciphrable code here. not good for students imo - have to learn 2 things together. airtables / notion just work. documentation is super complicated - it presumes alot of information. at this point - its programming. i find scratch (the kids programming thing) easier.

same!

plugins make it actually usable - but then that bloats the size. which slows it down. then it cant be used much for actually large data. it needs a high powered / ram machine to run well at that point - else it slowness only adds to frustration.

i like that the program and file are able to merge in one. but i also love seperate files like common programs. each time a plugin is updated i have to update XXX number of wiki’s. its so high maintenance.

also becuase each new ‘dataset’ needs its own program/file, and becuase i must install a huge set of plugins for every wiki just to make it usable, thats SO MUCH disk space for so little actual data. not even counting all the required backups which are absolutely mandatory with TW.

importing media is a pain too. so are the filter/searches + the current tiddler reference - both of which are important to make it flexible. i just learned ive been using view templates all wrong (and i still dont know the correct way) - which explains why alot of my things are so half functioning.

some tw examples are really nice. thats what i had WANTED to be able to do to my data when i started. but now i think that that flexibiltiy is somewhat illusionary. to me its like a person who shows someone a computer for the first time, and then a computer game. and the naive person thinks that they can -so very easily - make a game. this naive person doesn’t know the most he’ll be able to create with reasonable effort is a notepad document and a ms-paint image.

after all the effort, most of what i learned to do, i could already do with regular database programs for much much much less effort and stress.

still, it offers flexibility when i need it. so generally i resort to other tools, and if data really needs this, i turn here.

@GRF its great to get your feedback, it is after all about our own “lived experience” but with respect few if any of your issues reman issues for me because there are solutions and methods., some much simpler than you can imagine.

It is always easier to do the way we already know initially, but I can assure you once you learn more tiddlywiki has a substantial payback.

i agree. and i hope that day comes for me too. its bcz ive seen good examples with the tool of whats poss, that i keep coming back - hoping its easier. but then, can it be poss for me with my limited time/ability?

most of the people on the forum have skills that they can even make their own plugin to distribute. in some way or the other, ive managed to mangle most of the tw i created. except those with which i do very little.

so im also grateful for the easier tools - because i actually produce something in the end. which is the whole point. though, with all the recent plugins, tw became a bit easier. discorse too vs gg.

Hi GRF, check out the documentation at Grok TiddlyWiki Grok TiddlyWiki — Build a deep, lasting understanding of TiddlyWiki

I have a file where I have added examples and explanations of how to do things: Documenting TW — a non-linear personal web notebook

Hope these help!

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i hope they do too! thx @DaveGifford for the links. will try to go through it. slowly… its a lot of content!

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Yes because you can lean on the community to help, just do your best to give us the info we need, such as clear requirements, links to plugins your using, attach tiddlers that work on tiddlywiki.com we can debug etc…

@GRF
The Scripts in Tiddlywiki — codes, macros, and solutions in TW (kookma.github.io) is also a good source of tips and tricks.
You can browse by keywords, author, … and you can learn some basics on how wikitext scripting works

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A post was split to a new topic: Ex-pat or immigrant?

I struggle here, I use Tiddlywiki in my research, huge Tiddler, thousands of massively connected Tiddlers, my brain and memory simply would not allow me to make the connections I am able to make with Tiddlywiki - when I think how I might try and do this any other way I just feel eternally grateful that Tiddlywiki is there - the last two years of intensive research by any other means would have taken many more years and I doubt I would have ended up in the same place. The term “Worst feature” does not really resonate with me in the same way that Robinson Crusoe who has just been picked up off a lashed together bamboo raft by a passing ship would probably not mention the chipped paint work. :star_struck:

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A post was merged into an existing topic: How to Use Tiddlywiki Effectively (I am an average enduser)

Would it be possible to have an easy programming language like: basic, powershell, maybe python, js or even imba for tiddlywiki? Has anyone ever thought of this idea?

Search for the basic anywhere machine of @Charlie_Veniot, although I expect you are thinking of a deeper integration.

  • I was an advanced basic coder, but there is little I cant do without TiddlyWiki core features.
  • In some ways tiddlywiki is a higher level language than many allowing a higher level of productivity for example list and set handling from which many things can be built are driven by mature file system.

Other Programming language’s

  • Any language used in tiddlywiki is going to need to participate within its unique engine that keeps everything up to date.
    • Javascript is already available but must be used within these design consideration’s
  • If you want this given a deeper consideration try raising it in the Developers - Talk TW category
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  1. Hi! This site has good information about Tiddlywiki. I would like to translate this site into 3 languages: pt, pt-br, es(Spanish):
  2. Another idea would be to add this documentation as a step-by-step guide for the user to learn how to use tiddlywiki link here: a-summary-of-tiddlywikis-popup-mechanism/139 or popmap-popup-editor or demo clutterstack-tw-notes or demo tid-li-tw5-hacks or demo popmap as
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