What We Can Call Tiddlywiki WikiText Scripting

1

I see Roam has a query API (nice wordings :wink: ). It mimics part of what we can do in Tiddlywiki using WikiText like using $list to filter all tiddlers tagged with say HelloThere, …

My question is what can call our WikiText scripting? TiddlyWiki Scripting API? …

Using WIkiText, one can do

  • Document query
  • Create UI
  • Do many jobs without using JavaScript (You need JS elsewhere like checkbox actions,)
  • …

See also Deep Dive Into Roam’s Data Structure - Why Roam is Much More Than a Note Taking App (zsolt.blog)

2

To me, WikiText (TwText) is TiddlyWiki’s markdown syntax. It is just the stuff for formatting text, the substitute for HTML and CSS (the stuff for look and feel).

Widgets, that’s scripting. TiddlyWiki Script, or TW Script.

  • The curly bracket syntax for transclusion, whether double or triple curly brackets, that’s also TW Script, but in a convenient short hand.
  • Same for the square bracket syntax for links. Short hand notation for TW Script.
  • Although, for example, input elements are HTML elements, I consider them the visual elements of the scripting language because they “do” things

All of the filter operators, I see them as TiddlyWiki Query Language, or TW Query Language, or TwQL.

Oh yeah, and then there are “metaprogramming” things: pragmas, for example. (TwMetaProgramming)

Addenda:

There is huge value in using a language that is consistent with the general landscape. And categorizing the things that are TiddlyWiki with a language that people know.

Like HTML and CSS are about formatting and structure and javascript is about “programming”, WikiText is about formatting and structure, and widgets are about programming. And filter operators are like SQL.

Search the web for “wiki text”, and we find that it is about being able to do what HTML and CSS do, but without doing HTML and CSS.

There is cognitive value in using an apples to apples and oranges to oranges terminology to describe things in TiddlyWiki vis-à-vis the other products out there. It makes learning easier to componentize with 1-ish to 1-ish features/concepts.

3

So going off of what @Charlie_Veniot pointed out, maybe we can simplify it to… TiddlyText, and TiddlyScript (TiddlyScripting / TiddlyScripture)?

I think they have a nice, clean ring to them, since TiddlyWiki is the Wiki itself, and it’s contents are referred to as ‘tiddlers’.

4

Although that tugs at my heartstrings, there have been reoccurring discussions about a desire to change names of things to move away from the words “Tiddly”, “Tiddler”, and “Wiki”. It would seem that these are sore points for many folk when trying to pitch TiddlyWiki.

Personally, I think renaming a product is the kiss of death. Calling “TiddlyWiki” “TW” feels like a sweet spot to me. Long name and short name that go well together. Hence “Tw-*” for all of the names I suggested.

I just don’t want the annoyance of yet another discussion about the name of TiddlyWiki.

But if there were a vote about the OP here: I like Tiddly. Always have, always will.

5

I agree with you on a lot of your points, and sadly you make a good point about the name of the product itself being a bit of a community sore point.

Just to add to what you said though, the fields used in tiddlers themselves could benefit from having the prefix tw-(or tf for tiddlyfield, or whatever could be decided upon in the future) so that, if a user wishes to for their own reasons, they can use whatever field name they might desire, without causing any complications with the internal workings of their tw.

Just something that has popped up for me in the past with wanting to use fields like ‘status’ or ‘type’ etc. (I’ve since found workarounds but these make for good examples.)

Doesn’t really pertain to the discussion, but I just felt like sharing haha

6

Without renaming anything perhaps we can refer more directly to;

TiddlyWiki WikiText includes

  • TiddlyWiki Markup
  • TiddlyWiki macros and widgets

Then we could say;

Scripting in TiddlyWiki uses ‘TiddlyWiki macros and widgets’ and is often combined with “TiddlyWiki Markup”.

  • However other markup and scripting can be included such as markdown, HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Scripting in TiddlyWiki uses it’s macros and widgets and/or common internet standards.

7

The TiddlyWiki query API is defined using a powerful filter-syntax

or

The TiddlyWiki query function is named: <$list .. and the query language is defined by “filters”

or

TiddlyWiki provides a convenient API for every user to create dynamic, filtered lists

or

TiddlyWiki provides a convenient API for every user to create dynamic, filtered lists, using templates.

or

TiddlyWiki provides a convenient and userfriendly API to create dynamic, filtered lists, using transcluded templates.

IMO that’s the shortest info I could come up, with may sound good, is true, probably says nothing and contains some buzz words.

have fun!
-mario

Edit: After reading it several more times I did remove 2 of them :wink:

8

I would suggest not using API (Application Programming Interface), apart from being an acronym it is more often implemented now days as a call one has to prepare parameters for and request or send information to a host or server.

Wikitext scripting is much more like programming statements as in JavaScript than an API.

9

Let’s use DSL to give it a more computer science specific touch :wink:

TiddlyWiki provides a convenient and userfriendly language (Domain-specific language) to create dynamic, filtered lists, using transcluded templates.

Edit: DSL changed to be more verbose in the link above

10

Mario, You love the boffin terms (me too) but the rule is “the first time you use it to spell it out”. For example Domain Specific Language (DSL) the when you mention it later only then are you permitted to use DSL.

  • This means if you do not know the acronym search for it and the first instance defines it.
  • But also communication with a broad audience demands the avoidance of acronyms.
11

Ugh. Please don’t.

12

Too much Three Letter Acronym (TLA) usage for my liking :slight_smile:

13

I just call it Low Code, when describing non-developers can create ui and data query in wikitext.