Accessing a wiki (XWiki.org)

XWiki supports [[multi-tenancy>>Documentation.UserGuide.Features.ScalabilityPerformance]] which means your instance can have several wikis. This page helps you understand how to configure XWiki to access the correct wiki. Check [[XWiki URL Format>>Documentation.DevGuide.Architecture.URL Architecture.Standard URL Format]] to better understand the current URL scheme.

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XWiki supports 2 URL modes: Path-based and Domain based modes.

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{{info}}The documentation below is for XWiki 5.0 and beyond. For earlier versions, use [[this documentation>>path:$xwiki.getURL("Documentation.AdminGuide.Virtualization.AccessWiki.WebHome", "viewrev", "rev=5.1")]]{{/info}}

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= Path-based wiki access =

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This is the default mode if you haven't touched the XWiki configuration (##xwiki.virtual.usepath## property in the ##xwiki.cfg## file).

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The URL format for this mode is: ##http:~/~/host/xwiki/wiki/wikialias/view/Space/Page##.

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The important part of the URL is ##/wiki/wikialias##. Specifically it means:

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* ##wiki##: this is just a fixed value used by XWiki to identify the URL as a path-based URL. If you wish to set a value different than ##wiki## you can configure it in ##xwiki.cfg## with the property ##xwiki.virtual.usepath.servletpath##.(((

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Don't forget to set the ##xwiki.authentication.logoutpage## property accordingly. Change the ##wiki## part in the property value for the right alias.

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)))

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* ##wikialias##: this is used by XWiki to find the wiki descriptor (see below for more about wiki descriptors). The following algorithm is used:

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** First XWiki tries to find a page that contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with the ##server## field having a value of ##wikialias##. If it finds one then it computes the name of the wiki by extracting it from that page name. Indeed, pages containing wiki descriptors must be named with the format ##XWikiServer<wikiid>##. For example if a page named ##XWikiServerTest## exists and it contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with a ##server## field value of ##somewiki## then the URL ##http:~/~/host/xwiki/wiki/somewiki/...## will target the ##test## wiki (the value is lowercased from the page name when extracted).

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** If no wiki descriptor can be located then XWiki tries to find a page named ##XWikiServer<wikialias>## and having a ##XWikiServerClass## object in it. If it's found then the target wiki is ##wikialias##.

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** If no such page is found then the behavior depends on the value of the configuration property named ##xwiki.virtual.failOnWikiDoesNotExist## (located in your ##xwiki.cfg## file). If the value is ##0## (which is the default) then the wiki served is the main wiki. If the value is ##1## then an error saying that the wiki doesn't exist is displayed.

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Note that if no ##/wiki/wikialias## path is found in the URL then XWiki continues to look for a wiki using the domain-based algorithm explained below.

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= Domain-based wiki access =

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This was the default mode prior to XWiki 3.3. After the release of XWiki 3.3 the path-based mode was configured to be the default since it's the easiest to use.

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The URL format for this mode is: ##{{{http://domain/xwiki/bin/view/Space/Page}}}##. The information about which wiki is targeted is part of the ##domain## part of the URL.

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The following algorithm is used by XWiki:

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* First it tries to find a page that contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with the ##server## field having a value of ##domain##. If it finds one then it computes the name of the wiki by extracting it from that page name. Indeed, pages containing wiki descriptors must be named with the format ##XWikiServer<wikiid>##. For example if a page named ##XWikiServerTest## exists and it contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with a ##server## field value of ##somewiki## then the URL ##http:~/~/somewiki/xwiki/bin/...## will target the ##test## wiki (the value is lowercased from the page name when extracted).

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* If no wiki descriptor can be located then XWiki performs some checks:

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** If the ##domain## value is an IP (e.g. 127.0.0.1, 85.65.12.36, etc.) or has the value of ##localhost## then XWiki considers you're targeting the main wiki

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** If not, then XWiki tries to split the domain name and takes the first part before the "." (dot) character. For example if you have a domain name of ##prefix.domain.com## then it extracts ##prefix##. It then performs some additional checks:

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*** if the value of ##prefix## is ##www## and there's no wiki alias named ##www## (i.e. there's no page with a ##XWikiServerClass## object having a ##server## field value of ##www##) then XWiki considers you're targeting the main wiki.

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*** If not, then XWiki tries to find a page named ##XWikiServer<prefix>## and having a ##XWikiServerClass## object in it. If it's found then the target wiki is ##prefix##.

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*** If no such page is found then the behavior depends on the value of the configuration property named ##xwiki.virtual.failOnWikiDoesNotExist## (located in your ##xwiki.cfg## file). If the value is ##0## (which is the default) then the wiki served is the main wiki. If the value is ##1## then an error saying that the wiki doesn't exist is displayed.

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Note that in this mode you need to configure your DNS or modify your ##/etc/hosts## file in your operating system (see [[Hosts file documentation on Wikipedia>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file]] for details).

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Wiki source code of Accessing a wiki

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author	version	line-number	content
		1	{{box cssClass="floatinginfobox" title="Contents"}}
		2	{{toc/}}
		3	{{/box}}
		4
		5	XWiki supports [[multi-tenancy>>Documentation.UserGuide.Features.ScalabilityPerformance]] which means your instance can have several wikis. This page helps you understand how to configure XWiki to access the correct wiki. Check [[XWiki URL Format>>Documentation.DevGuide.Architecture.URL Architecture.Standard URL Format]] to better understand the current URL scheme.
		6
		7	XWiki supports 2 URL modes: Path-based and Domain based modes.
		8
		9	{{velocity}}
		10	{{info}}The documentation below is for XWiki 5.0 and beyond. For earlier versions, use [[this documentation>>path:$xwiki.getURL("Documentation.AdminGuide.Virtualization.AccessWiki.WebHome", "viewrev", "rev=5.1")]]{{/info}}
		11	{{/velocity}}
		12
		13	= Path-based wiki access =
		14
		15	This is the default mode if you haven't touched the XWiki configuration (##xwiki.virtual.usepath## property in the ##xwiki.cfg## file).
		16
		17	The URL format for this mode is: ##http:~/~/host/xwiki/wiki/wikialias/view/Space/Page##.
		18
		19	The important part of the URL is ##/wiki/wikialias##. Specifically it means:
		20
		21	* ##wiki##: this is just a fixed value used by XWiki to identify the URL as a path-based URL. If you wish to set a value different than ##wiki## you can configure it in ##xwiki.cfg## with the property ##xwiki.virtual.usepath.servletpath##.(((
		22	{{warning}}
		23	Don't forget to set the ##xwiki.authentication.logoutpage## property accordingly. Change the ##wiki## part in the property value for the right alias.
		24	{{/warning}}
		25	)))
		26	* ##wikialias##: this is used by XWiki to find the wiki descriptor (see below for more about wiki descriptors). The following algorithm is used:
		27	** First XWiki tries to find a page that contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with the ##server## field having a value of ##wikialias##. If it finds one then it computes the name of the wiki by extracting it from that page name. Indeed, pages containing wiki descriptors must be named with the format ##XWikiServer<wikiid>##. For example if a page named ##XWikiServerTest## exists and it contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with a ##server## field value of ##somewiki## then the URL ##http:~/~/host/xwiki/wiki/somewiki/...## will target the ##test## wiki (the value is lowercased from the page name when extracted).
		28	** If no wiki descriptor can be located then XWiki tries to find a page named ##XWikiServer<wikialias>## and having a ##XWikiServerClass## object in it. If it's found then the target wiki is ##wikialias##.
		29	** If no such page is found then the behavior depends on the value of the configuration property named ##xwiki.virtual.failOnWikiDoesNotExist## (located in your ##xwiki.cfg## file). If the value is ##0## (which is the default) then the wiki served is the main wiki. If the value is ##1## then an error saying that the wiki doesn't exist is displayed.
		30
		31	Note that if no ##/wiki/wikialias## path is found in the URL then XWiki continues to look for a wiki using the domain-based algorithm explained below.
		32
		33	= Domain-based wiki access =
		34
		35	{{info}}
		36	This was the default mode prior to XWiki 3.3. After the release of XWiki 3.3 the path-based mode was configured to be the default since it's the easiest to use.
		37	{{/info}}
		38
		39	The URL format for this mode is: ##{{{http://domain/xwiki/bin/view/Space/Page}}}##. The information about which wiki is targeted is part of the ##domain## part of the URL.
		40
		41	The following algorithm is used by XWiki:
		42
		43	* First it tries to find a page that contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with the ##server## field having a value of ##domain##. If it finds one then it computes the name of the wiki by extracting it from that page name. Indeed, pages containing wiki descriptors must be named with the format ##XWikiServer<wikiid>##. For example if a page named ##XWikiServerTest## exists and it contains a ##XWikiServerClass## object with a ##server## field value of ##somewiki## then the URL ##http:~/~/somewiki/xwiki/bin/...## will target the ##test## wiki (the value is lowercased from the page name when extracted).
		44	* If no wiki descriptor can be located then XWiki performs some checks:
		45	** If the ##domain## value is an IP (e.g. 127.0.0.1, 85.65.12.36, etc.) or has the value of ##localhost## then XWiki considers you're targeting the main wiki
		46	** If not, then XWiki tries to split the domain name and takes the first part before the "." (dot) character. For example if you have a domain name of ##prefix.domain.com## then it extracts ##prefix##. It then performs some additional checks:
		47	*** if the value of ##prefix## is ##www## and there's no wiki alias named ##www## (i.e. there's no page with a ##XWikiServerClass## object having a ##server## field value of ##www##) then XWiki considers you're targeting the main wiki.
		48	*** If not, then XWiki tries to find a page named ##XWikiServer<prefix>## and having a ##XWikiServerClass## object in it. If it's found then the target wiki is ##prefix##.
		49	*** If no such page is found then the behavior depends on the value of the configuration property named ##xwiki.virtual.failOnWikiDoesNotExist## (located in your ##xwiki.cfg## file). If the value is ##0## (which is the default) then the wiki served is the main wiki. If the value is ##1## then an error saying that the wiki doesn't exist is displayed.
		50
		51	{{info}}
		52	Note that in this mode you need to configure your DNS or modify your ##/etc/hosts## file in your operating system (see [[Hosts file documentation on Wikipedia>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file]] for details).
		53	{{/info}}