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The Tiki Wiki project
The project

The Tiki project and software initiative started in 2002 and they were more than 100 versions released.
Based on a Wiki model to manage unstructured data, it has evolved into a structured model data and many additional functionalities were added by different companies, individuals or groups as anyone can contribute into the code.

This project is a web based software generator, a toolbox, to allow developers, configurators or simple users to create tailored micro applications. It is based on recognized technologies (PHP, MySQL, Javascript ElasticSearch, Smarty, Bootstrap, etc) as well as innovative and relatively new technologies (Rubix AI, VueJS, Manticore search, Cypth, etc).

The software has been designed for beginners and advanced users, should they be individual or a team and all the editing tools focus on collaboration and teamwork with an additional control layer to manage submissions, staging and approval functions.

With zero programming skills, you can assemble your solution. The software allows fast and easy customisation to allow fully designed solutions, turning Tiki into a perfect companion to design prototypes or tailor made solution in short time.

Tiki Wiki CMS


I offer several services to support and help individual and companies the best possible way.
I also propose ready-to-use solutions you can use and customize for your own project.


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Presentation of the Tiki project

Bernard Sfez, Tiki Specialist

We will review the main aspects of the Tiki project including the Community and its management.
It is based on 20 years of consultancy as well as my work on the Tiki software project.

  • What is the Tiki project
  • Tiki features out-of-the-box
  • Tiki options and management tools
  • Overview of the Tiki Software
  • Pros and cons about the Tiki software
  • How to discover more about the Tiki software ?
  • The Tiki community and association model
  • The technical decisions and development
  • Some facts and links about the Tiki Software development

What is the Tiki project

The mission of the Tiki Software Community Association is to foster the development of the free and Open Source software, Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware, and to promote the free use of this software by all who can benefit, particularly individuals, groups, and organizations for whom online collaboration will strengthen their communities and facilitate achieving their goals together.

In essence the Tiki project is made of:

  • A software
  • A collegial leaded association (Project admins)
  • A coders collaborative efforts (Developers)
  • An Open Source community (Users, Developers and Admins)

Tiki features out-of-the-box

Tiki is an all-in-one solution (no 3rd party plugin), it is coded to allow interaction between features and options.
It can be deployed on a local intranet or internet (online or offline) and allow quick publishing. Tiki allow fine tuning its features or heavy customisation and comes with ready to use solutions for:

Tiki options and management tools

Running features together require multiple and flexible components to control interoperability.
Tiki comes with a long list of System preferences and Security preferences (and tools) but also with a Users and Content management tools as well as a complete Multilingual and Translation feature.

Tiki is a no-code/low-code web framework able to interact directly with database values through the Tiki Trackers. Trackers allow the users to built database access through defined type fields and distribute all this data to most of the others Tiki features. Types are various like text, date, list, files and category field as well as relational fields (itemlink, itemList, username, user preferences, etc.) and advanced like Mathematical and Mailbox.
Dedicated plugins with templates, filters and paginations tools allows to configure multilingual user interfaces and visual enhancement.
Import and Export advanced tools allows third party data acquisition and the process can be even automatised internally using the Scheduler functionality.

Combining Trackers and the wiki makes Tiki a Structured Wiki software.

Realestates Sample Kindergarten Sample Article Sample2 Knowledge Sample2 Knowledge Sample1

Overview of the Tiki Software

Pros and cons about the Tiki software

This is about the Tiki project, more information on the open source model here.
What people say or think

  • It really does everything (over 1500 features/options)
  • All-in-a-box suite of tools
  • It runs on any type of server
  • It doesn't require to be a coder
  • It is compatible with many (all?) format
  • Interoperability with a lot of online services
  • It allows automation and API connection
  • It allow extendibility (future-proof)
  • Very stable with a 8 month release cycle
  • The code is safe and breach are dealt with rapidly
  • It is supported by a community of users
  • New admins can get rapidly lost
  • Time is required to fully master the power of the software
  • Hard to find a developer or a consultant
  • Not a lot of public coverage about it
  • Not enough/incomplete Documentation
  • Things can break on upgrade
  • Too many people can touch the code

Even if we focus on the Tiki software, it is based on an Open Source model and it transpires clearly in pro and cons. The size of the problems the software tries to solve also as its price.

How to discover more about the Tiki software ?

This is a very short presentation and you may want to find more information:

The Tiki community and association model

The Tiki model is based on DO-Ocracy !
If you do, you act or you contribute to the project, your voice will count as equal as anyone else.

In that regard, there is no limitation to join the developer team and start to commit code, add translations, participate to the documentation, create profiles, join the meetings, etc.
To protect everyone interest, there are guideline based on 3 simple rules:

  • Respect the Environment (think about other users)
  • Commit early, Commit often (allow other to review and prepare)
  • Make it Optional (don't change existing behavior)


Those rules are extended through development guidelines (editable by anyone) and open discussions held by and with the user community
Monthly Roundtable meetings, Tikifeast (regular international meeting), XMPP chat (Tiki feature), forums and users maillist.

Among the Tiki teams, a dozens of admins manage the legal or financial aspect of the project and the infra-structure during TAG meetings.

The technical decisions and development

As seen, there are many options for an individual or a company to influence the code and the "next" features.
Those are the typical motivation type for a change in the code change:

  • Improvement in existing technologies (PHP8, BS4 to BS5)
  • Change of standards (devices, users expectations, etc)
  • Feature addition by a coder (owner)
  • Feature addition for a project (3rd party request)
  • Maintenance of the software (security, translation, upgrade)
  • Abandoned feature, technology or 3rd party project.
  • Change in licensing of 3rd party component (ElasticSearch to Manticore)

There are specific development that are not part of the code and just added to a local project or profile.

Another interesting point and somehow different of many project, Tiki is a "eat your own dogfood" project.

Tiki is one of the largest open-source teams in the world, and is in the top 2% of all project teams on Open Hub.
Code comments and quality rank Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware among the top 10% of all PHP projects on Open Hub.
Officially up to 1.3 millions copies were download from the main package sources (2020) but an unknown number of git version are cloned every day.

Source: https://www.openhub.net/p/tikiwiki/factoids


Wellcommented Commits Security

Links of interest about Tiki development:


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