I have an ASP.NET website and over time it has become more and more of a data repository where I have numerous database tables and the site just ships out this data.
I am realizing that a wiki might actually start to be a better model for what my website is turning into. Or at least parts of it as it’s really just adding and updating content that I am doing. Here is my dilema:
There are certain parts of the site that do need to be non-wiki and fully customizable, etc. Should I go and build my own wiki capapabilities into my website so I can make it part wiki (embedded when I need it) and the rest regular ASP.NET? If the answer if yes, are there any tips or boiler plate code on how to build and host a wiki?
The alternative is to use existing wiki software. I have tried most of them and my issue is that I need to host it myself on Windows and as mentioned above I want to have complete control and have just a simple wiki page editable inside my site. I have tried using frames, etc. to simulate this, but it all seems kind of hacky.
Any advice on:
A. If you think I should build the wiki part of my site below, is there best practice, boiler plate code on how to do this quickly?
B. If you think I shouldn’t go reinvent the wheel, is there any existing Windows-hosted software that I can embed in my site without losing any control?
Rolling your own is a waste of time unless you have some major change or addition to the functionality of a wiki not otherwise available in existing systems (and even then, it’s often a waste of time to start over than to branch an existing setup).
I recommend using something like ScrewTurn, which is open-source and ASP.NET, which gives you a fully-functioning wiki with no development, as well as gives you as much control as necessary if you do need to make changes.