We have written a simple command-line tool that makes it possible to edit wiki pages using your favorite text editor instead of within a browser text box. The tool provides a CVS/SVN-like command-line interface that can be used to update local copies of files from the web and to commit local modifications to the web.

The tool is written in SML (of course) and is available in the MLton Sources (wiki). To compile it, you need to have the latest SVN of the MLton library sources, and point the MLB path variable MLTON_SRC_LIB at the lib/mlton dir in the sources.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to use the tool

1. Create a new directory for your local copy of the wiki files.

2. In that directory, login.

    wiki login http://mlton.org StephenWeeks <my password>

3. Checkout (the raw wiki markup) files with commands like:

    wiki checkout Home
    wiki checkout Index Documentation

4. Edit the files using your favorite text editor.

5. Commit your changes with a command like

    wiki commit UserGuide

6. Logout.

    wiki logout

That's it for the simple use. There are also other commands like CVS/SVN.

• Download the new version of a file from the web if there is one.

   wiki update UserGuide

• Schedule a new file to be added (must be later committed, just like CVS/SVN) .

   wiki add NewFile

• Rename a page

   wiki rename OldFile NewFile

• Remove a page

   wiki remove DeletedFile

• Attach files to a page

   wiki attach <file> <attachment>

• Detach files to a page

   wiki detach <file> <attachment>

rename and remove shouldn't work for most people on mlton.org because of the way our AccessControl is set up.

This code is a two-day hack and is not widely used. But we've found it useful. Please send bug reports to MLton@mlton.org.