November 09, 2006
Sending Wikimail Messages in Gmail
Yesterday, I posted details about Wikimail and linked to a Greasemonkey script that embedded a wiki in a Gmail message on receipt of a wikimail message. For today's post, I've extended the script so that its easy to post - and create - wikimail messages in Gmail.
As before, I've produced both a Greasemonkey script and a Firefox extension: wikimail Greasemonkey script, wikimail Firefox extension.
To send a wikimail from one Gmail account to another, click on the 'Compose Mail' link in the normal way. The compose toolbar in the send form is augmented with a text box and a link to 'Create wikimail'. Enter the name of the wiki page you want to send in the text box using the same syntax as described previously.
For example: wikimaildemo.wikidot or wikimaildemo.wikidot/newWikiMessage:
Click on the link and the corresponding wiki opens within Gmail:
If the wiki page already exists, it will be opened for editing. For a wikidot wiki, if the wiki page does not exist you will be offered the opportunity to create it. The wikimaildemo.wikidot wiki has been set up to allow anonymous access, so if you want to try out using wikimail, feel free to use that wiki and create your own wiki page.
Edit the wiki and commit the changes.
When the wiki was opened, awikimail link to the wiki that was created (if it was a new wiki) or opened (if it already existed) is automatically added to the body of the message that wil actually be sent. Note that if you have already typed something into the body of the message, it will be lost.
Now all you have to do is send the message to another Gmail user (if you want to add additional text to the body of the message, now's the time to do it):
When the recipient opens the message, they will see the wikimail link and any other text you added to the body of the message.
Clicking the Show/hide wikimail link will open the wiki:
So there we have it - an end to end wikimail solution in Gmail :-)
If you want to try it and you don't have a Gmail account, mail me - I still have a few invites left.
Posted by ajh59 at November 9, 2006 12:05 AM