%META:TOPICINFO{author="ProjectContributor" date="1252720918" format="1.1" version="1"}%
%META:TOPICPARENT{name="UserDocumentationCategory"}%
---+!! What is an !ACRONYM?
An acronym is an abbreviation that is typically made up of the first letter or letters of a phrase.  A very familiar example would be WWW standing for World
Wide Web. In Foswiki, an acronym of 3 or more letters will be automatically linked _only if a topic of that name already exists in the Web._  

When you type an Acronym, you establish a possible hyperlink. It's as easy as that.

Just like !WikiWord linking, acronym linking is easy to use:
   * You don't have to know the full path to where the topic is stored - you just type the name
   * You don't need to write HTML
   * Without HTML, the topic text is easier to read when editing
   * Easy linking leads to interesting texts with links placed in context

---++ Syntax of an Acronym

   * 3 or more Uppercase letter(s)

Acronym syntax in [[Wikipedia:Extended_Backus_Naur_Form][Extended Backus.Naur form]] (EBNF):

<verbatim>
    Acronym        = 3*upperLetters ;
    upperLetters   = "A" | "B" | "C" | "D" | "E" | "F" | "G" | "H" | "I"
                    | "J" | "K" | "L" | "M" | "N" | "O" | "P" | "Q" | "R"
                    | "S" | "T" | "U" | "V" | "W" | "X" | "Y" | "Z" ;
</verbatim>

---++ Examples of Acronyms

   * HTML
   * RADAR    

But _Not_
   * HTML5 - A digit breaks the acronym link.
   * FAQs - The lower case letter breaks the link.

---++ Variations in linking

When you write an acronym and the acronym topic already exists, it becomes a link. There are more ways

   * To force a link to to an acronym, use bracket notation: =[<nop>[HTML5]]= - this becomes: [[HTML5]] and will display the broken link indicator (?) if the topic does not exist.
   * To link to an acronym in *another web*, write: =Sandbox.HTML= - this becomes: Sandbox.HTML
   * To link to an acronym on a site like the Acronym Finder,  use: =Acronym:HTTP= - this becomes: Acronym:HTTP  (sites are defined in the InterwikiPlugin)

---++ Hints
   * To stop an Acronym from being turned into a hyperlink, insert an exclamation point immediately before the Acronym. For example, write =!<nop>HTML= to get HTML.
   * Unlike WikiWords, plural Acronyms are _not_ automatically linked to the singular topic.
   * =FAQ= will be linked, but =FAQIndex= will not. Turn acronyms into !WikiWords, i.e. Change =FAQIndex= to  =FaqIndex= for a "FAQ index" topic.
   * It is possible to turn off the auto-linking and to rely only on the bracket notation using the NOAUTOLINK [[%SYSTEMWEB%.PreferenceSettings][preference setting]].
      * You can set NOAUTOLINK in your personal topic, or directly in any topic to change linking behavior for you or an individual topic.

---
*Related Topics:* WikiSyntax, TextFormattingRules
%STOPINCLUDE%
