Dynamic Publishing System

The Problem

The traditional way to create dynamic pages for AOLserver is to write "pages that are really programs," mixing Tcl code, database queries and HTML in a single file. This approach is convenient under the following conditions:

• when all people working on the site have equal responsibility and ability to write code, create content, and design page layouts.
• When a single presentation of the content is sufficient.

Alas, the world of web publishing is not so monotonic these days. Most web publishing teams are faced with the following dilemma(s):

• The process of creating a site is no longer in the lone hands of a team of programmers. Page templates are usually designed by graphic artists, UI experts, and their associated journeymen. Programmers must wire their code into the complex templates handed to them by the HTML authors, and then take responsibility for any later changes to the HTML that involves their code. Content may be managed and contributed by separate teams of editors and authors.

• As the Web truly becomes World Wide, the need to present the same content in different ways is becoming increasingly important. This includes both publishing in different languages as well as publishing for different devices, such as cell phones and home internet appliances.

The complexities of contemporary web publishing demand more attention to improving productivity and collaboration among all members of the team. Programmers need the means to focus more on functionality, optimization and security and less on design work. Conversely, HTML authors need the freedom to make most design changes without programmer intervention. Editors and authors need a way to contribute and manage the content that the pages present. Site managers need the means to oversee the work of the entire team.

The System

The Dynamic Publishing System addresses these problems with an integrated suite of tools:

• Dynamic templates that allow for strict separation of code (Tcl and SQL) and layout (HTML). Programmers specify the sources and variable names of dynamic data in a data specification file associated with each template file. HTML authors then use a small number of special markup tags to include the specified data in the template.
• A form manager to handle user data transactions with similar separation of code and layout. Programmers specify the functional characteristics of a form in a form specification file. Most form manager uses this information to handle most common programming tasks related to forms, including validation, populating button groups and select lists, setting of default values for update forms, and database interaction. HTML authors use special markup tags to include the specified form widgets in a form template.
• A site manager that allows the publisher to establish a hierarchical structure for a site, for the purpose of generating navigation controls and site maps. The manager may also be used to assign common properties, such as master layout templates, resource directories, and group access permissions to entire branches of the site.
• A content manager that supports distributed contribution and editorial control of static text and images in multiple languages. A site may have any number of content sections, each with its own group of authors who have permission to contribute content and editors who have permission to make changes and approvals for public release.
• A locale manager to define the languages in which the site is published and allow for user selection of locale.
• An index manager for assignment of keywords to content, pages, and entire sections of the site. This information may then be used to create metadata and site indices, as well as track user interests.
• A file management tool for controlled editing and uploading of text and image files.

Status

The Dynamic Publishing System is currently being developed, documented and reviewed internally by ArsDigita. It is publicly available for trial and inspection from its development site. The documentation still needs improvement but should be enough for you to get started. Questions and feedback are welcome.

Due to bugs and limitations in the current beta release of AOLserver 3.0, the system currently works only with AOLserver 2.3.3. After internal review is complete and AOLserver 3.0 is finally released, the goal is to include it in the standard ACS distribution.