Recommend: Java based CMS

[Andrew Thompson]

I now have access to a Java enabled server and am toying
with the idea of installing a Java based CMS to wrap common
navigation, header/footer around basic HTML, in the style
of the CMS used at dev.java.net*.

Resources Available
- Java based server. Servlets or (uggh..) JSP available.
- MySQL database.

Looking over this list of possibilites at SourceForge
<http://java-source.net/open-source/content-managment-systems>
32 listed.. Huhh.. Some are ruled out immediately from
the short description, but I was wondering if anybody
around here had enough experience with the remaining ones
to suggest a good** CMS?

Of course, if it is not on the SF list, but is worth
mentioning, please speak up.

** Requirements
- Manages HTML content and possibly images***.
- Standardised, interoperable.
- Easy editing of 'themes' (are they actually talking
about CSS there?) and/or 'templates' - I would prefer
storing templates as either XML or HTML(ish).
- Good documentation and userbase/communities (for more help).
- Open source + free for use on non-commercial site.
- Would be nice if included (or had easy extensibility -
'plug-in') for
-- *** bulk image storage (though that may require
a second DB?).
-- site search (especially JavaHelp based).

* This page..
<https://screensavers.dev.java.net/config/>
Is valid HTML 4.01 here, and becomes this valid..
<http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=https:/
%2Fscreensavers.dev.java.net%2Fconfig%2F&charset=%28detect
+automatically%29&doctype=Inline&group=0>
...oh well, it was valid when the CMS declared the HTML as 4.01..
<http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=https:/
%2Fscreensavers.dev.java.net%2Fconfig%2F&charset=%28detect
+automatically%29&doctype=HTML+4.01+Strict&group=0>
172 errors reduced to 5, mostly due to the XHTML 1.0
mixed into it. (sigh)

 

[Andrew Thompson]

I now have access to a Java enabled server and am toying
with the idea of installing a Java based CMS to wrap common
navigation, header/footer around basic HTML, in the style
of the CMS used at dev.java.net*.

Resources Available
- Java based server.  Servlets or (uggh..) JSP available.
- MySQL database.

Looking over this list of possibilites at SourceForge

ahem.. java-source.net (polite cough)

<http://java-source.net/open-source/content-managment-systems>

..

 

[Roedy Green]

I now have access to a Java enabled server and am toying
with the idea of installing a Java based CMS to wrap common
navigation

See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/cms.html

You might also want to consider using the scheme I do, static macros.

The advantage for you is you require no server-side support. You can
host on any vanilla HTML server.

Economics pushed me in this direction, and I saw you were needing a
free hosting for your site too.

I have not published my html macro scheme, but if you wanted it, it
would be the impetus to get some docs in order and you would provide
the list of question for the FAQ.

The idea is very simple you embed macros in HTML. They pass the
parameters to a dynamically loaded Java class that expands them to
text by hook or by crook. Some go looking out on my disk. Some look up
a database of quotation ... They have the full power of standard Java
at their disposal.

Mostly they look like StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder (1000);
sb.append( xxx );

The do validation, clever defaults, random selections...

The generated page is compacted to remove excess white space.

Then it is compared with the old version. If it has not changed,
nothing happens. Otherwise the new version is saved to disk.
This saves nugatory uploads.

The advantages are:

1. I can change the look of the entire site by changing a macro or
style sheet.

2. Once the macro is debugged, no matter how intricate the HTMl, the
result is always perfect. If I screw it up, I just regenerate it.

3. no overhead on the server generating pages on fly.

4. I think Google prefers it this way. There is nothing to confuse it.
All documents are spiderable and real. My site map map does not claim
every document was born today.

5. You can write simple macros by writing the HTML generated out by
hand, running it through Quoter to turn it into Java string literals,
then replacing the variable bits.

The parsing engine part is very simple and quick (just a few
indexofs). All the work is in writing the macros. I have written
about 100 of them. They are real world you can cannibalise or modify.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/cms.html

You might also want to consider using the scheme I do, static macros.

That is similar to what I am doing now, but
probably simpler - with Ant build scripts.

There are entire sites I would keep as pure
static HTML (mostly for use off CD and such),
but I want to consider the CMS alternative
for this one site.

Nice page on CMS by the way, it pretty much
summarises the things I would also like to
see (ideally) in the CMS. Opportunity for
breadcrumbs/trails, search and the like..

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

I now have access to a Java enabled server and am toying
with the idea of installing a Java based CMS to wrap common
navigation, header/footer around basic HTML, in the style
of the CMS used at dev.java.net*.

Resources Available
- Java based server. Servlets or (uggh..) JSP available.
- MySQL database.

Looking over this list of possibilites at SourceForge
<http://java-source.net/open-source/content-managment-systems>
32 listed.. Huhh.. Some are ruled out immediately from
the short description, but I was wondering if anybody
around here had enough experience with the remaining ones
to suggest a good** CMS?

If you want a CMS then go for OpenCMS. It is fine.

Alfresco and Jahia have more features, but they are
probably to heavyweight for what you need.

Arne

 

[Andrew Thompson]

If you want a CMS then go for OpenCMS. It is fine.

Alfresco and Jahia have more features, but they are
probably to heavyweight for what you need.

Thanks - I will have a closer look at those three.

 

[Thomas Kellerer]

Andrew Thompson, 15.06.2008 09:10:

I now have access to a Java enabled server and am toying
with the idea of installing a Java based CMS to wrap common
navigation, header/footer around basic HTML, in the style
of the CMS used at dev.java.net*.

Resources Available
- Java based server. Servlets or (uggh..) JSP available.
- MySQL database.

Have a look at OpenEdit

It's very lightweigth doesn't even need a database, and has very sophisticated features.

Actually it's a bit more than "just" a CMS as it is also used to power the website.

Regards
Thomas

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Have a look at OpenEdit

Thanks. I'll add that to the list.

 

[Daniel Pitts]

** Requirements
- Manages HTML content and possibly images***.
- Standardised, interoperable.
- Easy editing of 'themes' (are they actually talking
about CSS there?) and/or 'templates' - I would prefer
storing templates as either XML or HTML(ish).
- Good documentation and userbase/communities (for more help).
- Open source + free for use on non-commercial site.
- Would be nice if included (or had easy extensibility -
'plug-in') for
-- *** bulk image storage (though that may require
a second DB?).
-- site search (especially JavaHelp based).

Funny thing is, my job right now is to create a full-featured CMS for
the company I work for , unfortunately its proprietary, and has so
many "business rules" built in as to likely be useless for the average
Joe. Very heavyweight

Still, a very "fun" project. You learn a lot about pushing bits around
when you have lots of bits to push all over.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/cms.html

You might also want to consider using the scheme I do, static macros.

That is grandiose to what I am doing nowadays, but
artificially simpler - with Ant build scripts.

There are biblical splatterfilms I would keep as unsystematic
tidy HTML (unselfishly for praise off item and such),
but I want to spout the CMS alternative
for this one tofu.

Miller page on CMS by the way, it marvelous much
summarises the items I would also like to
see (ideally) in the CMS. Opportunity for
breadcrumbs/trails, search and the like..

--
Wally McWharton
http://pscode.org/


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[NWO, New World Order, Lucifer, Satan, 666, Illuminati, Zionism,
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plans."

-- Benjamin Disraeli
September 10, 1876, in Aylesbury

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