OpenEdit CMS

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OpenEdit CMS

• Ray Allen
• St Antonys College

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Why OpenEdit?

• Primary requirement allowing users to author
  and edit their own web pages
• Flat file CMS no database required
• Self-contained all necessary features included
  in one application
• Opensource but with commercial support if
  required

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How it works

• Java application
• Runs on Tomcat (Java Application Server)
• Tomcat also used as the Web Server
• Downloadable WAR file provides a working OpenEdit
  website
• XML configuration files

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File Structure

• Familiar HTML directory layout
• html pages only hold page content
• OpenEdit applies the layout
• Templates held in WEB-INF/base/layouts
• .site_xconf file determines layout applied

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layout.html

• (X)HTML template with normal CSS links
• Incorporates the referring html file
  pages.streamContent()
• Include files relative to referring html file
  pages.include("urlpath/extralinks.html")
• Build using any number of other files
  pages.stream("/layouts/header.html")

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Other files

• WEB-INF/base/users each user has xml file with
  encrypted password data
• WEB-INF/base/groups xml file, allows group
  based control of resources
• WEB-INF/lib contains java app files
• File and folder permissions can be set using
  .xconf files (user interface available)

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DEMO

• Administrative user login and site tour

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Deployment

• Learn Tomcat
• Watch memory use of Java
• Probably worth using a separate webserver (IIS,
  Apache) for optimum performance
• Limited documentation for OpenEdit
• Not as widely used as other CMS (Plone etc)

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References

• http//www.openedit.com
• http//tomcat.apache.org/
• http//www.sant.ox.ac.uk/about/website.html