Preface [ 2 ] Your feedback is very valuable to us. You can contribute by reporting any errors you nd in the book, making suggestions for new content that you'd like to see in future updates, commenting, and blogging about it. What this book covers Written in an easy-to-read and encouraged-to-try style, this book will take you from the basics of publishing style CMS—such as web forms, page templates, and staging—to the skills that will make you an Alfresco developer, covering advanced topics such as workow, web services integration, and more. The topics that this book covers are: Chapter 1, A Publishing Style Web CMS, explains the Alfresco's Web Content Management architecture and key features of the software. Chapter 2, Installation and Conguration, includes tips to choose the right installation for you, and also installation of the software and start using it. Chapter 3, Getting Started with Alfresco WCM, introduces the basic concepts of Alfresco Web Content Management from a user perspective. It demonstrates how to set up and congure Alfresco Explorer for managing a web project and showcases a sample web publishing scenario. Chapter 4, Web Content Production with Web Forms, includes advanced concepts of separating the web content from presentation. You do this by storing the web content in XML using Alfresco web forms and presenting its various formats such as HTML and text using Presentation Templates. Chapter 5, WCM Workows, explains the entire process of creating web content, getting it approved, and publishing it to a staging environment. You will learn and have extensive hands-on experience with the examples to create a exible workow. Chapter 6, Dynamic Deployment and Customizations, explains the dynamic customization of workow without requiring a restart of the Alfresco server. Chapter 7, Content Delivery and Deployment, introduces you to the content delivery and deployment features of Alfresco. You will understand the concepts behind delivering static content as well as dynamic content to the external production servers. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Preface [ 3 ] Chapter 8, Managing Multiple Websites Using WCM, covers information about managing multiple web projects using one installation of Alfresco WCM. Chapter 9, Alfresco Surf and Web Editor, introduces Surf, which is an application framework for developing and delivering dynamic websites. Alfresco web editor is an application developed using Surf and provides in-context editing capabilities for Alfresco repository content. Chapter 10, Integrating WCM Using Web Scripts, teaches you the web scripts and the integration of Alfresco WCM with the external systems using web scripts. Chapter 11, Leveraging Alfresco Framework for WCM, provides information to leverage Alfresco's Document Management features in WCM. Chapter 12, WCM Administration, provides a high-level overview of administering and maintaining your Alfresco implementation. What you need for this book The default installation of Alfresco requires installing software downloaded from the SourceForge project location (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles. php?group_id=143373 ). Now Alfresco is hosting its own enterprise download area. You can also download this from http://www.alfresco.com/products/ecm/ enttrial/ . Select the download package. And you will be asked for the user name and password of the Alfresco content community. To install and run Alfresco, you need at least 1 GB disk space and at least 1 GB RAM on the desktop or server. Who this book is for If you are a web developer or content manager and wish to build a website using Alfresco, and customize it as per your client's needs, then this book is for you. It will also help business users to migrate from the existing proprietary web development tools to standards based open source web content management. Although no knowledge of Alfresco is presumed, exposure to HTML, XML, JavaScript, Java, and related web technologies will help you to get the most from this book. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Preface [ 4 ] Conventions In this book, you will nd a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning. Code words in text are shown as follows: "We can include other contexts through the use of the include directive." A block of code is set as follows: <cm:person view:childName="cm:person"> <cm:userName>fredb</cm:userName> <cm:firstName>Fred</cm:firstName> <cm:lastName>Bloggs</cm:lastName> <cm:email>fredb@alfresco.org</cm:email> When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold: </property> <property name="stores"> <list> <value>workspace://SpacesStore</value> </list> </property> <property name="queryTemplate"> <value>PATH:"/app:company_home"</value> </property> <property name="cronExpression"> <value>0 0/15 * * * ?</value> </property> <property name="jobName"> <value>jobD</value> </property> <property name="jobGroup"> <value>jobGroup</value> </property> Any command-line input or output is written as follows: > chmod a+x ./alfresco-<version>-linux-community.bin Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Preface [ 5 ] New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "Go to a space and add a le by clicking on the Add Content line." Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this. Tips and tricks appear like this. Reader feedback Feedback from our readers is always welcome. Let us know what you think about this book—what you liked or may have disliked. Reader feedback is important for us to develop titles that you really get the most out of. To send us general feedback, simply send an e-mail to feedback@packtpub.com, and mention the book title via the subject of your message. If there is a book that you need and would like to see us publish, please send us a note in the SUGGEST A TITLE form on www.packtpub.com or e-mail suggest@packtpub.com. If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, see our author guide on www.packtpub.com/authors. Customer support Now that you are the proud owner of a Packt book, we have a number of things to help you to get the most from your purchase. Downloading the example code for this book You can download the example code les for all Packt books you have purchased from your account at http://www.PacktPub.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit http://www.PacktPub.com/ support and register to have the les e-mailed directly to you. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Preface [ 6 ] Errata Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you nd a mistake in one of our books—maybe a mistake in the text or the code—we would be grateful if you would report this to us. By doing so, you can save other readers from frustration and help us improve subsequent versions of this book. 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We appreciate your help in protecting our authors, and our ability to bring you valuable content. Questions You can contact us at questions@packtpub.com if you are having a problem with any aspect of the book, and we will do our best to address it. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> A Publishing Style Web CMS The Alfresco Web Content Management is a next generation tool that allows organizations to rapidly create and more effectively maintain dynamic Internet, intranet, and extranet sites, enabling a shortened web development cycle, providing high returns on investment, and low cost of ownership. WCM manages the content and structure of websites, including the framework and navigation, as well as the creation, editing, approval, and publication processes. By using Alfresco you can implement web content management solutions with a scalable content repository: Web 2.0 AJAX-based user interface, exible workow, multi-language support, and a robust search engine. This chapter provides an introduction to Alfresco WCM, outlining the benets of using it for your enterprise's web content management requirements. It also introduces the new features of the Alfresco WCM. In this chapter, you will learn about: • Alfresco WCM architecture • The Alfresco WCM model • Features of Alfresco WCM • Benets Good web content management pays big dividends When an organization's management team is reviewing budgetary proposals, the price tag associated with a new computing solution often elicits one question: "Can't we avoid this expense?" The answer is obvious: you can continue to operate your websites without the benet of a content management solution. However, the real question should be, "What is the cost of not making this purchase?" Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> A Publishing Style Web CMS [ 8 ] Here are some factors to consider: High labor costs and the shortage of qualied personnel Finding and holding on to qualied employees can be a challenge. All the more a reason to make the most of each individual's skill set. A web content management solution that empowers content providers to post directly to a live site increases their productivity. By the same token, IT personnel who are not ensnared in the posting process are free to apply their skills and knowledge to more challenging tasks. Providing state-of-the-art tools helps promote positive attitudes while improving productivity, which can go a long way in retaining skilled personnel. How long it currently takes to implement site changes Does it take hours or even days to post new content on your websites? That's often far too long to leave outdated or incorrect information on a site. After all, the beauty of the Internet is providing target audiences with 24x7 access to all of the latest and greatest information. When a site becomes stale, users become disenchanted and are less likely to return. Recapturing a user's interest is far more difcult than maintaining it with fresh, personalized content. Potential problems caused by erroneous or out-of-date postings When new information doesn't get posted quickly, what does it cost your organization? In case of a publicly-traded company, incorrect nancial postings can have serious consequences. Providing only accurate, timely product information can prevent misunderstandings that lead to customer dissatisfaction. Giving distributors and suppliers incorrect, out-of-date, or partial information can have a negative effect on your bottom line. The right web content management solution, one that is easy to use and maintain, will help ensure that your organization provides site visitors with reliable content. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Chapter 1 [ 9 ] Revenue losses attributable to an inability to respond A website that cannot be scaled to meet a business' emerging needs is just as serious a problem as an inability to hire more people, move to a larger facility, or acquire additional suppliers. Revenue can be lost and the future of the organization diminished. Why take such chances, especially when websites are becoming central to doing business? Competitive issues related to a lack of planning Hiring an experienced webmaster allows an organization to use that individual's skills beyond day-to-day site maintenance. A knowledgeable individual can help review site architecture, assess future site requirements, and implement upgrades. These are valuable activities for growing organizations that want to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing economic environment. However, when the webmaster must operate as a "web page processor", the time and skills of this valuable resource cannot be fully utilized. The right web content management solution can allow your organization to: • Make effective use of all internal resources • Slash the time required to implement site content changes or redesign a site • Ensure the availability of timely, accurate information • Scale its website to keep pace with organizational growth • Plan to accommodate new business initiatives and technological advances Various WCM systems in the market The worldwide Web Content Management market has been growing exponentially. The market maturity has homogenized much of the competition. Therefore, procurement decisions should be increasingly based upon vendor viability and the vendor's long-term product strategy. Maintaining your web assets is both a cost of doing business and a competitive differentiator. There are proprietary and open source WCMs available today for organizations to choose from. Alfresco is one of the leading choices when organizations look at the open source options available to them. Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> A Publishing Style Web CMS [ 10 ] The Alfresco WCM engages customers through next-generation sites, enabling mass contributions from internal and external users, simple conguration via reusable web scripts, and low-cost massive scalability that uses commodity software and hardware. Cutting edge technology, rich interface experiences, user participation, and effective costing are all factors that organizations seek to consider while selecting the best suited WCM solution for their organization. From a high-level perspective, WCM solutions in the market today can be classied into two types: • Wiki style • Publishing style The following table shows the differences between the two types: Features Wiki Style Web CMS Publishing Style Web CMS Authoring and delivery Single system for authoring and delivery Authoring and delivery are separated Content and presentation Little separation of content and presentation Content = Page or page fragment Separate content and presentation Content ≠ Page or page fragment Validation Little or no validation / QA process Congurable editorial and approval process Editing In place editing of live web pages Editing of separate editorial copy of content Apt for Smaller sites or those managed by smaller teams Larger sites or those managed by larger teams Examples Wikis Joomla! Drupal PHP Nuke Portal Server CM portlets Alfresco Interwoven Vignette Day Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Chapter 1 [ 11 ] The Alfresco WCM model Content Production and Content Delivery are separated in Alfresco Web Content Management, as shown in the following diagram: It is important to understand the concepts that form the basis of the Alfresco WCM model. Web projects Web projects are the production-side representation of a site. This is what manages the content consumed by the site. Here the access rules and roles for content producers are dened. Every Alfresco server can have multiple web projects. Within a web project the user can: • View content based on the state of their User and/or Staging Sandboxes • Preview content based on the state of a sandbox with workows • Upload le-based content • Create web forms and manage content • Submit content to staging and deploy content to a live environment These actions can be controlled and managed through the use of workows. Sandboxes Alfresco provides a sandboxed development model. Content producers make use of the sandboxes to make changes to a site in isolation from one another. The default conguration is as follows: • One Staging Sandbox per web project • One User Sandbox per user per web project Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> . it. What this book covers Written in an easy-to-read and encouraged-to-try style, this book will take you from the basics of publishing style CMS—such as web forms, page templates, and staging—to. Explorer for managing a web project and showcases a sample web publishing scenario. Chapter 4, Web Content Production with Web Forms, includes advanced concepts of separating the web content from. </property> Any command-line input or output is written as follows: > chmod a+x ./alfresco-<version>-linux-community.bin Download from Wow! eBook <www.wowebook.com> Preface [