-
Well-documented, robust API allowing
third party developers to create
'plug-ins' to extend base functionality
-
Delivery of content to multiple target
platforms (HTML, XML/XSL, WAP/WML, text,
etc)
-
Readers may format a story for printing,
or email to a friend
-
Pages are presented as static URLs so
that 'spider' type search engines may
crawl and index them
-
Strict separation of design and content
- designers control site look and feel
by developing templates using standard
site editing tools such as Dreamweaver,
GoLive, BBEdit, etc., while editors
manage site content via a web interface
-
Permissions-based multiuser site
management screens allow a PROPS site to
be maintained by a distributed team of
reporters and editors
-
Will support the XML-based News Industry
Text Format
-
Will speak various XML dialects for both
import and export, allowing syndication
in both directions, and enabling PROPS
sites to participate in distributed news
networks
-
Is targeted at mid-sized publishers
serving fewer than one million page
views daily, however will be architected
to scale through deployment of multiple
front-end web servers, separate image
servers, etc.
-
Readers will be able to access content
in HTML or WAP/WML format. Use of XML/XSLT
will allow delivery in other formats as
standards develop. (Note: we're
currently not using XSLT, but it should
not be hard to adapt the software to use
it in the future if any benefits to
doing so become obvious)
-
Readers will be able to view a printable
version of all stories, or email a story
to a friend. XSLT will also be used to
generate these versions.
-
Readers will be able to perform advanced
keyword searches on archives. Archives
will be free, however if someone wants
to add paid archives capabilities, we'll
let you.
All pages will be presented as static
URLs, so that 'spider' type search
engines may crawl and index stories.
This should be a configuration option,
since access to the Apache config file
is required to enable this.
-
The content management screens will have
an intuitive and consistent end user
interface. Style guidelines will be
written to ensure that 3rd-party
plug-ins are consistent with the core
system's user interface.
-
Multiple users will be supported through
ACLs or user/group privileges.
-
Editors will have access to a 'web desk'
screen listing new stories from external
feeds, and stories that have been
assigned to them by another editor.
-
In addition to editing stories from the
wire, editors will be able to enter
stories into the database using
web-based forms.
-
Stories may be scheduled to publish on a
future date.
-
Photos will flow into the web desk from
external feeds/interfaces, and may be
assigned to stories.
