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Software version 4.1 of FirstSpirit™ focuses on optimising editorial processes. The new version includes extensive functional enhancements in FirstSpirit™ JavaClient. Several of these highlights are introduced in the following.
The JavaClient of FirstSpirit™ has been given a complete makeover in Version 4.1: Its look & feel have been revised in favour of a new, modern design. As part of this revision, the client's user-friendliness has also been optimised: Full text search is now available directly above the stores, the tab displays of the sections include the option of directly activating the content for generation, the symbols of the icons have been revised and much more.
Users who want to continue working in the classic view of FirstSpirit™ can easily do this: The look & feel can be switched over for each specific user and therefore makes it easier to gradually change over to the new user interface.
Each user now has a personalised project entry page in FirstSpirit JavaClient. The entry page includes a list of the user-specific bookmarks and open tasks.
Furthermore, it is also possible to quick start project-specific actions. In this way, after starting the client, the user is immediately offered a personalised project view which assists them in their further actions.
The entry page remains available via a button the whole time the client is used.
The Webstart page of FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 shows its completely new makeover. Apart from the prominent buttons for starting Web and JavaClient additional information is also displayed:
Using the language selection in the top right-hand part of the page it is now possible to select Italian as the language setting for the menu labelling, context menus and dialogs of the FirstSpirit™ applications.
FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 can now be used to integrate so-called "Inline tables" directly in the text flow. This means it is no longer necessary to create tables as a separate section. Depending on the corporate design, any number of design options such as background colours, text alignment and font are now made available to the editor down to cell level. Depending on the configuration of the style templates by the template developer, these default values can be independently changed by the editor when editing the table in the DOM Editor.
Since Version 4.1, a search option within the selection dialogs in the FirstSpirit™ JavaClient has enabled editors to quickly find objects. The new function is available in all stores and makes work easier, especially in large projects with extensive content. For example, the editor can now directly search for objects without having to navigate via the tree diagram beforehand. Editorial content, for example in PDF files, are also taken into account in the search and is clearly displayed.
With Version 4.1, uploading media in the Media Store of the FirstSpirit™ JavaClient and the FirstSpirit™ WebClient can be limited to specific file sizes and formats. The settings apply to all users of the respective project. Media which is larger than the defined maximum size and/or has a file name extension which is not allowed is not made available to choose from in the file selection dialog. The project therefore remains uncluttered and incorrect use of media is prevented.
The picture files managed in the project frequently do not immediately comply with the editor's wishes so that simple changes have to be made to the files, for example selecting a section of the picture. FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 therefore provides the option of selecting a specific picture section for each intended use of the medium. This is done via a convenient, graphic editor which also enables rotation and reflection of the medium. The picture editor can be opened directly using a button within the Media Store or directly via the picture input component.
A further new function of FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 is the ability to define starting points for the generation of media within a generation schedule. In this way, individual sub-areas can be deployed more quickly. Swapping out computing-intensive generation of media into separate generation schedules offers a high performance gain, especially when performing several small sub-generations, as the required media only is taken into account for each generation.
In FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 it is possible to realise a filtered tabular view of the displayed data records in the Content Store. It is therefore possible to display to each editor the data entries relevant for them only. This makes working with the data source easier.
In addition to the general filter with respect to the data quantity, the sort order of the data records in the table can also be changed. This is done by simply adding a new sort rule with a reference to a table column and sorting in ascending or descending order and language-dependent or language-independent.
FirstSpirit™ uses repositories for archiving and versioning project data. Project archiving can be used to move data from the repositories into an archive file in order to swap data out of the project if it is no longer needed, thereby reducing loading times and increasing the performance of the FirstSpirit server. Archive files which are no longer required, e.g. following an external backup, can be subsequently deleted to finally release the memory space on the hard disk. The ability to restore a previous system state from archive files, including the templates used, integrated files, etc., continues to be possible.
The WebEdit interface of FirstSpirit™ is now also available as a configurable, local project web application. This means that a separate WebEdit instance can be installed, configured and activated for each project via the server and project configuration. It is therefore now possible to combine WebEdit with a project-specific personalisation configuration for individual projects. If the software on the server is updated, for example with a new WebEdit version, all local project WebEdit instances can be simultaneously updated.
The development of external modules or components for FirstSpirit™ has been supported since Version 4.0. This concept is enhanced in FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 to include further security aspects. External components or modules which access security-relevant functions can be conveniently set in Version 4.1 via the FirstSpirit™ server and project configuration. For example, it is possible to allow a module which performs security-relevant operations, e.g. access to the clipboard.
The objective of the FirstSpirit "Clustering" function is to increase performance in multi-user environments. To this end, computing-intensive generation is shifted from the master server to another server. I.e. when FirstSpirit™ content is generated the load is distributed between the members of the cluster.
Project-specific workflow can now be created for deleting elements in FirstSpirit™ JavaClient and in FirstSpirit™ WebClient and can be directly integrated in the controls for deleting elements provided to date. Instead of simply deleting an object, for example a page, a more complex delete function can be provided via the workflow, for example the additional deletion of dependent objects of a page.
Essential functions of FirstSpirit™ are based on the so-called reference graph of a project. From FirstSpirit™ Version 4.1 it is possible for project administrators to request visualisation of the reference graph for an object via the context menu. This means it is possible to identify the dependencies of an object, even in complex projects.
FirstSpirit™ sets itself apart through its numerous basic functions which already set standards in Version 4.0. These are points such as seamless portal integration, platform neutrality or multi-channel capability. Information on these and other decisive criteria which single out FirstSpirit™ as the technologically leading ECM are described here in detail.
