14:26 matthias ansorgfh gießen-friedberg1 / 33 - an architecture-focused evaluation - matthias...

14:26 Matthias Ansorg FH Gießen-Friedberg 1 / 33

- an architecture-focused evaluation -

Matthias Ansorg

University of Applied Sciences (FH)Gießen-Friedberg

2004-09-21

Mambo


Motivation

Why use a CMS?

Why evaluate a CMS?

Why evaluate with focus on architecture?


Table of Contents

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion

Subsumption of Mambo Architecture

Should I Use Mambo?


Mambo Overview

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Mambo Overview :: First Impressions


Mambo Overview :: Practical Experiences

no-problem installation

backend overcharges older browser versions

Mambo focuses on a lightweight core system, so ...

... third-party extensions mostly necessary. E.g.:

“Staticxt”, “Contact”, “Weblinks”, “Banners”, “Polls”

... don't be afraid of extending Mambo yourself. In my case:

“Staticxt” rewrite

JavaBean template rewrite

the mambot “obfuscator”

FAQ component (not yet existing)


Mambo Overview :: The Mambo story

2000: Miro International from Melbourne Victoria (Australia) develops a new CMS

2001-05: Miro releases “Mambo SiteServer” open source

2002: Miro forks “Mambo 2002” (today: “Mambo CMS”); today 1540 EUR with support

2002: Robert Castley tooks over “Mambo SiteServer” (today: Mambo)

2004-04-20: Mambo wins “LinuxUser & Developer Award 2004 for Best Linux or Open Source Software”

today:

Miro sponsors the Mambo Community

common extension architecture planned


Mambo Overview :: Mambo as a “real” CMS

huge group of open source portal applications:

Slashdot

PhpNuke with 12+ forks and clones (PostNuke, ...)

community-centered, not content-centered

Mambo stresses to be no portal solution but a real CMS

supported by history


Overall System

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Overall System :: Three Tier Architecture


Overall System :: Mambo Elements Overview

Template: page layout framework, places Modules and Components.

Module: provides extended functionality in a small rectangular part of a page

Component: provides extended functionality for showing the main content of a page

Mambot: small task-specific function for searching in user-specified data structures; or for modifying content before finally shipped out

Language: package for localizing Mambo into one language


Templates

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Templates :: Static Structure

a Template comes as a .zip or .tar.gz archive with:

css/template_css.css

images/*

index.php

template_thumbnail.png

automated template galleries possible (300 templates now)

templateDetails.xml

meta information, used e.g. by the template manager:

Templates :: Meta Information

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?><mosinstall type="template"> <name>4ToolFrame</name> <creationDate>25/08/2004</creationDate> <author>Matthias Ansorg</author> <copyright>GNU GPL 2.0 or higher</copyright> <authorEmail>[email protected]</authorEmail> <authorUrl>matthias.ansorgs.de</authorUrl> <version>1.0</version> <description>based on the JavaBean template</description> <files> <filename>index.php</filename> <filename>template_thumbnail.png</filename> </files> <images> <filename>images/arrow.png</filename> <filename>images/back.png</filename>  </images> <css> <filename>css/template_css.css</filename> </css></mosinstall>


Templates :: Dynamic Structure

<?php if (mosCountModules("top") != 0) : mosLoadModules("top"); else : ?> <img src="<?php echo($mosConfig_live_site); ?>/templates/4toolframe/images/pixel.png" width="170" height="170" /> <?php endif; mosLoadModules("left"); ?>

<?php include("pathway.php"); ?><?php include_once("mainbody.php"); ?>

<?php mosLoadModules("right"); ?>


Templates :: Discussion

most particular charachteristic: simplicity

self-contained (logical, physical)

development and configuration: makes the common case simple, skips the rest

sticks to the standards (HTML, PHP, CSS, XML)

simple metadata access (automated galleries)

non-technical developer interface possible

advantages vs. TYPO3 templating system

easy to learn, use, configure (no TypoScript etc.)

easy to develop

even without technical skills

bug hunting is easy (self-contained, compact)

easy to exchange (no dependencies; galleries)


Modules

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


what is: abstract type, abstract instance?

inconsistent understandings

Modules are abstract types (database, developers manual)

Modules are abstract instances (Module Manager)

what happens when installing a module?

1. abstract type defined

2. one abstract instance created

Modules :: Type or Instance?


Modules :: Architecture


Modules :: Mambo powered by Mambo

common handling of frontend and backend modules in table mos_modules

the more general concepts behind

architecture and code reuse in the backend

lightweight, slimline system

heads towards full frontend / backend analogy

it's about writing Mambo in Mambo

flaws of consequence (for now)

module reuse between frontend and backend not yet possible (cf. mod_pathway)


Components

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Components :: As Compared with Modules

user's definition: a Component is a Module that presents the page's content

a page may have one Component, but many Modules

a menu may link to Components, but not to Modules

same user interface with Modules (render area, installation and configuration)

same backend / frontend analogy as with Modules

developer's perspective: a Component's difference

may store data, but Modules are just views thereof

has a more elaborated architecture

only one instance, but configured for every menu link

view of Mambo 5.0: no difference, as Components and Modules are merged into Mambo Elements (MOSETs)


Components :: Architecture


Components :: The Example of com_staticxt


Mambots

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Mambots :: By Example of mosobfuscator.php

<?php // principle: mailto:[email protected] // gets mailto:user@example.comdefined( "_VALID_MOS" ) or die( "Direct Access to this location is not allowed." );$_PLUGINS-> registerFunction( "onPrepareContent", "botMosObfuscator" );

function botMosObfuscator( &$row, $mask=0, $page=0 ) { $pattern = '%(mailto\:)?[[:alnum:]\.\-]+\@'. '[[:alnum:]\.\-]+\.+[[:alnum:]\.\-]+%'; $row->text = preg_replace_callback( $pattern, "botMosObfuscator_replacer", $row->text ); return(true);}function botMosObfuscator_replacer( $matches ) { // $matches[0] is the complete match (e-mail address) $matches[0] = str_replace(":", ":", $matches[0]); $matches[0] = str_replace("@", "@", $matches[0]); $matches[0] = str_replace(".", ".", $matches[0]); return($matches[0]);}?>


Mambots :: Discussion

more efficient architecture since Mambo 4.5.1

Mambots are now event-triggered

Mambots are included only once for every page

however, Mambots are not yet perfect:

for “onPrepareContent”-Mambots, it is impossible to access content of components other than com_content; so, there is need for more events

Mambots seriously disturb the three-tier architecture:

they may have tasks from both presentation and processing layer, but are not layered in itself

many Mambots introduce new tags (e.g. {moscode} [...] {/moscode}) and expect them in the content; this makes the RDBS layer dependent on the presentation and processing layers



Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Subsumption of Mambo Architecture :: Mambo Core

the three tier architecture model was pragmatically implemented: tier overlaps, blurred distinction

HTML in RDBS layer: deprecated dependance

Mambots-introduced markup in RDBS layer: as above

no tier architecture with Modules and Mambots

this will lead to an unflexible CMS

clean implementation of a new output format is hard work

cross-media and cross-format publishing difficult

but Mambo's architectural improvements from 4.0 and to 5.0 are big steps, and Mambo Core is lightweight enough to be tidied up

even more promising: 2004-09-14 release of MosXML Alpha 1.1 (http://www.ciadd.co.uk/)


Subsumption of Mambo Architecture :: Mambo Elements

pros

extremely lightweight kernel (5,4 MByte including all extensions of the core distribution; TYPO3: >60MByte)

lightweight kernel means, its redesign is probably easy

extensions of the core distribution mean, most of the core functionality gets replaceable (see MosXML)

easy to use templating and extension system

cons

modularizing Mambo is a process not yet completed

frontend pathway is no module

com_content is a “favored” component

com_menus has undocumented “subcomponents”

some components are not uninstallable (com_admin, com_categories, com_checkin, com_content)


Why to Use Mambo and Why Not

Introduction

Mambo Overview

Mambo Architecture

Overall System

Templates

Modules

Components

Mambots

Conclusion


Should I Use Mambo?


Should I Use Mambo?

mixed impressions from the architectural view, through multiple influences on Mambo's architecture:

original code base by Miro, commercial quality

not yet completed transition from monolithic to “micro kernel” architecture

partially pragmatic architectural consequence

better witch each extension architecture redesign

pre 4.5 extension and templating system

4.5 redesign of extension and templating system

4.5.1 redesign of Mambots

5.0 redesign: Modules and Components merge into Mosets

but, Mambo is lightweight, modular and vivid, and scores well in a feature evaluation; seems promising


The End

That's it!

I appreciate your attention!

Now, it's time for your questions.

14:26 matthias ansorgfh gießen-friedberg1 / 33 - an architecture-focused evaluation - matthias...

Documents

mambo slide

mambo cms

mambo story

localizing mambo

miro forks mambo

tier architecture slide

language slide

existing slide