Community Server - Application Software
Product Features
The CS application server allows anyone with web browser to operate, maintain and create sophisticated web/database applications. Either use the existing application suite or build your own. You can create tables, add fields and have CS create your forms for you.With CS it is possible to provide a variety of integrated applications for tens of thousands of online users. Below is a list of core CS features.
User Management The core of any community is its user base. Within CS each user has a login account holding their contact information. Users can sign up for different news letters on interactive email discussions. You can assign users to be content editors or even a manager of their own discussion. Different permission levels can be assigned to different types of users. A 'manager' could be assigned to maintain all the records in a resource table with individuals only allowed to update those resource records they created.
Web Content Management Given the needs of larger, informational web sites it becomes necessary to classify web site content in a data base. Doing so provides the ability to dynamically retrieve content based on defined criteria. It becomes possible to 'cross purpose' information between a series of sites with ease.Authors can use a web interface to create and manage articles/documents. CS provides checkin/checkout facility where no information can be modified by more than one person at one time and also revision control to keep track of changes.
Content can be delivered on the web site dynamically or using a 'publish to static file' model.
Email Forums and Discussions Users can participate in group discussions using their native email clients or a web interface. Messages posted to a group discussion are automatically sent on to all members of the discussion. Messages and file attachments are archived and can be viewed online at a later date.Email Announcements The CS Announcements feature allow you to send emails to target audiences within your communities. It is possible to create email lists in a variety of ways. These lists can be defined from members of communities or email discussions. SQL queries can be used where more data driven filters are needed. It is also possible to use 'Search' forms to provide dynamic lists of users to send and email announcement to.This feature differs from the CS Email Discussions in that the Announcement feature generally is used for 'one-way' email exchange.
Calendars Maintain different calendars of events based on different communities, by location, or any criteria you specify. Each calendar can have its own look and maintained by your user base. Just delegate the functions of event creation and your calendar runs itself.Data Management Create and manage information for any application you can think of. It is simple to create your own address books, company job postings, christmas card list.Once you define the list of fields you want CS will create the web forms for you and you can immediately start entering data.
CS then provides you the tools to search, list and query the information and display it whatever way you want.
Notifications With CS it is possible to get notified via email whenever a piece of information gets created or updated. Add user authentication to the picture and you have the tools to create simple or even complex 'work flow' systems.Import/Export The Import/Export functions of CS allow to exchange data using a standard Comma Separated File format. Batch create records in any table, even create user accounts. Export contact information for mail merge letters and labels.XML Output CS can deliver as XML any content/data for processing by a XML application. CS is fully XHTML compliant and makes it possible to generate a WAP compatible interface to your environment.
