Products
Webra 3.0 Content Management System
May 08, 2009
Webra is an innovative content management system that is able to speed up processes even in case of handling enormous databases. Maximal scalability makes it suitable for micro and macro-enterprises and institutions in the field of education or polity. Screenshots of the administration interface can be seen in “Why Webra?” article.
On behalf of the different modules using Web 2.0 technologies we can easily create the following systems:
  • Portal
  • Intranet
  • Extranet
  • Groupware
  • Automated processor
  • Interactive flash portal
  • Knowledge Base suitable for storing data of e-books
 
Enterprises are striving to build a multilateral IT environment during their activities. Webra can be integrated into almost all kinds of software and hardware environments. It is compatible with more database management system and web servers. Thus it is not necessary to gain new software licenses. The Technology topic discusses issues about the system’s high availability, adaptability and inner buildup.
 
We are eager to consider and keep to the guidelines of W3C- WAI about accessibility. 
 
“Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results.”…“SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.” - Wikipedia
 
It is important to mention, that the core system of Webra disposes of an outstanding ability for search engine optimization. 

Smart URL-s and SEO

  • Automatic generating of SEF(Search Engine Friendly) URL-s by using article/menu titles. E.g.: www.mysite.com/products
  • Automatic inheritance in case of modifying a menu name. The URL of all submenus and articles will be changed if having contained the original menu name.
  • Possibility of using accents in SEF URLs.
  • Partner specific 404 error site when requesting a non-existing URL. The SQL injection blocking is crucial for security.
  • Maintaining of more domains within a single administration system, even on folder (menu) level. Administration of more microsites, portals with one single access.
  • More SEF URLs can be assigned to a single piece of content.
  • Automatic generating of unique SEF URLs to avoid URL matches.
Search Engine Optimization is supported by the Tagcloud Module, the using of adequate styles (H1, H2…) the consideration of site accessibility guidelines (WAI) during portal building, and other technologies employed by Webra.
 
Now, let's get to the types of contents and the functions that are building the Webra core! These are available to the users immediately after having installed the system.

Menu

All contents of the website are organized hierarchically in Webra. This hierarchy is very similar to the folders of Windows. Each folder can be converted to a menu with a single click. Appearing of the menu structure on the website can also be defined: we can select simple menu, ladder-menu, or dropdown menu. Images can also be used as menus instead of menu names.

Articles

Articles are the most important piece of contents. All the news, information etc. will be created and saved in form of articles by the Content Editors. These objects can be listed differently in different menus and sites of the portal. The optional parts of articles are: Title, Subtitle, Date, Author, Introduction and Text. Of course, visitors can get to the full article from the introduction by clicking on the Title, or the Read More link.
 
Articles can be listed by different dates (date of writing, date of last modification or an optional assigned date). However, content editors can set an arbitrary article order by weight. This defines the sequence of objects listed. Webra also allows creation of mixed, recursive lists showing folders, subfolders, articles, documents and any other sorts of objects together. Objects that are defined as excluded will not appear in the list. Small icons indicate the types of objects listed, and file size informs visitors about the duration of document download.
 
By creating symbolic links leading to original objects (articles, folders, documents), the same piece of content can appear in any number of menus. In case of modifying the original object, the changes will be effectuated in all menus containing symbolic links of the object. When using the article editor module, the system allows content contributors to create and edit their own styles. The final layout and design of articles is checkable with a single click on the Preview button.
 
Videos, Photo-galleries, Images, Charts, Tables, and Links can be embedded into the content. The system always checks the existence of image captions, which are of crucial importance when following accessibility guidelines.

Site Map

Webra generates a hierarchical, clickable sitemap containing the entire menu. Changes (new menus, menu name modifying etc.) will be tracked and shown immediately. By clicking the menu names in the Sitemap, we can get right into their content. This is a useful function regarding search engine optimization, because it enables to roam throughout the portal with the help of one single site. However, it is not necessary to generate the entire menu structure if it happens to be too deep: the number of shown menu levels is easily settable.

Administration interface

Screenshots of the administration interface can be seen in “Why Webra?” article.
The articles, folders, videos, galleries, and other contents will be uploaded and edited here.
Other important features:
  • Multi-language portal- and administration interface
  • Multilevel user access and permission management
  • Article editing, embedding links, images, documents, videos
  • Copy-Paste from Word, Excel and PowerPoint files with keeping of preset styles and formatting
  • Creating of the Menu structure (folders)
  • Editing site layout with the help of the Structure Editor, inserting new modules visible in the public portal
  • Approval of contents appearing on the public portal
  • User Administration
  • Excel Export
  • Trash folder

Core Security Module

Its main task is to protect the portal through monitoring of the editor’s and user’s data input; avoiding and logging offenses and send alarms in case of attempts of this sort. The administration interface is available through secure tunnel (SSL) and so it remains protected. We use a multilateral and multilevel access- and permission management. Password complexity policy is highly adaptable to the needs of software/hardware environment and organization goals. Signing in is possible by using digital signature or by connecting to other systems (e.g. Active Directory).
 
It is possible to make access- and permission settings even on the level of the single objects (articles, folders, images, documents, or even users). Users can be added to different groups. Protection from SQL injection, XSS and other offensive technologies is part of the security module as well.

Documents, Image and Video-gallery

Documents, Images and Videos are listed on the portal, or organized in galleries. The system converts uploaded videos into embeddable films that are ready to be played. Symbolic links can not only refer to articles or folders, we can also assign them to documents. In this case, it is sufficient to modify the original document to see changes when clicking on any symbolic link referring to the document. It is possible to search the content of the uploaded documents. Visitors can view image galleries with lightwindow effect or any other design (including index images and pagers).

Search

The system searches the public portal and the administration interface as well for words, expressions and fragments. A time interval for the search results is easily definable, and folder-restricted searches can also be run. Searching of the object parts (e.g. article titles, introductions, and file names) is possible as well.
Other features:
  • Inserting Google Analytics/Web Audit codes
  • Contact form - e-mail sending to a defined central e-mail address.
  • Printable content versions
  • Send this article via e-mail
  • Current date and name-day appearing on the portal
  • Google Map applications embeddable