mortaxx Softworks: Software by Christian Hecht

FlatFusion V1.0.1

What is FlatFusion?

FlatFusion is a Content Management system (CMS) that makes it possble to edit and maintain the content and the design of websites separated from each other.
The links and the menu structure are stored in a central file. For the appearance of the single menus and the single pages arbitrary menu templates and/or page templates can be used.

What distinguishes FlatFusion from other Content Management systems?

Most CMS systems are based on PHP, Python, Perl or another programming language which is executed normally directly on the webserver. Some CMS systems additionally needs a database in order to store their data in there.

That means, the webserver of a provider must support the programming language of the chosen CMS as prerequisite and provide a database if necessary. Before the CMS can run, you have to install it on the webserver, possibly assign access rights and maintain other settings.
In case that the webpages should be tested before they are uploaded to the server, so a local webserver must be installed additional on the local computer and the configuration settings must be done a second time.

Above mentioned CMS systems are also called Web Content Managementsystems. They merge together the individual menu templates, page templates and content files to the complete HTML-file online at runtime and then the output is sent to the browser.

FlatFusion on the other hand is a Desktop Content Management system. What does this mean and where are the advantages?

• FlatFusion runs on the local computer and needs the Java runtime environment (JRE), which is already pre-installed on most computers, as only prerequisite .
• From the locally stored menu and page templates as well as the actual content files FlatFusion creates complete HTML files. These can then simply be uploaded then with every arbitrary FTP program onto the webserver.
• Special settings or system requirements on the webserver are not necessary. With that the change of the webspace provider is facilitated enormously because your are not dependent on the webserver configuration of a certain provider. This is of course only valid if there is no pecific code (for example PHP or similar) included into the templates or content files.

Main functions

• Storage of the page and menu structure and all links occurs in a central file. Consistence of the linking of the created pages is so guaranteed.
• Separate maintenance of layout and content through distribution in templates and content files.
• Appearance of the menus and the individual HTML pages is defined by templates. A homogeneous appearance through the commitment of few templates can be realised easily. A commitment of as many as desired templates is possible of course.
• Simple change of the templates and subsequent regeneration reduces the effort for a conversion to a minimum.
• Flexible linkage of code through different placeholders (tags).
• Created menu templates, page templates and content files are processed offline on the local computer and complete files in the HTML format are generated from that. These can then simply be uploaded with an arbitrary FTP program onto the webserver of the provider.
• More independence of certain providers or webservers, since no specific system requirements or settings are necessary.
• FlatFusion is written in the Java programming language and can run therefore in principle on every operating system for which a Java runtime environment (JRE) of the firm Sun Microsystems is available.
• FlatFusion does not need a database, neither on the local computer nor on the webserver. FlatFusion stores all necessary information in "flat" text files which can be edited with every text editor or HTML editor. Through that a backup can be simply done by duplicating the files in the file system.

2. System requirements

FlatFusion is completely written in Java, from that it should run in principle on every system for which a current Java runtime environment (JRE) is available. A Java runtime environment (JRE) or Java developer kit(J2SE) in version 1.4.1 or higher must be correctly installed on the computer. FlatFusion was tested with the operation systems Mac OS X 10.3, Mac OS X 10.4 and Windows XP

Detailed system requirements and informations about the installation or handling of FlatFusion can be found in the product documentation which is available in the download section.

FlatFusion was created with the aid of the free Oracle JDeveloper from Oracle Corporation. JDeveloper is a registered trademark of the firm Oracle Corporation

License

FlatFusion is Shareware. The version which you can download from this website can be tested 30 days for free without any restrictions. After the test period FlatFusion is looking for a valid license file. Without valid license file FlatFusion can not be used any more.

The detailed license conditions are included in the installer (Windows) respectively the Disk Image (Mac OS) or can be downloaded in the download section as RTF file.

References

• FlatFusion is completely written in Java and was created with the aid of the Java developer kit from Sun Microsystems. Further information can be found at http://java.sun.com

• FlatFusion was created with the aid of the free Oracle JDeveloper from Oracle Corporation. JDeveloper is a registered trademark of the firm Oracle Corporation. Further information can be found at http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/index.html

Questions or problems

Please don't hesitate to submit questions about FlatFusion or to report any error or problem with the application. Simply send a mail to or use the contact form. I will reply to you as soon as possible and try to help you. Please understand that FlatFusion is developed in my spare time so i can not guarantee for an immediate reaction.