WebCrossing products provide a high degree of customization. You can literally control the appearance and functionality of every single component of WebCrossing Core as well as extending the functionality and object-oriented database via server-side scripting.
WebCrossing Core web serving of discussion forums is controlled by customizable templates which determine the content, appearance and functionality of each component of each served page. The templates are hierarchical; each template can locally override inherited defaults. Branding and separate customization is possible in each folder hierarchy and sub-hierarchy and there are no restrictions on folder or discussion organization. Diagrammatically, a request from an http client, for example, looks like in the figure below.
The client browser makes a request for a page to the WebCrossing Core server. WebCrossing Core determines which standard templates or custom scripts define each component of the page to be rendered. Then it checks, in a hierarchical fashion based on the location in the forums hierarchy, whether there is a customized component defined - either at the current location or in a parent location. If there is, the customized component is rendered and returned. If not, sysop and host settings are checked for the current and parent locations and if there are settings which affect the component, the component is rendered and returned. If there are no customizations at the current or parent locations, then a default component is rendered and returned, as defined in the standard templates or other internal code.
Standard template examples exists for all the components returned and these may be customized by the sysop and used to override appearance and actions at any point in the hierarchy.
Each folder hierarchy can have its own unique customization, which is convenient for such things as branding, different appearances for different courses, etc.
In fact, different customizations can even share the same content. This unique feature allows you to present the same content with entirely different user interfaces. An example would be to create separate non-graphical text-only templates so that visually impaired users could more easily access via Lynx or other text-based browsers.
WebCrossing Core web serving of discussion forums is controlled by customizable templates which determine the content, appearance and functionality of each component of each served page. The templates are hierarchical; each template can locally override inherited defaults. Branding and separate customization is possible in each folder hierarchy and sub-hierarchy and there are no restrictions on folder or discussion organization. Diagrammatically, a request from an http client, for example, looks like in the figure below.
Standard template examples exists for all the components returned and these may be customized by the sysop and used to override appearance and actions at any point in the hierarchy.
Each folder hierarchy can have its own unique customization, which is convenient for such things as branding, different appearances for different courses, etc.
In fact, different customizations can even share the same content. This unique feature allows you to present the same content with entirely different user interfaces. An example would be to create separate non-graphical text-only templates so that visually impaired users could more easily access via Lynx or other text-based browsers.