What's New in AssetNow NX 5

AssetNow NX 5 builds on previous version and introduces a number of key updates.

What's New

Amazon S3 Storage

Integrated Amazon S3 (Simple Storage System) library is great for scalable media delivery and low cost, reliable storage of files up to 5GB. Simply enter your S3 account details in the AssetNow setup parameters and the AssetNow S3 library folder will be enabled. You can create S3 buckets and an unlimited folder hierarchy directly from AssetNow. Upload your files to S3 using the library upload applet. Select and link to S3 files directly in the editor. AssetNow also keeps track of where S3 files are linked in your content so that you do not inadvertently delete them.

S3 is great for servig rich media and large files. Amazon S3 scales automatically as the demand for a specific file changes. You only pay for what you use, resulting is a very cost effective solution for both storing and serving files.

Caching and Performance

We have redesigned the page caching system and significantly improved performance. On a typical shared host server pages can be assembled in less than 60 milliseconds (0.6 seconds) which is well within the requirement for sites serving high traffic levels. After initial render cached pages are typically rendered in less that 15 miliseconds (0.15 seconds).

At the same time we have retained the simplicity of the caching allowing you to easily exclude pages from the cache and automatically clearing the cache as required. Designers and developers can also exclude widgets from caching so that dynamic elements are always updated even though the page is cached.

Media Players

Licensed Flash media players for video, MP3 audio and image rotators from Jeroen Wijering are included. We have also provided a pseudo-streaming solution for video.

Libraries

Updated: Now includes Amazon S3 storage (see above). Up to now you have had to upload images and files used categories and pages for each category and page. This is still the recommended approach for most pages since AssetNow NX creates separate revisions for each new versions of a page and retains the images and files with each revision. However there many cases where access to shared image and file assets is beneficial such as access to staff photos, a library of teaser images with preset sizes and files such as documentation that may be referred to in numerous pages. By accessing these images and files from a library any changes made at the library will be reflected in pages using the library image or file.

The new Library tool allows you to setup image and file libraries with unlimited categories. You can optionally set permissions on a category to restrict access to specific publisher groups.

To use library images and files you simply browse the library via the editor and select the image/file to insert. A library image and file can be selected for page teaser image and master file respectively.

When a library image/file is added to a page it cannot be deleted without changing the page first. You can replace a library image/file with a new version, the previous version is retained with a time stamp showing when it was replaced.

Comments

The Comments tool is used to manage page comments posted by visitors/members. To enable comments on a page the comment widget must be added to the page template. Comments can then be enabled/disabled from the page properties. Additionally you can enable moderation (approval) of comments.

The comments tool also allows you to respond to specific comments. The response will be inserted after the comment allowing easy reading.

The comments feature can be used to setup weblogs (blogs) where you use pages as the blog article and accept comments is "posts" from visitors.

Newsletters / Mailing Lists

The Lists tool is used to manage list subscribers and publish newsletters (mailouts) to the list. Multiple lists are supported together with HTML and plain text formatted versions of the newsletter. Typically you will create newsletters using the content publishing tools and editor and then use the Lists tool to format and revise the plain text version.

Newsletters use their own templates for HTML/plain text versions and can be styled independently of the site templates and style sheets.

We have taken care to ensure short format links in messages while enabling tracking of subscriber clicks.

Subscribe/Unsubscribe and subscriber account preferences are all handled by the subscribe widget.

Subdocuments

The advanced xhtml editor supports subdocuments. The subdocument feature allows you to select an existing page and insert in to the page you are editing. You see the subdocument in the editor, however it is locked and cannot be changed.

If the subdocument page is updated then all pages using it are also updated. Subdocuments are great for standard blocks of text that you use repeatedly such has legal notices, product specifications etc.

Updated

XStandard XHTML Editor Version 2

The editor has been updated to the latest XStandard version 2 with support for Windows and OS X.

The advanced xhtml editor has been updated and includes library support allowing you to browse/search and select library images and files and insert them directly into the editor.

The editor also adds namespace support which allows us to use the standard AssetNow NX widget syntax <widget:widgetname .../>.

Other new features in the updated editor include

• Content locking (lock sections of a document in the editor)
• Content markers/labels (great for document templates and layout containers)
• Support for most CSS 2.1 selectors
• More keyboard shortcuts and improved dialogs
• Support for Windows and OS X
• Support for Opera 9 and Safari

Upload Applet

The java upload applet has been updated and now provides a simpler interface and image previewing of selected images before uploading.

Permissions

Group permissions have been updated and now support permissions based on geolocation and links, in addition to the already available sign-in permissions. This allows you to display different content to visitors based on their country or by entering the site using specific links.

Search

The site search has been updated to include indexing of library files linked in content. The search also uses Internet search engine style criteria and returns a broader set of results more quickly. If no results are returned then an alternative is suggested if available. This is similar to the "Did you mean..." option of major on-line search engines. Finally the summary displayed with each search result has improved context and occurances of the search keyword/s in the context summary are highlighted.

i18n Bundle Editor

Internationalization (i18n) language bundle files can now be edited directly from the System tool. This allows you to easily change standard AssetNow NX text.

Widget Editor

Create and manage widgets directly from the System tool. These widgets are displayed in templates and content using the <widget:widgets .../> widget. Ideal for less complex widgets that need to be updated periodically such as temporary navigation items.

Caching

Page caching has been updated and supports exclusion of specific widgets from the cache. This means that a page is cached as usual however any widgets published using <widget-nocache: .../> syntax not be cached and processed each time the page is displayed.