Web content

IBM Lotus Web Content Management is used to create, manage and deliver content for your Web site. You can create content using the Web content authoring portlet, or create your own customized authoring interface. Web content stored in external content management systems can also be referenced within a Web Content Management system. You can deliver your Web content using Web Content Viewer portlets, the Web Content Management servlet or pre-render your site to HTML.

Design and content separation

In a Web Content Management system, the design and layout of your Web site is separated from the content of your Web site. This allows you to make updates to the look and feel of your Web site without having to revisit your content. Conversely, changes to your content do not require updates to your layout and design.

• The content of your Web site is stored as elements in either context specific site areas or content items, or as reusable components.

• Some element-types store static pieces of HTML or text, others dynamically generate Web page features such as navigation.

• The layout of the pages in your Web site are defined in presentation templates using HTML.

• You specify which elements or components you want to display within each presentation template using Web Content Management tags.

Web content libraries

The items that make up your Web Content Management system are stored in Web content libraries. Your Web content management system can contain multiple libraries. The number of libraries required is determined by the type of Web site you are creating, and the types of users who require access to each library. Separating your site into these libraries enables you to better control the access to each library, and also allows you to setup different syndication strategies for each library.

Web content authoring systems

One of the primary uses of Web Content Management is to build Web content authoring systems for different users:

• The default authoring interface used by Web Content Management is the Web content authoring portlet. You can use separate authoring portlets for different users and groups allowing you to customize the authoring experience for different types of users.

• The inline editing features of Web Content Management can be used to allow users to create and edit content directly in the rendered Web site. This is useful when delivering an intranet solution or a Wiki-style Web site.

• The Web Content Management API can also be used to create custom authoring interfaces.

Preinstalled Web content libraries

A set of preinstalled Web content libraries are supplied to allow you to add blog and wiki features to your Web sites. Use blogs, blog libraries, and wikis to tap into the power of the community and to change the way you work.

• Work with preinstalled Web content

Accessing external content

The Web content used in a Web Content Management system can also be stored and managed in external content management systems.

The Web Content Integrator is used to import content into a Web Content Management system using the RSS feed format. Content from federated content systems can be linked directly into a Web Content Management system and inserted in element designs. You can use WebDAV to import content from a file system into a Web Content Management system. You can also use Web Content Management to create rules that can access content from external sources.

• Work with IBM Web Content Integrator

• Use WebDAV with Web content

• Set up support for federated documents

• Inserting a link to ECM content

• Use rules

Content management features

A range of content management features are available within Web Content Management:

• You can create workflows to control the verification and eventual approval of the various item types that make up a Web Content Management system. Only if an item is approved at all stages up to a published stage can it be viewed on your Web site.

• You can save versions of items that can be restored at a later date.

• Item management features

Web site delivery

Web content can be delivered to your Web site viewers using Web Content Viewer portlets, as pre-rendered HTML files, or as a standard Web site delivered using a servlet. The type of delivery method you use to delivery Web content you your viewers will depend on the type of content being delivered, and the type of viewers your Web site is intended for.

• Standard Web site delivery should be used when you don't need to use any WebSphere Portal based features such as authoring tools.

• Web Content Viewers are portlets that display content from a Web content library as part of a portal page. If your presentation is simple, a single Web Content Viewer can be sufficient, but you can also use multiple Web Content Viewers to aggregate content from different libraries and provide a richer experience for your users.

• You can pre-render a complete Web site into HTML and save it to disk. The pre-rendered site can then be used as your live site and displayed to end users using either Web Content Management or a Web server.

  You deploy a pre-rendered site when you are not using any WebSphere Portal features and your content is static and is only updated periodically.

• Web content delivery methods

Extending Web Content Management

You can extend the standard features of Web Content Management using the Web Content Management API. You can use the API to develop:

• JSP content that can be stored in JSP elements that can be referenced within presentation templates and element designs.

• Custom Web Content Management plugins that can be added as enterprise applications in your system.

  You can use these to develop custom workflow actions or create file upload validation rules.

Parent topic:

Product overview

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