MySource Matrix Section Name

Browser Based    

MySource Matrix is entirely browser based and is therefore compatible with a wide range of client standard operating environments.

Published content may be created in such a way that it is accessible through any web browser (ie no requirement for Java, JavaScript or DHTML support).

To access the editing interfaces, the editor’s bowsers must be possess Java (1.4 or above) and be either Internet Explorer 6.0+ (Windows only) or a recent version Mozilla browser such as Firefox or Camino (on Windows, Mac OSX and Linux).

Dual User Interfaces

MySource Matrix allows users to manage content using one of two interfaces:

• Simple Editing Interface - this is sometimes called “front-end editing” and allows authors to edit content via the WYSIWYG editor on a simple web page interface.  It therefore offers a strictly limited set of functionality, and is designed to allow authors with little or no MySource Matrix training and limited computer skills to edit content.  Authors can generally create simple content after 1-2 hour’s hands-on instruction.  

• Administration Interface - this interface provides access to the full contents of the MySource Matrix system and all of its functionality. The interface is still non-technical but it will require training to be able to operate properly. Its complexity could be compared to a program like Dreamweaver.

Asset-Based Architecture

MySource Matrix is built upon an ‘asset-based’ architecture rather than the ‘page based’ structure of lower end CMS’s.  The concept of ‘assets’ is an important one to understand, as it is this architecture that makes much of the functionality possible in MySource Matrix. 

MySource Matrix treats all content in your system as assets. There are many different types of assets, but common examples include:

• Designs
  
  
• Documents
  
  
• Images
  
  
• Links
  
  
• Metadata
  
  
• Page contents
  
  
• Sites
  
  
• Tables
  
  
• Users
  
  
• Workflow schema

One example of the many advantages of an asset based system is the ability re-use content in many places. Images from one page may be reused in other parts of the site or a paragraph on your “News” page could be re-used in the in the “News” section on your home page. Or a table of seminar dates from your “Events” section could be re-used in a “What’s Coming Up” section on your home page.

Further advantages include the fact that access (security restrictions) can be controlled at the asset level rather than at the site or page level alone. This has the powerful result of allowing you to control all aspects of user access right down to the different parts of a single page. 

Multi-User Authoring

MySource Matrix fully supports a multiple author environment. It includes:

• Asset locking before editing (check-in and check-out)
  
  
• Comprehensive security features allowing you to define the functions available to each user, and the assets to which they have access
  
  
• Optional "Safe edit" mode which creates a managed copy of another asset for editing
  
  
• Transparent versioning including who made which change and when
  
  
• An internal messaging system for communicating with other authors
  
  
• An author's "Workspace" that allows authors to share assets
  
  
• Comprehensive customisable workflow functionality.

Asset locking takes place at the attribute level, so that it is not necessary to lock the whole asset to make a change. For example, one editor may safely change metadata for an asset, while another changes content on the page. This facilitates a multi-author environment where different authors have different roles.