Future development MPDL

Software selection: frontend (web GUI) and backend system (datastore, indexing, query system)

We examine different software systems by means of their main functions and features for our user requirements in the area of web based access to XML-documents. We limit the examination to four systems: Magnolia, mediaWiki, eXist and eSciDoc. Functions which are not mandadory for our requirements are marked italic.

Basic needs

	Magnolia	mediaWiki	eXist	eSciDoc
Scalable	++	++	-	++
Stable	++	++	-	+
Performant	++	++	++	+
Customizable	++	++	++	++
In use at MPIWG	++	++	++	+
Free software	+	++	++	++

Datastore

	Magnolia	mediaWiki	eXist	eSciDoc
User management	++	++	-	+
Version control system	++	++	-	+
Index / Query system	++	++	++	++
Many document formats (xml, pdf, doc, html)	++	++	+	++
Discussions / Blogs	++	++	-	-

Extensions / Development

	Magnolia	mediaWiki	eXist	eSciDoc
Predefined extensions / templates	++	++	-	-
Programming	++ 1	++ 2	++ 3	+ 4
Index / Query system	++	++	++	++
Many document formats (xml, pdf, doc, html)	++	++	+	++
Notes / Annotations	-	-	-	-

Notes:
1: Freemarker, Java Server Pages, XSL/CSS, limited XPath (works also in JCR 2.0 ?)
2: php, Java over JavaBridge?
3: Java, XQuery / XPath, XSL / CSS
4: Java

MPDL software

	Magnolia	mediaWiki	eXist	eSciDoc
Get XML page fragment	-	-	++	-
Language technology	-	-	++	-
Document upload	++	++	- 5	+ 6
Web viewer	+ 6	+ 6	++	+ 6

Notes:
5: already implemented but not stable enough
6: has to be implemented (relative easy)

Magnolia

• URL: ​http://www.magnolia-cms.com/
• Advantages
  • scalable
  • stable
  • performant
  • is used at MPIWG: see ​here
  • user management included (incl. LDAP)
  • version control system with easy usable history functions (commercial EE version)
  • notes/annotations: blog comments for each web page
  • many installations and users worldwide
  • many extensions / templates
  • programming: Freemarker, Java Server Pages, XSL/CSS, limited XPath (works also in JCR 2.0 ?)
  • fulltext search contained (Lucene)
  • multimedia support (image, sound, video)
  • free software (CE version)
  • MPDL software
    • document upload: stable and mostly included
• Disadvantages
  • user interface: all web pages have to be implemented
  • XQuery support has to be implemented in Java (relative easy)
  • MPDL software
    • get XML page fragment: has to be implemented in JSP (relative easy)
    • language technology: has to be integrated by JSP's (relative easy)
    • viewer: has to be implemented by templates and JSP/XSL/HTML (relative easy)

mediaWiki

• URL: ​http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
• Advantages
  • scalable
  • stable
  • performant
  • is used at MPIWG: see for example this ​TRAC
  • user management included (incl. LDAP)
  • version control system with easy usable history functions (not free EE version)
  • notes/annotations: discussion of each web page possible
  • many installations and users worldwide
  • user interface
    • already included (Wiki web pages)
    • simple (e.g. for data uploads)
    • user know the Wiki system
    • no extra web server
  • many extensions / templates
    • footnotes: ​internal, ​Cite
    • ​presentation of old books
  • programming: php, Java over JavaBridge?
  • fulltext search contained (Lucene)
  • multimedia support (image, sound, video)
  • free software
  • MPDL software
    • document upload: stable and mostly included
• Disadvantages
  • XML/XSL/CSS support has to be implemented in Java (relative easy)
  • XQuery support has to be implemented in Java (relative easy)
  • MPDL software
    • get page fragment in XML document: has to be implemented in Java (relative easy)
    • language technology: has to be integrated by Java programs (relative easy)
    • Viewer: Zope programs have to be implemented in Wiki/Java? (relative easy)

eXist + Zope

• URL: ​http://exist.sourceforge.net/
• Advantages
  • performant
  • XML/XSL support
  • is used at MPIWG: see ​MPDL system
  • some installations and users worldwide
  • XQuery/XPath support
  • programming: Java, XQuery/XPath, XSL/CSS
  • fulltext search contained (Lucene)
  • MPDL software
    • get page fragment in XML document: already implemented
    • viewer: available as Zope programs on another web server
    • document upload: already implemented
  • free software
• Disadvantages
  • not scalable for many documents (> 1000 XML documents)
  • not really stable
    • many system crashes at startup time (up to 2 days)
    • sometimes system crash when a document is uploaded
  • no usable version control system included, no history functions
  • notes/annotations: has to be implemented
  • user management not usable / has to be implemented
  • user interface: all web pages have to be implemented
  • not many extensions / templates
  • MPDL software
    • document upload: not stable through eXist

eSciDoc

• URL: ​https://www.escidoc.org/
• Advantages
  • scalable
  • is in test use at MPIWG: see ​Pubman
  • user management included (incl. LDAP)
  • version control system included
  • XML/XSL support
  • programming: Java
  • fulltext search contained (Lucene)
  • free software
• Disadvantages
  • not in use by many users
  • performance of many queries not tested
  • very complicated: much work for administration and development (API etc.)
  • version control system: no easy usable history functions
  • notes/annotations: has to be implemented
  • not many users, installations and developers
  • user interface: all web pages have to be implemented
  • not many extensions / templates
  • XQuery support has to be implemented in Java (relative easy)
  • MPDL software
    • get page fragment in XML document: has to be implemented in Java (relative easy)
    • language technology: has to be integrated by Java programs (relative easy)
    • viewer: has to be implemented in Java/XSL/HTML (relative easy)
    • document upload: has to be implemented (relative easy)