ContentCreator configuration

FirstSpirit ContentCreator provides a browser-based user interface for quick and simple management of editorial contents. Authors can immediately use the various functions of the FirstSpirit editorial environment, since, in contrast to the FirstSpirit SiteArchitect installation, a Java environment (JRE) is not required for ContentCreator. Technically speaking, ContentCreator only works on the basis of HTML and JavaScript.

General requirements

The technical requirements regarding hardware and software for FirstSpirit ContentCreator can be found in the “FirstSpirit Technical Datasheet” (see Technical requirements and recommendations).

In addition, the following basic requirements have to be fulfilled in order to successfully use FirstSpirit ContentCreator. Check these requirements prior to application:

• Functionality
  Partially, functions of input components in ContentCreator differ from that in SiteArchitect. For this reason, please check before use of ContentCreator if the input components required in the project are supported by ContentCreator. Please see also ContentCreator (→FirstSpirit Online Documentation).
  Also check customer-specific components properly.
• Browser compatibility
  • Which browser is used?
    For supported browsers see also Technical requirements and recommendations.
  • Which security settings are used in the company? Does ContentCreator run in this configuration?
• Proxy / Firewall configuration
  Is a proxy or firewall used? Does ContentCreator run in this configuration (especially the refresh problem)?
• Secured access
  Is it safe to release the http/https port of the FirstSpirit Server for ContentCreator users (if necessary also externally)?
• Screen resolution
  min.: 1024x768 pixel

Best practice

The following recommendations apply for successful operation of the FirstSpirit ContentCreator:

• Application Server / Resources
  The application server used (e.g. Apache Tomcat) should have sufficient resources, especially with regard to hard disk space and Java heap (for information about the Javah heap see for example page Configuring the Java VM).
  When using Apache Tomcat as an application server, it is generally recommended to restart Apache Tomcat after each update of FirstSpirit.
• Global vs. project-local web application
  Also for resource and maintenance reasons, the ContentCreator should be used as a global web application as far as possible. The ContentCreator should only be operated as a separate project instance (“project local”) if this is absolutely necessary.
  (See also pages Individualizing the global FirstSpirit web applications and ContentCreator as a local project application.)

Logging

By default, the FirstSpirit ContentCreator logs to the console.

In order to activate logging to a file, a file

~/config/cxt-cc.properties

must be created in the classpath.

In this properties file, the logging.file.name parameter must be used to define the path and name of a file to which logging is to take place, e.g.

logging.file.name=/home/tomcat/logs/firstspirit-cc.log 

The default log level is INFO, which means that errors in the categories ERROR, WARN and INFO are recorded.

The available properties (incl. logging.file.name) are the corresponding standard Spring Boot properties. The logging configuration can be further customized if required: https://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/2.4.2/reference/html/appendix-application-properties.html#common-application-properties-core.

By default, no log file is created.

Note: The configuration via ~/config/cxt-cc.properties applies to all ContentCreator instances, both the global ContentCreator and any configured project-local ContentCreator instances (= a web server is configured on the “ContentCreator” tab under Project properties / Web components).

Further configuration options

• Server-side configuration via configuration file fs-server.conf, areas Web Applications and WEBedit configuration
  Before using ContentCreator for productive operations, the configuration should be adapted to the respective requirements..
• Configuration as global or project local web application: See pages Individualizing the global FirstSpirit web applications and ContentCreator as a local project application.
• Configuring ContentCreator as global web application (webserver, deployment, settings / web.xml etc.: page Web applications
• Configuring ContentCreator as project local web application (webserver, deployment, settings / web.xml etc.: page Web components
• Template development: For information about functions, restrictions and expandability of the ContentCreator see also Chapter ContentCreator (→FirstSpirit Online Documentation).
• Notes about the browser configuration: Browser configuration when using ContentCreator