Context-oriented release of content

Using the release function

FirstSpirit makes a distinction between “release projects” and “auto-release projects”. This is specified by selecting the “Use release” checkbox in the project properties under the “Options” menu item.

If it is an Auto-release project, every change to a project is adopted automatically in the release state, meaning that it is deployed the next time the project is generated.

If it is a Release project, FirstSpirit makes a distinction between the released and the current project state. As soon as a change is made in the project, the change must be approved for release by a user with the appropriate permissions (by the “editor-in-chief”, for instance) in order to make it visible on the generated page. A project status that is not approved for release, such as a page from the Page Store, is not included during the next generation task. (The last released status of the page will be included instead.)

The "Request release" workflow

If it is a Request release workflow, it is a context-oriented workflow, meaning that it is bound to a particular object in the project.

A release must be requested if:

• an object has been newly added, or
• an object has been changed.

The "Request release" workflow ensures every change is subjected to a check before being deployed during the next generation task.

Initiating a release request

A release request can be invoked using the context menu of the object to be released.

An action dialog then opens where the user can access the next status of the workflow by clicking on the Request action.

This changes not only the color of the labels in the tree structure, but also the related context menu. An object remains write-protected as long as it is marked with the "Request release" status.