CityDesk
Encyclopedia
CityDesk is a proprietary Content Management System
created by Fog Creek Software
, which was founded by well-known blogger, author and software usability specialist Joel Spolsky
.
CityDesk differs from most Content Management Systems in that it resides as a client-side
application. It uses templates and a simple database structure to generate static web pages that are uploaded to a web server by its built-in FTP client. CityDesk runs on Microsoft Windows, and uses the Microsoft Jet Database Engine
. This architecture makes it particularly suitable for smaller, information-rich sites whose users reside on a single network in a Microsoft-centric environment.
The unusual architecture brings with it some significant advantages. CityDesk's client-side model allows a relatively rich and responsive user interface. The program can be scripted with batch files to allow post-processing of pages by other applications. CityDesk's page editing interface creates XHTML-compliant code.
CityDesk's data management is more flexible than might at first appear: a CityDesk plug-in, HTML DBScript, allows CityDesk to access data and generate pages from any Windows ODBC-compliant database.
The architecture creates two obvious issues. Data added to the system goes "live" only when a user makes a decision to publish it - although this will be at best a minor disadvantage for many users. And users outside the network cannot interact directly with the system without the use of an external database and a scripting language such as PHP, JSP or ColdFusion. However, the system can be used to hold and manipulate templates and pages written in these languages.
Used in this way, CityDesk becomes a higher-level page-management system. Its combination of power and simplicity has attracted a small but enthusiastic group of users, who have used CityDesk to address a variety of site-creation challenges.
The last major release of CityDesk was version 2.0, on August 25, 2003. In line with Joel Spolsky's policy of not discussing new versions, Fog Creek has since made almost no statements on future upgrades. However, in a 2004 interview with Australia's Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers, Joel Spolsky pointed to limitations in the client-side CMS model. CityDesk, he said, had "never really succeeded in selling to organisations with more than two or three people" creating or editing content. Although Fog Creek has not said as much, it seems likely that CityDesk is not in active development. Joel Spolsky
has stated that CityDesk "flopped".
Content management system
A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
created by Fog Creek Software
Fog Creek Software
Fog Creek Software is a software company specializing in project management tools. Its main products are FogBugz, a web-based project management tool, Fog Creek Copilot, a remote assistance tool, CityDesk, a desktop-based content management system, Kiln, a source control and code review tool built...
, which was founded by well-known blogger, author and software usability specialist Joel Spolsky
Joel Spolsky
Avram Joel Spolsky is a software engineer and writer. He is the author of Joel on Software, a blog on software development. He was a Program Manager on the Microsoft Excel team between 1991 and 1994. He later founded Fog Creek Software in 2000 and launched the Joel on Software blog...
.
CityDesk differs from most Content Management Systems in that it resides as a client-side
Client-side
Client-side refers to operations that are performed by the client in a client–server relationship in a computer network.Typically, a client is a computer application, such as a web browser, that runs on a user's local computer or workstation and connects to a server as necessary...
application. It uses templates and a simple database structure to generate static web pages that are uploaded to a web server by its built-in FTP client. CityDesk runs on Microsoft Windows, and uses the Microsoft Jet Database Engine
Microsoft Jet Database Engine
The Microsoft Jet Database Engine is a database engine on which several Microsoft products have been built. A database engine is the underlying component of a database, a collection of information stored on a computer in a systematic way...
. This architecture makes it particularly suitable for smaller, information-rich sites whose users reside on a single network in a Microsoft-centric environment.
The unusual architecture brings with it some significant advantages. CityDesk's client-side model allows a relatively rich and responsive user interface. The program can be scripted with batch files to allow post-processing of pages by other applications. CityDesk's page editing interface creates XHTML-compliant code.
CityDesk's data management is more flexible than might at first appear: a CityDesk plug-in, HTML DBScript, allows CityDesk to access data and generate pages from any Windows ODBC-compliant database.
The architecture creates two obvious issues. Data added to the system goes "live" only when a user makes a decision to publish it - although this will be at best a minor disadvantage for many users. And users outside the network cannot interact directly with the system without the use of an external database and a scripting language such as PHP, JSP or ColdFusion. However, the system can be used to hold and manipulate templates and pages written in these languages.
Used in this way, CityDesk becomes a higher-level page-management system. Its combination of power and simplicity has attracted a small but enthusiastic group of users, who have used CityDesk to address a variety of site-creation challenges.
The last major release of CityDesk was version 2.0, on August 25, 2003. In line with Joel Spolsky's policy of not discussing new versions, Fog Creek has since made almost no statements on future upgrades. However, in a 2004 interview with Australia's Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers, Joel Spolsky pointed to limitations in the client-side CMS model. CityDesk, he said, had "never really succeeded in selling to organisations with more than two or three people" creating or editing content. Although Fog Creek has not said as much, it seems likely that CityDesk is not in active development. Joel Spolsky
Joel Spolsky
Avram Joel Spolsky is a software engineer and writer. He is the author of Joel on Software, a blog on software development. He was a Program Manager on the Microsoft Excel team between 1991 and 1994. He later founded Fog Creek Software in 2000 and launched the Joel on Software blog...
has stated that CityDesk "flopped".
External links
- CityDesk
- Fog Creek Software
- Working on CityDesk 5 articles about the development of CityDesk