The Advantages of the OmniPage System
The OmniPage system makes it very easy to edit content on the site. Although the site may look normal based on its final output, there is actually a lot of complex code going on behind the scenes to make the administrator's job much easier.
Pages
Pages in this system are stored in the database. The OmniCore will find the correct page in the database, and return all of the content associated with that page. Having pages stored in the database makes it very easy to create pages, modify their properties, and delete them. Below is the form for creating a page.
Top of Page
Modules
Adding and modifying content on a page is very easy to do, and does not require knowledge of HTML or PHP. To add a module, the user simply needs to click the edit button at the top of the page and select "Add Module." The user then picks which module type to add and selects it.
Modules are also very easy to edit. An administrator simply has to select "Edit Module" from the drop down box and select the module to edit. Then, a graphical method of editing the module will appear, as determined in the module PHP file. Once the edit has been made, the new information will be updated in the database.
Administrators also have the ability to review edits made to a module. They can view past states of modules and revert to that state if necessary. All edits are stored in the database along with other information related to that edit, including the user, time, IP, and previous content.
This ability to easily edit content on the site is very important. It makes it so editing and maintaining the website is no longer a role for someone who knows HTML. Now, the website content is no longer directly tied to the source file, making for an easily modifiable and modular experience.
Top of Page
Skins
The OmniPage system is also a skinnable system. The ability to use skins makes it much easier to change the website's design. Previously, the programmers would have to completely change how the site works in the very low level files in order to change the formatting. With the OmniPage skin system, changing how the site looks is simply a matter of editing a skin file. Skin files are HTML, CSS, and Javascript files that manage how the site appears to the user. These files are passed dynamic content through the module files via special functions. This content is then displayed in the skin and shown to the end user. Now, when the website team would like to change how the site looks, they simply have to create a new skin with all the necessary files, instead of recoding the site. Skins can also be used to provide a dynamic viewing experience. A special skin can be used to simply shake things up or to make the site mobile device friendly. Either way, the ability to have skins is an important feature of the OmniPage system.
Top of Page
Communication
The OmniPage system also integrates communication with team members into its architecture. There is native support for emailing all team members, as well as other groups of users (as determined through the forums). The website also supports sending out mass SMS messages to those who signed up. The website will automatically send out a mass SMS 24 hours before any event on the calendar, ensuring team members are informed about upcoming events. These features come in handy for alerting team members to news regarding the team.
The OmniCore is also integrated with social networking. The UberBots Twitter Account and Facebook fanpage are linked to the website, making it easy to update both.
Top of Page
Security
The OmniPage also has native security features. All user accounts are integrated with the UberBots phpBB forums. Having this integration removes the hassle of team members having multiple accounts (for both main site and forums), a problem with the previous website. This system creates an "all in one" user account for the entire UberBots website.
Using the forums accounts also provides simple security features. PhpBB has native usergroups, which the OmniCore uses to decide whether a user can see or edit a certain page. Some groups have global permissions while others can only deal with certain pages. Administrators also have the ability to give certain users or groups special permissions (that aren't native) for certain pages. This helps with maintaining website content; now any user can be responsible for a certain page and make sure it's up to date. This system also ensures security with regard to editing content.
The OmniPage system also has native log features. When an administrative action is carried out, the system will automatically append an entry to a log text file with important information regarding the edit. Username, time, and the action are recorded. This record of events helps ensure security with administrative features.
Top of Page
