FOUND: WebCatalog Review by Mike Heck

This WebDNA talk-list message is from

2001

It keeps the original formatting. numero = 36808
interpreted = N
texte = Found this on the web site http://members.arttoday.com Thought everyone might want to read it or save to show clients.Jeff Logan----------------------------------------WebCatalog 4.0.1 Review by Mike HeckEven considering the current turmoil surrounding certain e-commerce sites, there's no question that Web storefronts are an important way for organizations to build sales. Yet a lot of companies take a cautious approach to e-business -- starting out small and tasking Web designers to build online catalogs as efficiently as possible.WebCatalog 4.0 is a great fit for these jobs. The software lets those with elementary Web skills assemble a basic catalog-driven storefront and get it online in a few hours. Built-in templates eliminate page layout steps, while the integrated database means you don't need to know anything about SQL calls or DNS connections. WebCatalog, also has fill-in-the-blank forms for credit card processing using CyberCash or InternetCash. And runs under major operating systems, including Apple's new OS X.So what's the catch? Well, first, out-of-the-box storefronts aren't very attractive. Second, making serious changes to page design requires that you learn Smith Micro's proprietary WebDNA scripting language. As a result, if you need to execute a highly custom design and don't have WebDNA experience, WebCatalog might prove more time-consuming than choosing a package like LaGuarde's Storefront 5.0, which uses standard ASP scripting and integrates with Microsoft FrontPage. And third, WebCatalog (as shipped) doesn't offer the personalization features visitors can get at high-profile online stores. But if you recognize these limitations, WebCatalog represents a very good value.Load and GoWebCatalog is very compact (about five megabytes) and takes very little effort to install. The setup application automatically performs file, database, and Web server configuration in about 10 minutes. And -- a point that may help justify the program's price -- a single server can host multiple e-commerce stores. So, WebCatalog is appropriate not just for design shops and individual businesses, but ISPs that host community portals as well.Another part of WebCatalog's architecture that contributes usability and speed is that all administration and store building happens through Web pages and HTML forms. For example, let's say that I access one form to perform initial configuration tasks, including store naming and assigning security for the owner. Drop-down lists on subsequent Store Builder pages control a store's general appearance, such as background colors, header graphics, and frame placement (see Figure 1). Here, I also add and edit non-product pages -- contact information or return policies -- and specify elements such as footer text. In effect, each of these components represent a snippet of WebDNA code. As such, taking customization to the next level (for example, changing the placement of items on the home page) isn't particularly difficult; you simply edit the supplied templates. To learn this process, WebCatalog ships with several documents in PDF format, HTML WebDNA language guide, and a sample site written in WebDNA. It's particularly helpful to deconstruct this sample site when you want to try more elaborate tricks, such as tying a store into an external database.Thoughtful e-Commerce Content ManagementWebCatalog's forms-based approach to site maintenance is akin to what you'd find in high-end Web content management systems, like Mediasurface or NCompass Labs' Resolution. Here's how it works in practice. The crux of an e-store is, naturally, products -- which WebCatalog lets you organize into categories and subcategories. For instance, if you sell used music, the store's structure might contain Country, Rock, and Folk. Within each of those areas, you could then have CDs, tapes, and vinyl.As you load the catalog database, check boxes indicate which categories a particular SKU falls under.What's more, by simply selecting from a drop-down list you can feature a product on your home page or deliver software electronically (see Figure 2). Plus, you can quickly upload product photos through the browser user interface. I especially liked the option to offer certain products as a Cell Phone Special, which adds the specified products to an automatically generated WAP version of the site.A Few TrimmingsLike the basic default design, a stock store operates with few frills. Visitors can navigate through the product categories you establish, use the built-in search function, place items in their shopping cart, and check out through a secure third-party service. There's also basic interactivity -- shoppers can send you feedback, and the software automatically generates acknowledgements for orders, or notifies customers if there's a problem with credit card authorization.One unusual performance feature is that the built-in database runs via RAM -- rather than having to do, say, SQL queries to a database server for each page request. As a result, WebCatalog sites run fast, even when viewing different parts of the catalog over slow modem connections. Yet pages don't have to be delivered dynamically; WebCatalog will generate static pages of the entire site so that search engines can index every product listing.No Fear DevelopmentI like to customize stores using Dreamweaver because Smith Micro offers free WebDNA Dreamweaver extensions. Perhaps you'll want to rearrange how a dynamic catalog-listing page appears, build your own Web-merchant processor, or draw information from a SQL database. By merely dragging WebDNA objects onto your Dreamweaver page canvas, you get both a visual reference of how the new layout will appear and can easily specify components' operation through a properties palette. And for developers, that may be the most enticing reason to consider WebCatalog. Since WebDNA components are tailored for e-commerce, once you learn the product, designing and maintaining a complex site will likely take less time and effort than using a generic scripting language like ASP.All in all, WebCatalog covers the majority of e-commerce storefront needs, as delivered, and gives Web developers the tools to create complex sites more efficiently.------------------------------------------------------------------------Mike Heck manages Web development for Unisys. He can be reached at Michael.Heck@unisys.com.-------------------------------------------------------------This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list .To unsubscribe, E-mail to: To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to Web Archive of this list is at: http://search.smithmicro.com/ Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:

FOUND: WebCatalog Review by Mike Heck (Jeff Logan 2001)

Found this on the web site http://members.arttoday.com Thought everyone might want to read it or save to show clients.Jeff Logan----------------------------------------WebCatalog 4.0.1 Review by Mike HeckEven considering the current turmoil surrounding certain e-commerce sites, there's no question that Web storefronts are an important way for organizations to build sales. Yet a lot of companies take a cautious approach to e-business -- starting out small and tasking Web designers to build online catalogs as efficiently as possible.WebCatalog 4.0 is a great fit for these jobs. The software lets those with elementary Web skills assemble a basic catalog-driven storefront and get it online in a few hours. Built-in templates eliminate page layout steps, while the integrated database means you don't need to know anything about SQL calls or DNS connections. WebCatalog, also has fill-in-the-blank forms for credit card processing using CyberCash or InternetCash. And runs under major operating systems, including Apple's new OS X.So what's the catch? Well, first, out-of-the-box storefronts aren't very attractive. Second, making serious changes to page design requires that you learn Smith Micro's proprietary WebDNA scripting language. As a result, if you need to execute a highly custom design and don't have WebDNA experience, WebCatalog might prove more time-consuming than choosing a package like LaGuarde's Storefront 5.0, which uses standard ASP scripting and integrates with Microsoft FrontPage. And third, WebCatalog (as shipped) doesn't offer the personalization features visitors can get at high-profile online stores. But if you recognize these limitations, WebCatalog represents a very good value.Load and GoWebCatalog is very compact (about five megabytes) and takes very little effort to install. The setup application automatically performs file, database, and Web server configuration in about 10 minutes. And -- a point that may help justify the program's price -- a single server can host multiple e-commerce stores. So, WebCatalog is appropriate not just for design shops and individual businesses, but ISPs that host community portals as well.Another part of WebCatalog's architecture that contributes usability and speed is that all administration and store building happens through Web pages and HTML forms. For example, let's say that I access one form to perform initial configuration tasks, including store naming and assigning security for the owner. Drop-down lists on subsequent Store Builder pages control a store's general appearance, such as background colors, header graphics, and frame placement (see Figure 1). Here, I also add and edit non-product pages -- contact information or return policies -- and specify elements such as footer text. In effect, each of these components represent a snippet of WebDNA code. As such, taking customization to the next level (for example, changing the placement of items on the home page) isn't particularly difficult; you simply edit the supplied templates. To learn this process, WebCatalog ships with several documents in PDF format, HTML WebDNA language guide, and a sample site written in WebDNA. It's particularly helpful to deconstruct this sample site when you want to try more elaborate tricks, such as tying a store into an external database.Thoughtful e-Commerce Content ManagementWebCatalog's forms-based approach to site maintenance is akin to what you'd find in high-end Web content management systems, like Mediasurface or NCompass Labs' Resolution. Here's how it works in practice. The crux of an e-store is, naturally, products -- which WebCatalog lets you organize into categories and subcategories. For instance, if you sell used music, the store's structure might contain Country, Rock, and Folk. Within each of those areas, you could then have CDs, tapes, and vinyl.As you load the catalog database, check boxes indicate which categories a particular SKU falls under.What's more, by simply selecting from a drop-down list you can feature a product on your home page or deliver software electronically (see Figure 2). Plus, you can quickly upload product photos through the browser user interface. I especially liked the option to offer certain products as a Cell Phone Special, which adds the specified products to an automatically generated WAP version of the site.A Few TrimmingsLike the basic default design, a stock store operates with few frills. Visitors can navigate through the product categories you establish, use the built-in search function, place items in their shopping cart, and check out through a secure third-party service. There's also basic interactivity -- shoppers can send you feedback, and the software automatically generates acknowledgements for orders, or notifies customers if there's a problem with credit card authorization.One unusual performance feature is that the built-in database runs via RAM -- rather than having to do, say, SQL queries to a database server for each page request. As a result, WebCatalog sites run fast, even when viewing different parts of the catalog over slow modem connections. Yet pages don't have to be delivered dynamically; WebCatalog will generate static pages of the entire site so that search engines can index every product listing.No Fear DevelopmentI like to customize stores using Dreamweaver because Smith Micro offers free WebDNA Dreamweaver extensions. Perhaps you'll want to rearrange how a dynamic catalog-listing page appears, build your own Web-merchant processor, or draw information from a SQL database. By merely dragging WebDNA objects onto your Dreamweaver page canvas, you get both a visual reference of how the new layout will appear and can easily specify components' operation through a properties palette. And for developers, that may be the most enticing reason to consider WebCatalog. Since WebDNA components are tailored for e-commerce, once you learn the product, designing and maintaining a complex site will likely take less time and effort than using a generic scripting language like ASP.All in all, WebCatalog covers the majority of e-commerce storefront needs, as delivered, and gives Web developers the tools to create complex sites more efficiently.------------------------------------------------------------------------Mike Heck manages Web development for Unisys. He can be reached at Michael.Heck@unisys.com.-------------------------------------------------------------This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list .To unsubscribe, E-mail to: To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to Web Archive of this list is at: http://search.smithmicro.com/ Jeff Logan

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FOUND: WebCatalog Review by Mike Heck

2001

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