Brain storming Plone features

published May 02, 2012, last modified May 03, 2012

Brain storming Plone features for the plone.com website

More info about PLOG 2012: http://www.abstract.it/abstract-en/initiative/plone-open-garden-2012/

What features does Plone have?

  • web based
  • familiar folder structure
  • in-site editing, no need to have a preview separated from the back-end editing
  • role or group based access control, or nested
  • customizable, local workflow
  • versioning, check-in/check-out
  • ZODB versions: undo
  • search: full text and live search
  • navigation: orderable items, readable urls
  • SEO optimization
  • HTML filtering
  • Pluggable authentication
  • strong commercial eco system
  • strong add-on eco system
  • flexible theming, skinning, templating; you can theme basically anything; getting easier; also some standard themes now
  • commenting
  • accessibility; a task force to have a new look at this may be formed
  • multilingual; UI (and content with an add-on)
  • GPL, open source, no license costs
  • Plone Foundation as copyright holder so not a single company; multi-vendor
  • works on multiple platforms
  • python
  • good security track record
  • persistent urls that stay valid
  • caching support
  • clustering (ZEO)
  • RelStorage (Oracle, Postgres, MySQL as backend)
  • cutting and pasting folders and documents
  • WYSIWYG editor
  • metadata, Dublin core
  • content types
  • COPE, multichannel
  • mobile ready
  • html5 ready
  • personal dashboard
  • WebDAV, ftp access, XML-RPC
  • built-in RSS indication
  • any search can be turned into an RSS feed
  • collections (document sets)
  • tagging, taxonomy
  • PDF generation (with add-ons)
  • portlets
  • customizable layout
  • event logs
  • buildout
  • content rules engine
  • mailing system
  • blogging
  • content management
  • image scaling/handling
  • inline view for (some) files you upload
  • getting faster with each release
  • sub sites
  • create your own forms (add-on PloneFormGen)
  • geo tagging
  • document indexing, full text pdf search
  • possible external search integration, e.g. SOLR
  • documentation
  • (community) support
  • local user groups and events
  • complete application stack
  • cross-browser compatibility
  • automated tests, continuous testing
  • there is an upgrade path to newer versions
  • framework team who reviews new ideas for the core
  • good release management
  • modular packaging
  • mature
  • you can migrate to Plone from several other platforms, there is a basis for that
  • translated into dozens of languages out of the box
  • external integration
  • community events, conferences, code sprints, Plone Tune-Ups
  • code quality
  • extensible content types through the web (dexterity)
  • turn a folder into a photo gallery
  • out of the box product plus platform
  • personalization, user profiles, user folder
  • contextual search: search within a folder
  • ratings, twitter, facebook (with add-ons)

If you are interesting in improving this list, structuring it, contact Matt Hamilton for access to a Google Docs document where we can collaboratively edit it.