file is: cms-overview 1.3

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<h2> Specifications for CSC394 / IS376 Capstone Project </h2> 

<h3> Client-Server Content Management System. </h3>

Your project must:

<ul> 

<li> Run on the day it is due for a passing grade.

<li> Generally perform the function of a public service terminal point
allowing contributions from, and providing services to, a wide audience,
through upload, download, and information display. Your application can be
for private groups, company groups over an intranet, or for a general
audience on the web.

<li> Run over a web interface. (The demonstration must prove this feature.)
<li> Store data on the server side.
<li> Modify data on the server side.
<li> Have an <strong> administration </strong> component and an <strong> application </strong> component.
<li> Support different <strong> group configurations </strong> to implement sub-communities
     of application users.
<li> Support differnt <strong>  authority powers </strong> for different groups of
     application users.

<li> Demonstrate that it accepts data over the web, and then returns this
data at a different time -- given the application, this should be assumed.
<li> Have a substantial back-end server component.
<li> Have a substantial <strong> user text-submission area </strong> as a component.
<li> Manage <strong> discussions </strong>.
</ul>

You have a wide range of possible applications that can be implemented. You
have a wide range in where your focus lies as well. For example, you might
use an existing platform, such as <a href="http://xoops.org"> XOOPS </a> to
support a sophisticated organization design. Or, by contrast, you might
support a much less ambitious organization, but write all the code for the
system yourself from scratch. You might implement a wireless component.<p>

I encourage projects to run using the Uniform Server platform, and PHP /
MySql, which is portable to Windows and Unix platforms.  "WAMP" and "LAMP"
(Windows/Linux, Apache, MySql, Perl) implementations are viable, and useful,
technologies.  I do not <i> require </i> this platform if you make the case for
another.<p>

I encourage unusual, creative, potentially useful, applications that have
not been done before.<p>

Because the specification of the project is minimal, you will be
assessed on the viability of your application, its originality, and
the creativity you use in your approach to designing a solution to a
well-defined problem.<p>

There are many ways to do good work. If the group prefers to focus less on
implementation it may, e.g., build the requirements, design, and plan for a
very large system, but only implement a portion of that system (but still
meet the minimum specifications above). [Note that implementation is hard,
especially when the project <strong> must run </strong>, so a robust
implementation earns robust credit. Thus if you have a small implementation,
then you must have equivalent, extensive, good work in other areas to earn
the same grade. <p>