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Features

Main features

The main features of Xiss web can be view as high level requirements. These requirements are the guide lines used in the initial definition of Xiss web.

W3C standards

Xiss web is based on the W3C standards.

Accessibility

The generated pages follow some W3C recommendations to have a high level of accessibility: CSS for HTML styles, <div> to manage the page arrangement, using HTML accessibility features (lang, title, alt, ...), no frames, no script (except for Google maps use), etc.

Internationalization

The generated pages take into account the locale language. The language can be set before a generation. Currently two languages are available : English and French.

Look and feel

In Xiss web the layout (component arrangement) and the final look (skin) are managed separately. The layout is defined in an XML format and the final look is obtained by CSS files. With the same layout it's easy to have different final looks by just changing the CSS files.

The HTML pages generation is designed to have thumbnails always visible during the navigation in one slide show (display of each large image).

Customization

A default set of parameters is designed to produce quickly a working slide show. A Simple change of default parameters customizes the result. A set of look and feel is also available.

Compatibility and limitations

Java

Xiss web is produced with the JDK 1.4.

Xiss web runs on JRE SE 1.4, 5 and 6.

Platforms

Xiss web is developed and tested essentially on Windows XP platform. On this platform there is no limitation (except eventual bug).

Xiss web it's also tested on two more platforms: Mac OS X and Linux. Some limitations exist on these platforms.

Web browsers

All the web browsers conform to the W3C standards (XHTML and CSS) are compatible with the Xiss web generated pages. (It is highly recommended to use these web browsers.) The conformed web browsers tested are: firefix logo Firefox, safari logo Safari, safari logo Opera, chrome logo Google Chrome.

Internet Explorer is a special case, the generated pages are compatible with IE6 IE6 and IE8 IE8, but not with IE7! But it should be compatible with IE9 (wait and see).

It's possible to design special layout and skins for a specific browser (even if it's not a recommended approach). To know more see the documentation about look and feel.

With the Google Maps features (local index and image location on map) and the animation feature, others limitations exist:

1.7 version

Automatic show

The slide show with animation can be played automatically. Some parameters in layout's animation part define the automation and during the show it can be controlled.

File Management

Adding generic file management on file tree view: drag'n drop for copy and move action, and copy cut past. These actions are similar as the corresponding on file manager on a platform (Windows, Mac OS, ...). These actions can be started from an external file manager (the one of the current platform).

File Dependencies

Adding file dependencies management to optimize the slide show files generation.

File filtering

Adding file filtering feature in the file tree view: show image files in slide shows and show all other files in project.

File edition

Extends the file edition to any text file a project (txt, html, css, xml, js, php) and allows image display from the file tree view.

1.6 version

Animation

This version introduces the possibility to have animated transition between images of a slide show. The animation is based on javascript and the external linkJQuery library.

Three kinds of animation are possible: fade, superimposed fade and, scroll. A wait screen is displayed when the next image need to be loaded (with three possible sizes: none, image area, full screen).

With the animation, the generation of one slide show change, only one HTML page is necessary for the whole slide show. Then the links between heterogeneous slide shows aren't possible.

Control

The animation feature enables to have a control panel for the end user to change some slide show parameters: comment display position, metadata display and animation speed.

1.5 version

Look and feel

This version changes the HTML structure of the generated slide show pages to offer more possibilities for the definition of look and feel. The skins of the previous versions aren't compatible with this version.

All the Xiss web's skins have been updated to take into account the new HTML structure. You must to update your own skins defined for previous version of Xiss web if you want to use this version. A new documentation part describes the skin definition with CSS styles.

The new possibilities enable more sophisticated styles and have to do with:

Location on map customization

Two new parameters are added for the location of image on map feature.

One concerns the transition behavior between the main image and the map. The transition can be direct or progressive slow or fast.

The other has to do with the zoom level for the map display. Five zoom levels enable to have a display near or far to the image location.

GUI enhancement

The first enhancement is the fix of some bugs!

The second is the addition of menus with sort cuts. It increases the ways to access to the Xiss web's features.

1.3 version

Personal pages

Management of personal pages is enhanced, essentially for the local index pages.

Google Maps

The two following features use Google Maps:

These two features are independent to each other and can be used together or not. They are associated with elements of slide show layout (see look management and layout editor).

Metadata management enhancement

The enhancement of the metadata management concerns:

Comment extraction

The sow process tries to extract image comment from its IPTC or Exif. In the slide show content editor enables to reset image comment with IPTC or Exif metadata.

Slide show content text edition

The slide show content editor enables a direct edition of text associated with element selected in the tree view part. The text is edited in a larger area than the one that can be activated in the tree view. It offers a more comfortable way for text edition.

This new area of edition enables the use of HTML code or image comment and slide show description. These HTML elements are inserted in generated slide show pages.

Installation of examples

The examples can be installed directly from Xiss web'GUI. The installation uploads the examples archive or uses an already uploaded archive.

Customizable local index

This feature enhances the default local index by adding two types of customizable local index:

The default local index can always be defined in slide show project's properties. The customizable local index can be defined in a layout associated to one or more slide shows in a project. The definition of a customizable local index overrides the definition of the default local index.

1.2 version

Metadata edition

Xiss web distinguishes tree kinds of image and associated metadata:

  1. Digital image from digital camera.
  2. film image from a digitalization of a photo made by a camera using photographic film.
  3. Processing image from a digital creation or process with a software.

Metadata of digital image is managed since 1.1 version. For film or processing image, the metadata is added by manual edition.

1.1 version

New project dialog box

Two dialog boxes help the creation of new Xiss web project and one for basic project: one for project using a repository of original images.

Image information (metadata)

Image information is metadata extracted from image's file and display in slide show. These metadata are stored in image file by digital camera at the shutting time and concern: camera itself (maker, model), date and time and shutting parameters (shutter speed, aperture, focal length, flash).

Main image display in editor

The content slide show editor displays the main image of a selected thumbnail. The display is possible in two modes: image in full size or in a size adapted at the display area. With the main image display, his metadata are also displayed.

Display of original images repository

If a repository of original images is associated with a project, it's displayed in the file tree view of the Xiss web's GUI. This display enables the selection of directories to import only the wanted images.

1.0 version

The 1.0 version doesn't provide new feature but, it provides improvement and better stability.

This version fixes bugs and improves the existing functionalities.

This version enhance also the platform independence: Xiss web is working on Windows and on Mac OS X (tested on XP and Tiger).

0.10 version

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

The GUI enables to run of the main Xiss web's commands and the edition of a project's files: properties, slide show content, and layout.

Multiple file edition

The files used in a slide show project can be edited with the Xiss web's GUI. These files are: project properties, slide show content and layout. Several files can be edited in the same time. The content and layout files are validate in conformance to a W3C XML Schema before a save.

Slide show content file editor

With a graphical editor dedicated to slide show content files, the edition of these files is easy and efficient.

This editor enables text edition (titles, comments) on different slide show elements. It manages slide show links. It is also possible to organize images by creation of sections and image moving by drag and drop.

Slide show links management

A dialog box enables the creation, edition of links between slide shows. This dialog box manages links between of several slide shows in the same time. It avoids editing separately each slide show linked to gather.

Slide show layout editor

A graphical editor is available to design layouts to present photos in slide show.

This editor enables the organization and customization of the graphical components witch are rendering in HTML pages. The organization of components can be done by drag and drop actions. The editor visualizes a simple graphical rendering of layout.

Slide show skin editor

A graphical editor enables easy definition of simple skins associated with a slide show project. These skins are simple because they based on a template that uses restricted capabilities of CSS.

0.9 version

XHTML 1.1

The HTML pages displaying the slide show are in XHTML 1.1.

div for thumbnails presentation

The 0.9 version of Xiss web replaces the HTML table presentation for thumbnails by div. Xiss web follows now completely the principle of right use of the HTML elements as it's recommended by the W3C.

Imporation of images during build

It's an enhancement of the importation of original images feature. The importation of original images can be done during the sow process or the build process.

The images navigation behavior is customizable. Several types of navigation are available: basic, circular, and using slide show links.

0.8 version

Importation of original images

The initialization (sow process) of a slide show project can be done by importing images form a repository. For example, directly with images downloaded from a digital camera. During the import the images are resized to respect a maximum size.

Image numbering

Image number format definition to display image numbering in various way.

Page decoration

In layout definition of some decoration components to be inserted in generated HTML pages: header, footer, left or right margin.

0.7 version

Sections

In a slide show the images can be organized in sections with the displayed of corresponding titles in thumbnails.

Some slide shows can be linked together with oriented links: next and previous links. These links are available in the navigation bar of concerned slide shows.

Web or not

Management of the links in HTML pages to have links working on web or on file system (slideshow.final.location parameter).

0.6 version

Sow and build

A sower generates an initial slide show content description to be completed (or not). A builder generates the slide show HTML pages. A one shut command runs sower and builder to generate directly slide shows.

Look and feel

3 layouts, 7 skins are available.

Reverse

If you have already made a slide show in HTML pages you can use Xiss web to manage it (for example to change the look and feel, to add images, ...). The images repository (images in directories and slide show description) can be build by reversing your existing HTML slide shows and extract from it information like image comment.

To do

Publishing

Add a module to publish the built slide shows on the web (via FTP by example).

Automatic show

Make possible automatic show for slide show without animation.

HTML 5

Build slide show in HTML 5.

File management

Add more possibilities to manage file, like copy / paste and, drag and drop.

Graphical User Interface enrichment

Add more functionalities to the GUI.