Overview

Connector Logistics

New Asset Type

Connectors are represented as a new asset type within the Adminstration Area of Sites (and not in the Global Administration Area).  Each Connector is associated with a particular 3rd party application which is specified during Connector creation.

Connector Configuration

The Connector edit screen allows users to input a number of properties which specify how and where to connect when processing publish requests relevant for a Connector.  These properties include authentication information, a URL, and a number of custom properties specific to each Connector type.

Connector Relevance

The "relevance" of a Connector is specified by selecting any number of Content Types via the "Content Types" pane on the Connector edit screen.  During the publishing process, the relevance of a Connector is determined by comparing the Content Types of the Connector with the Content Type of a particular Page being published.

Available Connector Types in 6.4

Cascade 6.4 includes the following two Connector types:

• WordPress
• Twitter

The WordPress Connector allows Cascade managed content to be synchronized with a WordPress instance.  When publishing a Page, the default region content of a particular Page Configuration for that Page will be transferred to a Post within WordPress.  Cascade Page's are mapped to Posts in WordPress. When a Page's content is updated and published, its corresponding WordPress Post is updated to reflect the changes.

The Twitter Connector allows for automated tweeting of links to newly published content to a Twitter account.  On the first publish of Pages using a specified Content Type and Page Configuration, Cascade will automatically tweet a message containing the page's title, a link to the page, and pre-configured hash tags and a prefix.

Additional 6.4 Features

Drag and Drop Data Definition Builder

Included in Cascade 6.4 is a new Drag and Drop Structured Data Definition builder which makes it much easier for end-users to create and edit Data Definitions.  Data Definition XML is generated on the fly as the user drags and drops new elements into the draggable content area.  Field attributes are modified using inline pop up form elements and allow for switching between basic and advanced views to make Data Definition editing quick and easy.  Users who are comfortable editing Data Definitions using XML can continue to do so using the XML pane which remains unchanged from previous releases.

Broadcast Messages

Also included in 6.4 is a new system tool which allows privileged users to create Broadcast Messages that are sent to all enabled users.  Administrators can now alert users about system events (e.g. system restart, system maintenance) without having to use an external tool.  Broadcast Messages appear at the top of the screen and will continue to be displayed until the user closes them.

EditArea Text Editor

Text areas within Cascade that are used to edit code in numerous asset types have been outfitted with an advanced text area that will highlight syntax, display line numbers, allow tabbing, and more.

Improved Content Comparison

A new content comparison engine provides more details when comparing previous versions of pages or working and original copies of pages in workflow.

Issues Resolved

New Feature

• [CSCD-5351] - WordPress Connector
• [CSCD-5352] - Twitter Connector
• [CSCD-5633] - Implement Salesforce Style EditArea for source code editing
• [CSCD-5723] - New compare changes engine for content comparison
• [CSCD-5745] - Broadcast Messages
• [CSCD-5768] - Implement a JavaScript drag and drop Data Definition builder

Improvement

• [CSCD-5524] - Improve Workflow Definition inheritance and Workflow behavior inheritance with folders
• [CSCD-5527] - Allow for contributor users to use asset factories with "Create Resized Images" plugin.

Bug

• [CSCD-2258] - Empty data definition throws null pointer exception
• [CSCD-4249] - Unable to delete users with outstanding drafts
• [CSCD-4439] - Compare with current functionality breaks if an ampersand is present in page html
• [CSCD-4452] - "Compare with current" always shows changed text at bottom of page
• [CSCD-4806] - "Compare With Current" fails when rendered page contains HTML entities.
• [CSCD-4829] - Workflow 'Compare with Current' Generates Character Error
• [CSCD-4993] - Compare with current in workflow does not work
• [CSCD-5116] - WYSIWYG Internal link popup window jumbled in IE8, IE7, and IE6.
• [CSCD-5259] - Cannot save script formats as drafts
• [CSCD-5775] - Users with ability to edit/create users can assign administrator level roles to users
• [CSCD-5796] - Form validation error on create causes global left nav to load when in Administration area of a Site
• [CSCD-5873] - Users with ability to edit/create groups can assign administrator level roles to users belonging to their group
• [CSCD-5921] - Wrong (Global) LHS after error on create of system area entities inside Sites
• [CSCD-5937] - Column sorting on user/group choosers throws HTTP 500 error
• [CSCD-5957] - Can't delete pages in global area that have no available targets.
• [CSCD-5995] - Report screen of system area container copy throws jsp error if there was an asset that could not be copied

• Beta Users
• Web Services
• SQL Server 2000

Beta Users

Web Services Updates

SQL Server 2000

Support for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 has been discontinued as of Cascade 6.4. Cascade Server version 6.2.1 is the last version for which SQL Server 2000 will be supported. Customers using SQL Server 2000 will need to upgrade to SQL Server 2005 before attempting to install and run Cascade 6.4.

SQL Server and Oracle Clients

It is required that clients using SQL Server or Oracle upgrade to version 6.2.1 before upgrading to 6.4.  An issue has been reported regarding missing indexes when upgrading to 6.4.x from any previous major release (6.2.x, 6.0.x, 5.7.x, 5.5.x).  These are indexes that vastly improve performance for a wide range of operations in systems with many assets.

Please follow every available release Upgrade Guide for every version you skipped during the upgrade.

WordPress Connector Notes

• If using an installed version of WordPress or WordPress MU, XML-RPC must be enabled in order for the Connector to work.  XML-RPC can be enabled in Settings->Writing.
• When unpublishing blog posts from WordPress, drafts of those posts are maintained in WordPress so that links to them will work should the posts ever be published again.  In order to completely remove a blog post, one will need to delete the post or the entire blog (if using WordPress MU) manually.
• The WordPress file uploads folder must allow write permissions to the user running the web server on which WordPress is installed.
• WordPress comments must be moderated from WordPress.
• Templates are not published from Cascade Server to WordPress.  One must build a WordPress theme with their own template design within WordPress.
• CSS files are not published from Cascade Server to WordPress.  This is due to the fact that CSS links are located in the Template (which is not a publishable asset).  Inline styles can be used in the DEFAULT region as a workaround.
• When publishing from Cascade Server, only the DEFAULT region (plus any formats applied to that region) will be pushed to WordPress.
• It is recommended that a simple Wordpress Template be created inside of Cascade Server. This will help to make it clear to end users that the Cascade rendering of the page will not look the same as the WordPress rendering of the page.
• To keep the WordPress and Cascade databases synchronized, avoid creating, editing, and deleting posts from the WordPress interface.
• Image overwriting does not work properly in WordPress 2.8.x (if using MySQL 5.x or lower).
• Script tags are not allowed for security reasons (applies to WordPress MU only).
• Category and Tag assignments can be changed but not removed.  This is due to the following WordPress bug.

Twitter Connector Notes

• Cascade Server will only publish a tweet for a page asset if that asset was created after the creation date of the Twitter Connector.
• Assets existing in the system before the 6.4 upgrade will not be eligible to be tweeted.  These assets would need to be copied over to new assets in order to satisfy the creation date constraint mentioned in the note above.

Other Notes

• Any time a Connector's username, password, or URL changes, the Connector will become unverified and must be verified again in order to work properly.
• The user interface for Folder Workflow Options has changed:
  • Prior to Cascade 6.4:
  • 
    
  • Beginning with Cascade 6.4:
  •