Zen Application Platform - Features
Single Edit/View Step
Multiple Developers
Version Control
Access via HTTP/HTTPS
Database Integration
Cool Tools
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Single
Edit/View
Step |
When developing a site that contains server-side script and database access, the develper is seldom
able to view the pages they're working on directly from the editing software. There are generally several steps involved.
- Save the changes to the file on their local machine
- FTP the file(s) to the server
- Switch to a browser and refresh the page.
Some development environments allow you to edit the files directly on your server, using FTP "behind the scenes". This
works fine when there is one developer on a site, but when you have multiple developers working in the same area, overwriting
each other's file is common. This method also does not provide any kind of version control. Once you overwrite the old file, it's gone.
Server Edits
The Zen Tool allows direct edits on the server. This means you open the file directly
from the server, make your changes, then the changes are saved back to the server, all in one simple step.
Preview
The client has a build in preview function that allows
two types of preview:
Local
This allows a quick preview of the HTML content locally. Any images referenced or links will be local to the developer's machine.
No script or Preprocessing is done.
Server Preview
This preview mode allows the page to be viewed directly from the server, exactly as it would appear in a normal browser window.
All preprocessing, scripts and resources are *live*.
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Multiple
Developers |
The Zen Tool automatically locks a page, or other resource, when it is opened.
This enables multiple developers to work together without overwriting each other's files.
The file list displays whether the page is locked, who locked it and when.
It also displays who the last editor was, the date it was last updated and the date it was last published.
By the beta release, chat functionality will be available. The developers currently connected to the server will
be able to communicate with each other without having to pickup the phone, or walk down the hall.
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Version
Control |
When a file is saved to the server, the server will automatically increment the version number, and
make a backup copy of the file. You can then review previous versions, and revert back to them if necessary.
The number of backup copies stored is configurable.
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Access via
HTTP/HTTPS |
Some servers have all of the non-essential services turned off for security reasons.
At times this may include FTP, which is the standard way of updating your files.
To avoid this issue, the Zen Tool uses HTTP/HTTPS to access the Zen Server.
This allows access to authorized developers to even the most restrictive server environment.
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Database
Integration |
The Zen Tool integrates with the MySQL database running on the server in several ways:
- GUI interface allowing you to view and update the database objects and data.
- Inline execution of SQL statements by simply highlighting the SQL within your code and pressing Ctrl+E.
- Query repository for managing your SQL code.
The current version of the Zen Tool works with the MySQL database engine but will be expanded to support additional databases.
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Cool
Tools |
The Zen Tool has several cool tools that you don't find in many other programs. Two of the hottest are:
- Magnifier
The magnifier allows you to move your cursor anywhere on the screen and have it magnified 2, 5, 10, or 50 times.
- Ruler
The Ruler pops-up over any window on your screen allowing you to measure the pixel distances.
The ruler also has preset sizes of 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768, so you can instantly compare standard screen sizes for page layout.
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