The easiest and preferred way to get started with the OpenWGA CMS ist to download, install and use the OpenWGA Developer Studio.
The OpenWGA Developer Studio packages an OpenWGA CMS Server together with all necessary development and deployment tools to create, develop, extend and maintain your OpenWGA CMS Applications. It can either be installed as a stand alone application or as a plugin into an existing Eclipse installation.
Up and running in a few minutes
Setting up OpenWGA CMS to run your first web application is done in three easy steps:
- create a new OpenWGA CMS runtime
- create a new CMS web application inside that runtime
- start the runtime and open your application in the browser
Step 1: Create a new WGA Runtime
The first step you need to do is to create a new "WGA Runtime Project" using the project wizard:
Click File->New->WGA Runtime Project
Enter a name for your runtime for e.g. "GettingStarted" and click "Finish".
The wizard creates a new project containing all necessary files and folders to run your web applications:
The WGA Runtime does not only act as a "container" for your web applications. It also contains the complete configuration of your OpenWGA system, including the configuration of the integrated Apache Tomcat application server. You are able to check in the WGA Runtime project to your CVS or SVN code repository and share it. Other developers can check out your runtime and start working in exactly the same environment where you developed and tested your applications.
As an OpenWGA developer you will typically create one WGA Runtime for each customer you work for or for each OpenWGA server whose designs you maintain.
Step 2: Create a new Web Application:
The next step is creating a new WGA Site (Application) inside the Runtime. Do this by clicking the "Create new example application" link on the runtime status page or choose menu File / New / WGA Web Application.
If you are interested in using OpenWGA as a Web Content Management System, select "website-sample" as template or select "application-sample", if you are interested in using OpenWGA as an application platform.
Both samples are explained in detail in the tutorial section of this website.
Leave all other settings with its defaults and click "Finish" to create your first OpenWGA web application.
Step 3: Run your WGA Web Application:
Start your WGA Runtime:
To start your runtime click "Start" on the status page of the runtime editor:
Open your WGA Application:
To open your application select your application on the status page and click the link "Open in Browser" :
The internal browser application will start and show the just created sample OpenWGA web application.
Next Steps ...
If you are a web designer or application developer read more about how to change the layout of the sample applications on the page OpenWGA Applications.
If you are responsible for the websites of you company and want to learn more about the OpenWGA authoring environment, read more about how to manage web content using the OpenWGA Content Manager.
If at any time you need detail information about OpenWGA and its concepts check the Concepts and Features book in the Documentation for your used OpenWGA version. Here all concepts are highlighted and explained in detail.