formVista : A Business Component Framework for PHP

formVista   is   an  open-source  dual-licensed  PHP  component
framework  for  the  rapid  creation  of  advanced business web
applications  that  run in commodity hosting environments. It's
purpose  is  to help web development companies do more, faster,
with less staff.

The  framework implements the formVista Markup Language (a.k.a.
FVML),   an  XML  dialect  that  brings  reusability  and  role
separation  to web development projects by combining HTML, SQL,
client  side  Javascript  (including  AJAX),  validation rules,
authentication    and    business    logic    into   completely
self-contained  components.  Components  may  be as simple as a
columnar report or as complex as a multi-user discussion forum.
Once  built  in  FVML,  components  can be placed by relatively
junior  web designers onto any properly configured PHP web page
as if it were any other kind of content.

In  addition  to  being  a exhaustively commented tutorial, this   
directory  and  it's  subdirectories  comprise  a  fully
functional  reuseable  shell  of  a  formVista application that
provides a  good starting point for your own formVista 
applications.

formVista_demoshell includes:

. a trivial example featuring the columnlist component class.
. an events calendar featuring the calendarlist component class.
. a categorized blogging application.
. a component gallery.
. an administrative backend that includes:
  - user/group/grant management for password protected areas.
  - calendar administration including adding/editing of events.
  - blog administration including managing of categories.

To  see  an  already  installed  and configured version of this
demoshell please visit:

   http://demoshell.formvista.com

To  install  your  own  copy  of  this demo please refer to the
INSTALL.txt file.

If you have any questions please join us in the formVista forum
at:

   http://www.formvista.com/forum.html

===============================================================

This  application is released under the terms of the Reciprocal
Public  License which may be found in the LICENSE.txt file that
accompanies this distribution or on the formVista website at:

  http://www.formvista.com/license.html

Commercial   use   licenses   as  well  as  custom  application
development services are also available.

===============================================================
CONTENTS:

setup.php

   The setup system. This must be run first. See INSTALL.txt.

setup_local

   formvista_demoshell specific setup screens. 

README.txt

   this file

INSTALL.txt

   installation instructions

LICENSE.txt

   the text of the Reciprocal Public License

VERSION.php

   formVista(tm) version file for this demo.

conf/

   Support  files  for the setup script. Setup has been
   built  to  be  generic  enough  to reuse in many projects.
   Details specific to a project are stored in the conf files.

docs/

	PHPDoc style documentation generated from the demoshell
	source files.

demos/admin/

   the administrative backend for the demo which features:
      - adding/editing events for the public events calendar
      - managing catgories for the public CLOG.
      - adding/editing users allowed to login to the admin system and 
        post to the public CLOG.

   The  admin/admin  section  is  by far the best commented and
   provides  a nice tutorial overview of how these apps are put
   together.

demos/clog/

   The  public  side of the categorized web log system. This is
   an involved demo of what can be done in formVista.

demos/calendar/

   Public side of the events calendar. 

demos/features/

   A gallery of components demonstrating many features of the 
   framework.

formvista

   The formVista business component framework, both runtime and
	debugging versions. See the text files in that directory for
	more information.

===============================================================
DOCUMENTATION:

Current versions of all available documentation can be found on
the formvista website.

There  are  also three kinds of documentation included with the
distribution:

1. the formVista Developers Guide and Reference located in 
   formvista_demoshell/formvista/docs/guide/book1.html

2. the formVista phpdoc generated API documentation located in
   formvista_demoshell/formvista/docs/reference/index.html

3. the  formvista_demoshell  phpdoc  generated  documentation
   located in formvista_demoshell/docs/references/index.html.

In  addition,  all  source  files in both the demoshell and the
component  framework  itself  are exhaustively commented in the
hope  it  will  make  it easier to new developers to come up to
speed.