Breaking the module mold -- rapid application development in a module-driven, PHP-based platform/CMS

Modules, that plug into series of APIs, provide the content in most portal platforms. However, some developers are creating generalized frameworks for building applications directly on the platform itself.

We have created such a framework, called Formulize, for XOOPS. The Content Construction Kit for Drupal is another example of a system shedding the module plug-in paradigm.

This talk will (1) examine the architecture of XOOPS, (2) discuss why it's a good platform for a rapid application development environment, (3) explain how Formulize operates within the module paradigm, and (4) suggest the concepts that are required to accurately model real-world business processes.

Julian Egelstaff, Senior Business Analyst/Lead Developer, Freeform Solutions Since 2000, I have been the project leader and a programmer on several portal website projects for clients in the not-for-profit sector. We started out using PHP 3 and are now eyeing features of PHP 5 for our next generation implementations. The systems we have developed are used by thousands of people across Canada, and the custom built applications within them help our client organizations carry out their core business processes -- they're not just forums and file download archives. Previously, I had several years experience at Corel and Cognos, two of Canada's largest software companies.