Projects and sessions
jNP works with two levels of changes isolation. The lowest level is so called session - it collects changes created by single user. Next level of isolation is provided by projects. Projects serve for separation of longer-term changes, on which multiple authors may cooperate.
Session
All changes created by an user are created in user's session. Session serves for temporary isolation of changes done by one user. Web site visitors and other jNP users do not see the isolated changes, until the session is saved. As long as changes are contained in a session, they can be easily reverted using the Undo operation. Changes may be contained in a session for arbitrarily long time period, even when the user logs out.
Assets modified in the session are locked for modification. Other users see the previous, unmodified content, of the asset, and at the same time, cannot modify the content of the asset. This effectively prevents the formation of conflicts between assets of single project.
Saving session
The session demarcates consistent block of modifications of a user. User should save his session, when he considers this block of modifications completed, and ready for publication. Session is saved using the Save your work button in the toolbar.
Projects
Projects provide next level of change isolation. Their purpose is similar to sessions - to allow to work on independent, isolated copy of the content, and when finished, to project the changes to the main project to be eventually published. Typically projects are used for larger modifications, developed over a period of time, by one or more editors. You can create one-shot project for specific purpose, such as web site redesign, and close the project when modifications are completed and published. Alternatively, you may create a long-term project, that is regularly committed to the main project.
Current project is shown under the project button, which can also be used to switch to another project.
Projects are usually created by the web site admin, which also defines their intended purpose, and sets their access rights. If in doubt which project to use, contact your web site admin. See also Project management.
Comparison of projects and sessions
Session | Project | |
---|---|---|
User | Session is private for the current editor | More editors may create modifications in a project |
Locking | Asset changed in sessions prevent other users to change the same asset in the same project | Saved or unsaved changes of an asset in one project do not prevent changing the same asset in another project |
Conflicts | Due to asset locking mechanism, conflicts are prevented within project | Conflicts may emerge when working in multiple projects. To deal with conflicts see Merging projects. |