Porcupine is an object oriented web application server that features the Porcupine Object Query Language, an integrated transactional object database and QuiX(an AJAX powered XUL motor).

Porcupine is a web application server that provides an object oriented framework for developing web applications rapidly.

Many of the tasks required for building web applications as you know them, are either eliminated or simplified. For instance, when developing a Porcupine application you don't have to design a relational database.

You only have to design and implement your business objects as classes, using the building blocks provided by the framework (datatypes). Porcupine integrates a native object database, no mapping required.

Another tedious task for web applications is the interface design, and the constraints imposed by HTML. QuiX, the server's integrated XML User-Interface Language, simplifies the interface design process.

All you have to do is describe your application's interface in XML and write the appropriate event handlers. You don't have to waste time and money on widget implementations. QuiX comes with a variety of ready to use widgets, accelerating the development process.

Generally, every Porcupine application consists of three distinct layers. The first is the business layer consisting of the business objects which encapsulate the business logic.

The second layer binds the HTTP protocol with the first layer's business objects. This layer is implemented using Python Server Pages or Servlets. If using XML-RPC, one common approach is to directly map an XML-RPC method to a business object's method.

The third layer, the presentation layer, usually consists of XML UI definitions and JavaScript event handlers.

The first two layers are executed server side and the third layer is executed on the client (browser).

Here are some key features of "Porcupine":

· Embedded hierarhical object database with transaction support
· Porcupine Object Query Language
· Role based security
· Supports custom datatypes and custom datatype event handlers
· Supported protocols: HTTP, XML-RPC
· Integrates QuiX, Innoscript's XUL javascript rendering engine
· Consistent and easy to learn API
· Three different types of Servlets (HTTP, XUL, XML-RPC) for enhanced productivity
· HTTP-exposed methods can be secured with policies
· Compiled Python Server Pages
· Custom post processing filters (GZIP compression filter included)
· Extensible session manager
· Support for Apache and IIS. CGI and MOD_PYTHON connectors are included.
· Easy application localization. String resources are held in UTF-8 encoded Python script files (version 0.0.6 or later).
· Single file deployment. Use the pakager utility to include all of your application files and objects in a single file. Installation is done by the same utility using a single command.
· Full UTF-8 support

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

· New method "clearOptions" for QuiX combos.
· NEW: Added support for date picker UTC dates by using utc="true".
· NEW: New "toUtc" and "toLocal" JavaScript Date object methods.
· NEW: New mandatory "@porcupine.db.transactional" decorator for transactional web methods.
· NEW: New "getattr" and "getparent" OQL functions.
· NEW: New "indexOf" method of JavaScript Arrays.
· NEW: New "query" method of QuiX base widget.
· NEW: New "getWidgetByClassName" of QuiX base widget.
· NEW: New "AutoComplete" widget contributed by Thomas Bellos.
· NEW: New "onunload" custom event of QuiX base widget.
· NEW: Added support for Safari, Firefox3 and Google Chrome.
· NEW: New "effects" QuiX module.
· NEW: New "maxfilesize" parameter for QuiX upload controls.
· NEW: New "focus" method of QuiX combos.
· NEW: New "onrowprerender" custom event of QuiX list views.
· NEW: New "onrendercomplete" custom event of QuiX list views.
· NEW: New "cellThreshold" attribute of QuiX list views. If the cells to be rendered exceed this numb...