id: index
type: listitem
list: toplevel
tags: toplevel
title: Design principles
format: texbreaks



Thalassa CMS is based on architecture principles that look unusual in
'modern' circumstances:<ul>

<li> it is written in C++ (and partly in plain C), and it basically
     only needs the compiler and GNU make to build; </li>

<li> it doesn't rely on client-side scripting; the examples and templates
     provided along with the source code emit no JS nor any other code to
     be executed in the browser, and we hope you will not introduce any
     of that crap in your own Thalassa-managed sites, although it is
     technically possible; </li>

<li> it uses no DBMS, everything is stored in plain text files; </li>

<li> it generates pages when they are created and modified,
     <strong>not</strong> when they are requested by the visitor; </li>

<li> it provides certain interactive features, such as a contact form and
     user comments (with possibility of both moderation and premoderation),
     using a CGI program; however, if you don't need them, you can even
     avoid installing Thalassa on your server: all the site can be
     generated locally on your home computer, and uploaded to the server
     afterwards, just as a bunch of static html files; </li>

<li> for non-interactive sites, Thalassa doesn't use any cookies; the
     interactive capabilities rely on exactly one cookie, which is
     typically only set when the user requests it explicitly, so you don't
     need all that nonsense with &ldquo;asking&rdquo; the user for &ldquo;permission&rdquo;
     which they are actually forced to give. </li>

</ul>
