Chisimba

Chisimba is a Web 2.0 enabled rapid application development framework for creating web applications that are platform independent, browser independent, xHTML compliant, and can use a number of common databases.

Chisimba is written in PHP5 using the model-view-controller paradigm, implemented via a modular architecture. Over 100 modules of functionality are already available and these can be used out of the box to create a Content Management System, a feature-rich e-learning platform, a group-based collaboration platform, a blogging system that allows posting from mobile phones, and many other applications.

Chisimba modules are configured at install time from a simple text-based configuration file that contains common setting, and automates permissions and menu entries. Most settings are configurable from a dynamic configuration editor, including menu entries, permissions, and even the type of site. The Chisimba module catalogue includes some common configurations, allowing you to install an e-learning platform, a CMS, an organizational portal, or any of several other configurations from the same codebase. Modules can also be installed individually or combined in different ways to create entirely new application types without any programming.

Chisimba uses a group/role based access control system that is underpinned by and ACL system that allows permissions to be as fine or as corse grained as you like. Groups and roles can be edited in a GUI editor, and can be changed on a per module basis if necessary. Developers can use this to assign module, page, or within-page permissions.

Chisimba includes a modest code generation engine that can use XML templates to generate code for common purposes such as accessing data, creating or consuming web services, wrapping foreign classes, etc.

Chisimba allows full internationalisation and localization using commonly available translation facilities, thus allowing interface elements to be presented in different languages without having to modify any core code.

Simple and extended help capability is built in, and allows for the presentation of simple textual help, extended help, or extended help via Flash files in multiple languages.

Chisimba is the Chichewa (Malawi) word for the framework used to build a traditional African house.

Chisimba has been around for AbOUT 4 years. The current version is the second iteration, in the first iteration it was called KINKY. It is the product of a collaboration of the 13 African universities involved in the African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources (AVOIR) project, but includes contributions from others outside AVOIR as well. Its physical home, and the location of the highest concentration of developers is in the Free Software Innovation Unit at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

If you came here from the Bliki page you May Be interested in how to create a Bliki in Chisimba1 .

External links

• avoir.uwc.ac.za - The AVOIR project site where most things related to Chisimba can be found
• fsiu.uwc.ac.za - The Free Software Innovation Unit, custodians of the Chisimba architecture, and the UWC node in the AVOIR network. The site is running Chisimba in a simple content management configuration.