ZCubes
Encyclopedia
ZCubes is free web-based software that is intended for the creation of documents including web pages, web sites, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, albums, and portals
.
through a single interface. With the advent of web browsers with native graphics
, multimedia
, and layout capabilities, several productivity platforms (e.g., Google Docs, ZOHO, EditGrid
) have started moving to the net. The unique aspect of the software can be seen as provision of functionality using the client browser itself using Javascript
, rather than interacting heavily (through AJAX) with the server to achieve different functions.
conference in San Francisco in April 2007. The first full release was made in May 2007 at the CUNY Web 3.0 keynote, with the Calci calculation engine pre-announced in September 2007.
In July 2007 ZCubes was listed as one of the top hundred "Always On" private companies in the United States
in a poll, A second full release was made in December 2007 and ZCubes was named in the top 5 web applications..
The platform integrates text, video, handwriting, and vector drawing . Different modes can be used to switch to different functions in a seamless manner. Users also use the drag-drop manipulation and recursive containment of pictures inside vector drawings to create variety of documents. The platform can be classified as a multi-functional platform. Due to the seamless vector graphics
functionality, ZCubes can be used as an online drawing and paint tool, and also as an interactive whiteboard
/blackboard
with integrated browsing capability.
ZCubes can also be considered to be a web-based development platform that integrates large sets of functions. The platform can also be a container for widgets
, RSS
feeds and other websites - an ability that make it behave as an online operating system like G.ho.st
. The application has two operating modes, in the interactive browsing-editing mode the application provides full-features to the users. The output of the editing process (termed as an experience) behaves as a stand-alone page, which can then be sent to the servers for editing.
, while the basic version now supports Firefox. ZCubes stores its output in HTML/VML format.
Vector editing is available only in Internet Explorer. SVG
is used to display the simpler drawings and handwriting in Mozilla
/Firefox. Other browsers like Safari are not supported, though documents can be viewed in most browsers.
. Also, hyperlinks inside the pages open in an internal browser, effectively containing the browsing experience without having to leave the page while navigating the link. This allows the user to construct web document
s while browsing the web.
The editor supports creation of documents, presentations and drawings online and spreadsheets. However, the difference can be noted to be the mixing of slides, drawings, document pieces, pictures, music and videos (each as separate ZCubes), all in one page (which is named "ZSpace"). This is counter to conventional documents that can be classified as either a word-processing document or a presentation
of slides - but not both. The platform supports free-positioning of elements, and multiple layers that can each contain several cubes. Editing of a cube can be done like word-processing or as HTML
. The online editor has a paint panel to create vector drawing and it can also be used to mimic handwriting.
ZCubes enables users to drag-drop
web-content, colors, special effects, animations, and files
into and from its browser-based interface to create customized layouts. Direct drag-drop
upload from local drives is available using an activex
control. Documents prepared by ZCubes can be saved locally, published as a webpage, saved as a wiki
, email
ed and sent as a "Cubee" (a ZCube that is sent to an email address).
There is an online calculation engine called Calci provided within the software. It supports most of the mathematical, statistical and financial functions provided by spreadsheet applications and can support almost a thousand calculations.
The E-Cards feature in ZCubes lets users to use their uploaded media such as videos
, images
, zpaint drawings in their greeting cards, and do cursive writing.
, with all resources described with RDF
, FOAF
, and other formats. The Office Suite
functionalities contained within the platform tends closer toward later generations of Office Suite
in the evolutionary path .
Documents created using the software are in HTML with embedded Javascript
, and not proprietary. However, conversion of popular document formats is not directly supported, unlike other Web based office tools like Google Docs. Page based editing like conventional word-processors is also not available.
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
.
Overview
ZCubes platform is a multi-functional platform that provides large sets of functions that are typically delivered using segmented applicationsApplication software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
through a single interface. With the advent of web browsers with native graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
, multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
, and layout capabilities, several productivity platforms (e.g., Google Docs, ZOHO, EditGrid
EditGrid
EditGrid is a Web 2.0 spreadsheet service. It offers both a free-of-charge service to personal users and a subscription service to organisations and is available on a number of partner sites and channels....
) have started moving to the net. The unique aspect of the software can be seen as provision of functionality using the client browser itself using Javascript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
, rather than interacting heavily (through AJAX) with the server to achieve different functions.
History
ZCubes was created by Joseph Pally. ZCubes has been available on the web since Oct 2006 with a public alpha release in December 2006. Cubee was released at a Web 2.0Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
conference in San Francisco in April 2007. The first full release was made in May 2007 at the CUNY Web 3.0 keynote, with the Calci calculation engine pre-announced in September 2007.
In July 2007 ZCubes was listed as one of the top hundred "Always On" private companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in a poll, A second full release was made in December 2007 and ZCubes was named in the top 5 web applications..
Modes
Vector graphics
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer graphics...
functionality, ZCubes can be used as an online drawing and paint tool, and also as an interactive whiteboard
Whiteboard
A whiteboard is a name for any glossy, usually white surface for nonpermanent markings. Whiteboards are analogous to chalkboards, allowing rapid marking and erasing of markings on their surface...
/blackboard
Chalkboard
A chalkboard or blackboard is a reusable writing surface on which text or drawings are made with sticks of calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as chalk. Chalkboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slate stone...
with integrated browsing capability.
ZCubes can also be considered to be a web-based development platform that integrates large sets of functions. The platform can also be a container for widgets
Web widget
In computing a web widget is a software widget for the web. It's a small application that can be installed and executed within a web page by an end user. They are derived from the idea of code reuse. Other terms used to describe web widgets include: portlet, gadget, badge, module, webjit, capsule,...
, RSS
RSS
-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...
feeds and other websites - an ability that make it behave as an online operating system like G.ho.st
G.ho.st
G.ho.st was the trading name of Ghost Inc. and the service name and URL of the company's hosted computer operating system or WebOS service. Its name is an acronym of Global Hosted Operating SysTem. The old URL G.ho.st is a domain hack using the São Tomé and Príncipe .st country extension and more...
. The application has two operating modes, in the interactive browsing-editing mode the application provides full-features to the users. The output of the editing process (termed as an experience) behaves as a stand-alone page, which can then be sent to the servers for editing.
Browser Support
When launched it initially only ran on Internet ExplorerInternet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
, while the basic version now supports Firefox. ZCubes stores its output in HTML/VML format.
Vector editing is available only in Internet Explorer. SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics
Scalable Vector Graphics is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic . The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.SVG images and their...
is used to display the simpler drawings and handwriting in Mozilla
Mozilla
Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software....
/Firefox. Other browsers like Safari are not supported, though documents can be viewed in most browsers.
Features
ZCubes uses a browser-in-browser concept to provide "immersive" browsing. The platform is DHTML based, and allows direct editing of HTMLHTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
. Also, hyperlinks inside the pages open in an internal browser, effectively containing the browsing experience without having to leave the page while navigating the link. This allows the user to construct web document
Web document
A web document is similar in concept to a web page, but also satisfies the following broader definition:The term "web document" has been used as a fuzzy term in many sources A web document is similar in concept to a web page, but also satisfies the following broader (W3C) definition:The term "web...
s while browsing the web.
The editor supports creation of documents, presentations and drawings online and spreadsheets. However, the difference can be noted to be the mixing of slides, drawings, document pieces, pictures, music and videos (each as separate ZCubes), all in one page (which is named "ZSpace"). This is counter to conventional documents that can be classified as either a word-processing document or a presentation
Presentation
Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience or learner. Presentations come in nearly as many forms as there are life situations...
of slides - but not both. The platform supports free-positioning of elements, and multiple layers that can each contain several cubes. Editing of a cube can be done like word-processing or as HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
. The online editor has a paint panel to create vector drawing and it can also be used to mimic handwriting.
ZCubes enables users to drag-drop
Drag-and-drop
In computer graphical user interfaces, drag-and-drop is the action of selecting a virtual object by "grabbing" it and dragging it to a different location or onto another virtual object...
web-content, colors, special effects, animations, and files
Computer file
A computer file is a block of arbitrary information, or resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage. A file is durable in the sense that it remains available for programs to use after the current program has finished...
into and from its browser-based interface to create customized layouts. Direct drag-drop
Drag-and-drop
In computer graphical user interfaces, drag-and-drop is the action of selecting a virtual object by "grabbing" it and dragging it to a different location or onto another virtual object...
upload from local drives is available using an activex
ActiveX
ActiveX is a framework for defining reusable software components in a programming language-independent way. Software applications can then be composed from one or more of these components in order to provide their functionality....
control. Documents prepared by ZCubes can be saved locally, published as a webpage, saved as a wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
ed and sent as a "Cubee" (a ZCube that is sent to an email address).
There is an online calculation engine called Calci provided within the software. It supports most of the mathematical, statistical and financial functions provided by spreadsheet applications and can support almost a thousand calculations.
The E-Cards feature in ZCubes lets users to use their uploaded media such as videos
Video clip
Video clips are short clips of video, usually part of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.- On the Internet :...
, images
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
, zpaint drawings in their greeting cards, and do cursive writing.
Technology
Recent versions of ZCubes (2007) are known to be enabled for Semantic WebSemantic Web
The Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
, with all resources described with RDF
Resource Description Framework
The Resource Description Framework is a family of World Wide Web Consortium specifications originally designed as a metadata data model...
, FOAF
FOAF (software)
FOAF is a machine-readable ontology describing persons, their activities and their relations to other people and objects. Anyone can use FOAF to describe him or herself...
, and other formats. The Office Suite
Office suite
In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
functionalities contained within the platform tends closer toward later generations of Office Suite
Office suite
In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
in the evolutionary path .
Documents created using the software are in HTML with embedded Javascript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
, and not proprietary. However, conversion of popular document formats is not directly supported, unlike other Web based office tools like Google Docs. Page based editing like conventional word-processors is also not available.
See also
- Online EditorsHTML editorAn HTML editor is a software application for creating web pages. Although the HTML markup of a web page can be written with any text editor, specialized HTML editors can offer convenience and added functionality. For example, many HTML editors work not only with HTML, but also with related...
- Vector Drawing SoftwareVector graphics editorA vector graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to compose and edit vector graphics images interactively on a computer and save them in one of many popular vector graphics formats, such as EPS, PDF, WMF, SVG, or VML....
- Office suiteOffice suiteIn computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
- Online office suite
- Web desktopWeb desktopA web desktop or webtop is a desktop environment embedded in a web browser or similar client application. A webtop integrates web applications, web services, client–server applications, application servers, and applications on the local client into a desktop environment using the desktop metaphor...
- Web portalWeb portalA web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
- Semantic WebSemantic WebThe Semantic Web is a collaborative movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium that promotes common formats for data on the World Wide Web. By encouraging the inclusion of semantic content in web pages, the Semantic Web aims at converting the current web of unstructured documents into a "web of...
- Omni Functional PlatformOmni Functional PlatformOmni-Functional Platforms are hardware or software environments that have functionalties that replace large sets of applications into a single interface ....
- Comparison of office suites