Highlights include:

Thesauri (vocabularies)

Many data fields for names and places are now governed by thesauri. See the Vocabularies pages in the development wiki for a full list and links to individual xml files containing the vocabulary terms. The main benefits:

• ensure data standardization,
• reduce data-entry errors and
• make it easier for users to create and edit data.

We're using the Plone ATVocabularyManager plugin to accomplish this. I'll be announcing shortly a collaborative effort to internationalize and more fully describe the terms in these thesauri.

Scripted and repeatable site setup

Using the Generic Setup mechanisms in Plone, Sean has largely automated the necessary customizations and upgrade-related steps necessary to get the "pleiades" site built on top of a freshly-installed Plone site. This is entirely invisible to our users, but means it is now much easier, efficient and more reliable for the development team to do software upgrades and test alternative configurations. It'll also make it easier for us to get back online if we suffer a catastrophic server failure.

More "help" architecture

Mostly invisible to users at present, but stay tuned for Milestone Sensible Help, coming in early April.