FSDL language and publication

FSDL (Frogans Slide Description Language) is an XML-based language which is one of the pillars of Frogans technology (with the FNSL language and the Frogans Player).

The Frogans Player will require version 3.0 of the FSDL specifications, which will be released at the same time as the Frogans Player.

Specifications

The FSDL language is specified with the precision of an Internet standard (in the format of an RFC from IETF).

The FSDL specifications are currently released in version 2.1 (May 2004 edition):

All designers and developers are invited to send their comments on these specifications by e-mail to: fsdl@frogans.com.

The terms of use of FSDL 2.1 are free of charge and perpetual. Please read the terms of use in the FSDL specifications.

The previous versions of the FSDL specifications can be downloaded.

Developing frogans

The FSDL language is used to develop frogans. Frogans are graphic Internet-based navigation environments accessible to end-users using the Frogans Player.

In a frogans, pages are called frogans slides.

A frogans is published by a content publisher by the means of a frogans address on a frogans network.

For example, a frogans can be published on the Internet, on the main frogans network where frogans addresses start with "frogans*".

A frogans can also be published on an organization's intranet, on a dedicated frogans network.

The development of a frogans does not depend on the frogans network on which the frogans is to be published.

Rapid and simple

The FSDL language was designed to permit the rapid development of frogans by designers and developers.

FSDL documents can easily be hand-coded.

Their structure, which is closely related to the layout of the frogans slide, is clear and comprehensible.

For example, graphic elements are processed as layers which are displayed one on top of the others in the order that they appear in the FSDL document.

To view an FSDL document, select "View source..." from the menu of any frogans open on screen. This command displays the source code of the frogans slide.

Compatible with all servers

FSDL documents can also be produced dynamically by the server which hosts the frogans.

Frogans can then be updated automatically or be personalized for each end-user.

Frogans can be hosted on any HTTP server and can be developed in conjunction with any database software and any application server.

The FSDL language includes elements which permit the management of:

This makes the publication of frogans independent from the network protocol used between the server and the Frogans Player.

Universal and secure

The FSDL language permits designers and developers to create applications which are varied, from both a graphical and functional standpoint.

The number of frogans slides in a frogans is unlimited.

The FSDL language is ISO 10646/Unicode compliant and texts in the frogans slide can be displayed in all reading directions, including vertical ones.

FSDL is a secure language because it does not contain any script executed on the end-user's device:

Light and integrated

Resources such as music, movies and other animations are not supported by the FSDL language and therefore can not be played directly in a frogans. The rationale is:

However, by creating specific buttons in a frogans slide with the FSDL language, it is possible for end-users:

The use of frogans is integrated: these resources are then played by the default software which are available on the device.

Opportunities for the designer and developer communities

Designers and developers are free to supply frogans development services to content publishers throughout the world, either for free or for a fee.

As for all Internet standards, designers and developers don't need to register or pay for a license to be able to develop frogans using the FSDL language.

In addition to frogans development, the terms of use of the FSDL language permit designers and developers to freely create and distribute to other designers and developers (for free or for a fee) tutorials, authoring tools and server applications to facilitate frogans development.

On the main frogans network, where frogans addresses start with "frogans*", the technical functioning of frogans addresses corresponds to a service supplied by STG Interactive which is paid by content publishers when they register their frogans addresses. For more information, please see STG Interactive's role.

Download

Download of the specifications: