Structr 1.0: The Next Generation Data-CMS run on Neo4j

Originally posted on the Structr blog With version 1.0 of Structr, an open-source software based on the graph database Neo4j, the first GA (general availability) version has been released. Structr simplifies the creation of mobile and web applications by providing functionality for access control, managing users, files and images, as well as a customizable data model. Structr makes use of the schema-free nature of Neo4j: The data model is persisted as a meta-graph in the graph database. Even at runtime, users can make changes either through the integrated REST interface or using a visual schema editor. On each modification, the meta-model is compiled into JVM bytecode, immediately available for the application without performance loss. This not only shortens development time but also enables non-developers to create and maintain individual web applications and mobile backends. “Initially, Structr was intended to be a Content Management System, but influenced by project requirements and the graph community, it has moved in the direction of Rapid Application Development. We’re not unhappy about that shift.” Axel Morgner describes the development of Structr. “The Java backend is used in production for over three years, and in the recent past we’ve put more focus on stability and usability of the user interface.” Structr is also a Data CMS or Next-Generation CMS, as it combines the flexibility of individual development with the ease-of-use of a CMS, even if the UI does not yet have the extent and simplicity of one of the ‘big’ CMS in the market. But this will be adressed with features already on the roadmap for version 2.0. Structr can be downloaded for free from https://structr.org, JAR files are provided to developers through Maven Central and the source code is available on GitHub (https://github.com/structr/structr). Documentation and a discussion forum can be found at https://docs.structr.org and https://structr.org/forum. Under the commercial domain https://structr.com the Structr team offers hosted instances, starting from 30 € per month, managed by the dev team.