Web Content Management Systems often use modular architectures to construct the components of the page: these can be confusing and difficult to use. The Amaxus solution is simple to understand yet sophisticated in flexibility.

From our most recent survey of competing Web CMS systems, we've seen terms like nodes, views and dashlets to describe the modules a user needs to manipulate to create a new web page. These seemingly arbitrary terms introduce a high barrier-to-entry for first time users.

Amaxus implements a strictly hierarchical architecture for building the layout and content of each page, where each part of the hierarchy clearly controls a particular aspect of the page. This ensures that users can easily begin experimenting with different page layouts, and can create an almost unlimited number of arrangements with minimum effort.

• Styles. At the highest level, these control the common style/elements that appear on every page (usually a header and a footer). Any number of styles can be configured for multiple sites, sub-sites, etc.
• Templates. These control the structure/layout of each page: is it three columns, two columns, four rows, or some other combination?
• Blocks. Within each column/row/part of the template, any number of blocks can be inserted and configured. Each block controls the functionality of the area: is it an alphabetical list of content? Four random items? An RSS feed? A calendar?
• Content. Finally, each block shows content, which has its own display properties. For example: blog posts could appear in a calendar, a list of links, in full view, and so on. Any number of 'types' of content (Content Types) can be defined: events, blog posts, documents, images, links, surveys, forms, etc.