What is EFES-NG Prototype?
EFES-NG Prototype is a modern re-implementation of EFES (EpiDoc Front-End Services), the publication framework for EpiDoc and TEI XML projects in Digital Humanities.
Prototype
This is a prototype for exploring a potential architecture for a successor to the Kiln/Cocoon-based EFES. The pipeline system is generic, but the current focus is on creating static site editions of EpiDoc-based projects that mirror the structure and features of the original EFES.
Why a New EFES?
The original EFES is built on Apache Cocoon and Kiln — a Java-based XML pipeline framework. While powerful, this architecture presents challenges:
- Heavy runtime — requires a Java application server to run
- Complex deployment — not easily hosted on modern static platforms like GitHub Pages or Netlify
- Maintenance burden — Cocoon is no longer actively developed
EFES-NG Prototype takes a different approach:
- Static output — generates a complete static website you can deploy anywhere, no server required
- XSLT 3.0 — uses Saxon-JS for full XSLT 3.0 support
- Pipeline-based — define your transformation steps in a simple XML configuration
- Automatic caching — only rebuilds what changed, with dependency tracking
- Desktop application — an Electron-based GUI for managing and previewing projects
How It Works
At its core, EFES-NG Prototype takes your XML source documents and transforms them into a ready-to-deploy website through a series of processing steps:
- You author XML documents (EpiDoc inscriptions, TEI texts, authority files)
- A pipeline transforms them through a series of steps — XSLT transforms, file copies, metadata extraction, aggregation
- The results are assembled into a website structure
- A static site generator builds the final website
Your existing XSLT stylesheets work with minimal adaptation — EFES-NG Prototype re-uses the same EpiDoc rendering stylesheets as the original EFES.
Working with EFES-NG involves two technologies: XML/XSLT for content transformation (the part DH scholars already know) and HTML templates for the site structure around it. Read Content and Templates for how the two relate — or just dive into the tutorial, which introduces each in context.
Where to Go Next
- New to EFES-NG? Start with the Tutorial — it walks you through creating a complete project from scratch.
- Want to understand the concepts? Read about Content and Templates, Pipelines & Nodes, or Project Structure.
- Looking for details? Check the Reference section for the complete configuration reference.