Shift From XML to Essentials Manager

Many of the viewer modifications require tweaking the viewer XML files. For example, the Footer section of HTML5 as well as including the respective code chunks to enable 3rd Party Maps (Bing, Pictometry, Google). As much as possible, these settings (particularly for common ones like the examples just given) should be formally integrated in the Essentials Manager "Look and Feel" or other appropriate sections of this front-end interface. While I can (and have) adjusted the text files, it's too easy to inadvertently goof up the code (darn those missing curly brackets!) - I'd much rather be spending time developing new sites/applications than experimenting trial and error plopping in snippets from the Admin manual or manually adjusting parameters.

One of the great appeals of the GE program is it's overall ease of use, particularly for non-programmers such as myself. Making the most of the Manager interface makes great sense for the majority of users trying to efficiently configure sites - and still leaves all the flexibility for anyone who wants to dive into the XML. So I hope there is a greater emphasis on continuing to enrich Manager with each new version release.