some serious new feature implementation:

- cookie-based persistent logins
- expanded activity reporting
- "top" and "fixed" left menus are now dynamically generated from XML config,
  not hard coded
- error reporting enhanced and protection increased
- "About Venice" page first draft
- new means of "framing" static content within the Venice "frame"
- base page now includes the "footer" itself, "content" pages don't anymore
- general cleanup of some heavyweight old containers, replaced with faster
  Collections framework containers
- probably more, there's a LOT of stuff in here

etc/render-config.xml

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific
     language governing rights and limitations under the License.
 
-    The Original Code is the Venice Web Community System.
+    The Original Code is the Venice Web Communities System.
 
     The Initial Developer of the Original Code is Eric J. Bowersox <erbo@silcom.com>,
     for Silverwrist Design Studios.  Portions created by Eric J. Bowersox are
@@ -86,4 +86,38 @@ Text of this agreement is TBD.
 
   </messages>
 
+  <!-- Menu definitions for the base page -->
+  <menu-definitions>
+
+    <!-- Definition for the "top" menu (when not in a SIG) -->
+    <menudef id="top">
+      <header>Front Page</header>
+      <menuitem>
+	<text>Calendar</text>
+	<absolute>TODO</absolute>
+	<disabled/>
+      </menuitem>
+      <menuitem>
+	<text>Chat</text>
+	<absolute>TODO</absolute>
+	<disabled/>
+      </menuitem>
+    </menudef>
+
+    <!-- Definition for the "fixed" menu (always displayed under the "top" or "SIG" menus) -->
+    <menudef id="fixed">
+      <header>About This Site</header>
+      <menuitem>
+	<text>Documentation</text>
+	<absolute>TODO</absolute>
+	<disabled/>
+      </menuitem>
+      <menuitem>
+	<text>About Venice</text>
+	<frame>about-venice.html</frame>
+      </menuitem>
+    </menudef>
+
+  </menu-definitions>
+
 </render-config>

etc/web.xml

@@ -69,6 +69,14 @@
     <load-on-startup>3</load-on-startup>
   </servlet>
 
+  <servlet>
+    <servlet-name>framestatic</servlet-name>
+    <description>
+      Displays static content inside the Venice frame.
+    </description>
+    <servlet-class>com.silverwrist.venice.servlets.FrameStatic</servlet-class>
+  </servlet>
+
   <servlet>
     <servlet-name>account</servlet-name>
     <description>
@@ -216,6 +224,11 @@
     <url-pattern>/top</url-pattern>
   </servlet-mapping>
 
+  <servlet-mapping>
+    <servlet-name>framestatic</servlet-name>
+    <url-pattern>/frame/*</url-pattern>
+  </servlet-mapping>
+
   <servlet-mapping>
     <servlet-name>account</servlet-name>
     <url-pattern>/account</url-pattern>