Technical Architecture - Newsbreaker II

Overview

Newsbreaker II is a lightweight, secure, and highly adaptable SaaS floating widget designed to deliver dynamic content (news, alerts, promotions, updates) on any website without requiring page reloads or complex integration.

It is built with simplicity, performance, and security in mind — delivering a complete, self-contained widget via a single HTTP request.

Frontend

Vanilla HTML + CSS + JavaScript (no heavy frameworks)
Self-contained output (single file response)
4 display modes: Floating (draggable/resizable), Ticker, Feed, Banner
High z-index + isolation for reliable overlay
Live mode switching and drag/resize support

Backend

PHP with PDO for database access
MySQL database with prepared statements
Single endpoint: widget.php?key=...&domain=...
Domain restriction (anti-leak protection)
Automatic API key generation on channel creation

Database Schema

channels — Customer channels
api_keys — Secure keys with allowed_domain
content — Messages with scheduling and default mode
channel_settings — Per-channel color customization

How It Works

Customer adds a simple PHP include or script tag with their unique API key and domain.
widget.php validates the key and domain restriction.
The system fetches the most recent active content and channel settings.
A complete, self-contained HTML + CSS + JavaScript widget is returned.
The widget renders in the chosen mode (Floating by default) and runs entirely client-side.

Key Design Principles

Security First — Domain locking + silent failure on mismatch
Lightweight — Minimal JavaScript, no external dependencies
Reliable Overlay — Extremely high z-index and isolation
Flexible Delivery — Works with both PHP include and JavaScript embed
Backward Compatible — Easy migration from the original 1996 concept

Newsbreaker II continues a 60-year legacy of practical, elegant software solutions — from mainframes to modern real-time web widgets.