Deploying and distributing content management code

1. A method of deploying computer code, comprising:

receiving at a first repository a software object class, wherein the first repository is associated with a content management system and comprises a content store and a corresponding metadata store;

storing the software object class in the content store associated with the first repository; and

downloading the software object class from the first repository to an application server associated with an application content data stored at the content store of the first repository and a content store of a second repository, wherein downloading the software object class from the first repository is based at least in part on a determination that the software object class has not been previously downloaded from the first repository to the application server, wherein the downloading further comprises: determining by the application server if the software object class is not available in a local cache, if it is not available, checking a shared class loader in the local cache, the shared class loader requesting the software object class from the first repository, and if the software object class is not available for download from the first repository, the shared class loader looks to its parent class loader to obtain the software object class, wherein an application at the application server is configured to use the software object class downloaded from the first repository to perform an operation with respect to the application content data stored at the content store of the first repository, and wherein the application at the application server is configured to use another software object class downloaded from a second repository to perform an operation with respect to the application content data stored at the content store of the second repository, wherein the first repository and second repository are different.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including receiving a registration data associated with the software object class.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , further including storing at least a part of said registration data at the first repository.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein said at least a part of said registration data is stored in the metadata store associated with the first repository.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the software object class is downloaded to the application server in response to a request received from the application server.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the software object class comprises one or a plurality of software object classes received and stored at the first repository.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the software object class comprises one of at least a subset of said plurality of software object classes requested to be downloaded to the application server.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the application server comprises a first application server associated with the first repository and the method further comprises downloading the software object class to a second application server associated with the first repository.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first repository comprises a shared repository configured to store and distribute one or more software object classes to be used by the application server to access content across two or more other repositories.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the software object class comprises a business object class.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the software object class comprises part of a content management framework.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the software object class comprises a component available to be used by an application running on the application server to perform a content management function with respect to content stored in the first repository.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the software object class is hot deployed on the application server.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising providing an indication that the software object class has been added to or updated in the first repository.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the application server requests the software object class based at least in part on the indication that the software object class has been added to or updated in the first repository.

16. A content management system, comprising:

a data storage device; and

a processor coupled to the data storage device and configured to:

receive a software object class, wherein a first repository is associated with the content management system and comprises a content store and a corresponding metadata store;

store the software object class on the data storage device in the content store associated with the first repository; and

download the software object class from the first repository to an application server associated with an application content data stored at the content store of the first repository and a content store of a second repository, wherein downloading the software object class from the first repository is based at least in part on a determination that the software object class has not been previously downloaded from the first repository to the application server, wherein the downloading further comprises: determining by the application server if the software object class is not available in a local cache, if it is not available, checking a shared class loader in the local cache, the shared class loader requesting the software object class from the first repository, and if the software object class is not available for download from the first repository, the shared class loader looks to its parent class loader to obtain the software object class, wherein an application at the application server is configured to use the software object class downloaded from the first repository to perform an operation with respect to the application content data stored at the content store of the first repository, and wherein the application at the application server is configured to use another software object class downloaded from a second repository to perform an operation with respect to the application content data stored at the content store of the second repository, wherein the first repository and second repository are different.

17. A system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the processor and the data storage device are associated with the first repository with which the application server is associated.

18. A computer readable storage medium for deploying computer code, the computer readable storage medium being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving at a first repository a software object class, wherein the first repository is associated with a content management system and comprises a content store and a corresponding metadata store;

storing the software object class in the content store associated with the first repository; and

downloading the software object class from the first repository to an application server associated with an application content data stored at the content store of the first repository and a content store of a second repository, wherein downloading the software object class from the first repository is based at least in part on a determination that the software object class has not been previously downloaded from the first repository to the application server, wherein the downloading further comprises: determining by the application server if the software object class is not available in a local cache, if it is not available, checking a shared class loader in the local cache, the shared class loader requesting the software object class from the first repository, and if the software object class is not available for download from the first repository, the shared class loader looks to its parent class loader to obtain the software object class, wherein an application at the application server is configured to use the software object class downloaded from the first repository to perform an operation with respect to the application content data stored at the content store of the first repository, and wherein the application at the application server is configured to use another software object class downloaded from a second repository to perform an operation with respect to the application content data stored at the content store of the second repository, wherein the first repository and second repository are different.