SOURCE CODE and TOOLS
Alfresco's subversion repository contains product code.
MIT's content templates and scripts are at svn+ssh://username@svn.mit.edu/alfresco-dev .
https://confab.mit.edu/jira/secure/Dashboard.jspa
PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION
Developer's Guide includes links to the Alfresco SDK and the product subversion repository
BACKGROUND
Alfresco implements JSR-170, the content management API for Java.
JSR-283 early draft of standard
There are some podcasts on Alfresco.com that give a fast overview of the product and standards:
An Introduction to JSR-170 (12 m)
JSR 170 Level 1 in Detail (12 m)
JSR 170 Level 2 in Detail(20 m)