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Posted by Adam on 08/11/06 14:29
On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 14:30:23 -0700, Steve wrote:
>I've been working with PHP for a couple years, and I have some questions
>about how CMS's work. I'm going to be doing a site for my dad's
>business, and there will be a couple of pages on the site that they
>would like to keep updated themselves. What I am trying to understand
>is how a CMS works. Is it something where I have to have the system
>installed first, and then I have to use the tools in that system to
>create my site from scratch?
Yes, basically. You install the CMS, then create the
navigation/content structure (categories, subcategories etc.) then add
your content.
The way the content is actually displayed is usually handled by a set
of templates. A good CMS uses CSS intelligently and gives you a lot of
flexibility by editing just a couple of files.
Every CMS has its drawbacks - you can't always "shoe-horn" what you
want into the system. What I *do* like (apart from not having to
reinvent the wheel each time) is the "modular" approach. Again, a
good CMS will allow you to install/enable/disable modules very easily.
These modules usually display in "slots" that you create for them in
your template(s).
I know any sensible PHP programmer will also use a modular approach,
but a CMS allows a fair bit of control for users without extensive PHP
programming knowledge. To be honest, I found a good understanding of
CSS more useful for creating CMS sites than PHP.
>Or can I have a site already created and
>just plug in a CMS and specify which pages need to be managed by the
>CMS? I know there are a lot of PHP CMS's out there, and I've looked at
>some, but I haven't quite grasped how they work.
If you already have some data, it may be possible to import into the
CMS once you've set it up. If you haven't got too much, just cutting
and pasting might be painful but it'll get you there.
I tried a truckload of them but eventually settled for Joomla, BTW.
Like anything else, it's a bit of a learning curve but there's quite a
following for it - which means lots of add-ons and tips!
Your best bet (if you already have PHP installed or have good access
to a PHP server) is to have a go!
Adam.
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