473,320 Members | 1,974 Online
Bytes | Software Development & Data Engineering Community
Post Job

Home Posts Topics Members FAQ

Join Bytes to post your question to a community of 473,320 software developers and data experts.

Using PHP CMS

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? 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.

Thanks.

Steve
Aug 5 '06 #1
2 1074
"Steve" <ra***********@hotmail.comwrote in message
news:y5******************************@comcast.com. ..
[snip] 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? 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 can only speak to Joomla and Mambo on this. For either of them, it's
straightforward to have pages that are inside the CMS, and pages that are
outside.

For either of them, it's useful that you know PHP. While you probably can
use them without knowing PHP, it's easier if you do. Lots of times it's
quicker to look in the code, rather than trying to get answers from the
documentation.
Aug 6 '06 #2
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.
Aug 11 '06 #3

This thread has been closed and replies have been disabled. Please start a new discussion.

Similar topics

5
by: Enos Meroka | last post by:
Hallo, I am a student doing my project in the university.. I have been trying to compile the program using HP -UX aCC compiler, however I keep on getting the following errors. ...
3
by: Mike L | last post by:
Should the command call "using" be before or after my namespace? **AFTER** namespace DataGridBrowser { using System; using System.Drawing; using System.Drawing.Drawing2D; using...
3
by: xzzy | last post by:
I was wondering why we have to have using System.Data using System.Configuration using etc.... why are they not all lumped into one 'using'? In other words, is there a best way to use...
14
by: pmud | last post by:
Hi, I need to use an Excel Sheet in ASP.NET application so that the users can enter (copy, paste ) large number of rows in this Excel Sheet. Also, Whatever the USER ENETRS needs to go to the...
8
by: acb | last post by:
Hi, I wrote a DLL Component (using Visual Studio 2005) and managed to include it into a C# Console application. I am now trying to include this component into a Web project. I copy the DLL...
0
by: Metal2You | last post by:
I'm working on an ASP.NET 2.0 application in Visual Studio 2005 that accesses a Sybase database back end. We're using Sybase SQL Anywhere 9.0.2.3228. I have installed and registered the Sybase...
10
by: mg | last post by:
I'm migrating from VB6 and have a question about using 'Using' and the best way to use it. Here is a example of a small bit of code: dbConx("open") Using CN Dim CMD As New OleDbCommand(sSQL,...
0
by: Eugene Anthony | last post by:
The problem with my coding is that despite removing the records stored in the array list, the rptPages repeater control is still visible. The rptPages repeater control displayes the navigation...
3
by: JDeats | last post by:
I have some .NET 1.1 code that utilizes this technique for encrypting and decrypting a file. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307010 In .NET 2.0 this approach is not fully supported (a .NET 2.0...
6
by: =?Utf-8?B?U2hhd24gU2VzbmE=?= | last post by:
Greetings! I was researching AJAX to provide a solution to displaying status messages while a long process executed. I found several examples online and was able to use their code to get a quick...
0
by: DolphinDB | last post by:
The formulas of 101 quantitative trading alphas used by WorldQuant were presented in the paper 101 Formulaic Alphas. However, some formulas are complex, leading to challenges in calculation. Take...
0
by: DolphinDB | last post by:
Tired of spending countless mintues downsampling your data? Look no further! In this article, you’ll learn how to efficiently downsample 6.48 billion high-frequency records to 61 million...
0
by: ryjfgjl | last post by:
ExcelToDatabase: batch import excel into database automatically...
0
isladogs
by: isladogs | last post by:
The next Access Europe meeting will be on Wednesday 6 Mar 2024 starting at 18:00 UK time (6PM UTC) and finishing at about 19:15 (7.15PM). In this month's session, we are pleased to welcome back...
1
isladogs
by: isladogs | last post by:
The next Access Europe meeting will be on Wednesday 6 Mar 2024 starting at 18:00 UK time (6PM UTC) and finishing at about 19:15 (7.15PM). In this month's session, we are pleased to welcome back...
0
by: Vimpel783 | last post by:
Hello! Guys, I found this code on the Internet, but I need to modify it a little. It works well, the problem is this: Data is sent from only one cell, in this case B5, but it is necessary that data...
1
by: PapaRatzi | last post by:
Hello, I am teaching myself MS Access forms design and Visual Basic. I've created a table to capture a list of Top 30 singles and forms to capture new entries. The final step is a form (unbound)...
0
by: CloudSolutions | last post by:
Introduction: For many beginners and individual users, requiring a credit card and email registration may pose a barrier when starting to use cloud servers. However, some cloud server providers now...
0
by: af34tf | last post by:
Hi Guys, I have a domain whose name is BytesLimited.com, and I want to sell it. Does anyone know about platforms that allow me to list my domain in auction for free. Thank you

By using Bytes.com and it's services, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

To disable or enable advertisements and analytics tracking please visit the manage ads & tracking page.