How does a CMS works ???

[koolbrian]

i would like to know how a Content Management system works?, i know with Php, or perl ,etc.... but HOW ?, create a database ???,
i know there are many threads about updating sites, but none of them explain how it works!,
really





I really need a content management system, cause my site will be Quite, QUITE big, and updating it, ....many problems........
Before, for updating my site, when i was MUCH younger, i used to update the site in an editor, an reupload the file, quite LONG process......,
i changed my mind from then


Brian

[AlexW]

The simplest explanation to your question is you are using one now. vBulletin is really a specialised CMS. The content is what we all put into it, and the management system is the 'Post Reply Screen', the database to store it all, and the PHP that glues it elegantly together.

Blogger is another specialised CMS that many people would be familiar with.

CMSs let siteowners concentrate their efforts on creating new content, rather than the technical but usually tedious task on getting it online.

A CMS can be much simpler or much more complex than VBulletin, generic or custom built, and be operated by a single contributor or 10,000. The 'content' itself can be articles, like the SitePoint CMS deals with, or just as easily, stories, reviews, weblogs, sale items, product decriptions etc. Basically any kind of content that fits a consistent format and template.

[Damage]

A CMS is a way for multiple users to edit/manage content on a site. It's most important feature I think is preventing 2 or more users from editing the same content/file at the same time. When a user is editing a file or content, the CMS locks it and prevents another user from working on it. Aside from that task it handles the easy task of inserting content where it belongs and it can also automate when content will be released. You can schedule articles (content) to be published at a certain time and date. There's other things a CMS can do, but I think those are the important tasks.


Hope this helps.

[koolbrian]

thanx,
do ya know where i could get one please for my site ?,


the best one for free

Brian

[Damage]

Here's a list of places to find free CMSs:

http://www.hotscripts.com/
http://www.cgi-resources.com/
http://www.sourceforge.net/
http://www.freshmeat.net/

Just do a search for "content management". The one I used was a commercial one at work so it was several thousand dollars.

[Skunk]

PHP Nuke has tons of features and is very easy to use - it's not the best option if you want to completely customise your site but if you don't mind a reasonably standard 3 column design (you can stil change the colours / logos etc) it's ideal:

www.phpnuke.org

[lynlimz]

I ouwldn't recommend getting an external script. You need to create a CMS baed on your requirements, customised specifically to your needs. Else you'll never gain the full potential of a CMS.

[superbird]

You can say that about any type of software though, whether it's a CMS PHP script or a word processor. You just have to decide whether it's worth your time to build exactly what you want or whether it would be more worthwhile compromising a bit and buying something in.

[webmeister]

I would suggest to use PHPNuke. Especially if you are a beginner. This free CMS is easy to install an setup.


webmeister

[koolbrian]

yes, but nearly all the content management i've searched, came out with a NEWS content management. I don't really need some news stuff, but the WHOLE site. Cause i must update polls, charts, latest news, shop articles,......... in MANY PAGES, about 30. How can i do so? manage these content. Update them easily, and RADIDLY ? , isn't a CMS that i need ?

Brian

[AlexW]

Yep, sounds like you need a custom CMS, Koolbrian. That means you have 3 possible options.

1) Pay to have one built (probably not cheap)
2) Partner with someone who has the skills to construct one.
3) Take your time, start out with something real simple and build up your own system. There aren't really any shortcuts. It *will* take a few months, but in the end you will have the best result, and you'll have a pocketful of valuable skills you never had before.

A good investment?

I think so

[koolbrian]

year, but have no idea of how it works, i mean the code, is there any tutorial for that, or place that explains DEEPLY how it works, ???


Brian,
I would like to create, but i'm sure it needs HELL of a lot of time ?,i;m sure there's some one that i can download but where?, hotscripts?, cgi-index........ ????



HOW DO BIG SITES LIKE ALLOY, OR MSN, MANAGE THEIR SITE (UUPDATE ???)

[BC]

Originally posted by koolbrian
HOW DO BIG SITES LIKE ALLOY, OR MSN, MANAGE THEIR SITE (UUPDATE ???)

Half of the big boys like MSN, Alloy, Yahoo!, etc. use CMSes worth at least 6-digit figures (around $150,000US). Examples include Vignette and Zope.... Yahoo! also uses an Oracle database for its backend (another 5-digit sum there).

The other half of the big boys make their own CMSes in-house.

Sure you got that money, Brian?

[AlexW]

Don't know about Alloy, but microsoft uses a handful of systems to power different sections of it's site. Mostly ASP powered and hand-built for their needs. At SitePoint, our system is custom-built too, but from PHP and MySQL. Almost all the decent-sized content sites will be using a CMS they designed and built themselves.

If you want a customized CMS, I suspect you are the one that is going to have to build it.

Yes. It will take some time. Probably months.
Yes. Bits of it will be hard to do. If it was easy, every site would have one.

Jason Liottos articles on database design is a good start, as is Chris Beasley's Cold Fusion Primer. Of course, many people have got a lot out of Kev's 10 Part Building a Database-Driven Web Site Using PHP and MySQL .