Starting with CMS

[barleytwist]

I am totally confused about which CMS method to use for a new site I want.

The criteria is:

1. to enable others to change text easily without messing the design AND
2. to have a database to present the content into the page elements (divs or whatever.
3 the CMS must use html/css and not tables to construct the pages.

At least that's what I understand a CMS is all about.

This is not a complex shopping site or anything like that.

Any ideas where I should start (e.g. best client or server CMS)

Thanks

[Wee Steve]

sNews is ideal

[christopherscott]

Open Source CMS Lets you look at different content management systems, I use them regularly for different clients who need different CMS's.

[neil665]

Agree with Wee Steve, sNews is very good.
Regards Neil

[earl-grey]

I guess, WordPress can do the job pretty well.

[StuckRUs]

There's Wordpress but you need to be careful where you pick templates up from. Mike Cherim does a very good freebie you can get from his site.

If you want something more complex there's Joomla but it's not tableless yet although by using a decent template or building your own you can get it close. I believe that version 1.5 which is due out soonish will be table free.

[willsmith727]

I'd recommend Wordpress. Im currently using it as a CMS for a site im developing. If you know your way around CSS at all you can easily create your own themes, or drop it into your design.

[deronsizemore]

Expression Engine? www.pmachine.com

[Emj]

Macromedia/Adobe Contribute is a client based CMS. Templates are designed in Dreamweaver, then Contribute users can use those templates to create pages. It has all the various admin tools and can scale up to use Contribute Publishing Server.

The templates are whatever you make them - PHP, HTML, ASP, etc and the design is completely controlled by the designer. As the designer, you add a few 'content regions' which allow the Contribute users to add their content in a strictly controlled area.

I am sure the 'hard core' users here will knock the idea of Contribute in favour of the typical web based packages previously mentioned or others such as Mambo. The downside of many web based packages is that they use tables in the page design - something you have no control over and that you have of course specified that you don't want (the tables that is!).

Oh, and Contribute isn't database based, but is worth mentioning anyway.

[mondala]

Here are some the scripts I use depending on the requirements.
interspire.com (articlelive), subdreamer.com , phpfox.com , joomla.org , wordpress.org

[Iimitk]

I would recommend TextPattern. Simple yet powerful.

I believe that version 1.5 which is due out soonish will be table free.

Joomla 1.5 is in BETA status now. Unfortunately still uses some table-layouts. I hope the gold release becomes tableless.

[Booler]

I have tried several online WYSYWIG system over the last couple of years and I have yet to find one that is bullet proof. I need an easy to install system that I can install on clients sites and that will allow them to use a simple WYSYWIG editor to update their sites.

The first person who comes up with this is going to make a fortune!

[Wolf_22]

...Although I hate tables just as much as any CSS elitest, I doubt the client gives a crap about any of that as long as it generally works. I advise Wordpress because I've used it many times, and like someone already said: if you have some CSS skills, then making a template is easy, but for me, was always time consuming.

Joomla is CMS on steroids. I personally think Joomla has way too many features for the general web audience, but it is pretty awesome despite the use of tables.

[wii]

I use Textpattern for almost all my client sites, why? because it´s super easy to use.

[somecallmejosh]

I doubt the client gives a crap about any of that as long as it generally works.

- Yikes...

I agree that Wordpress may be a good solution for you. It's easy. It's free. There's tons of available support... a great community of developers. And it spits out relatively valid code, right out of the box - so to speak. And yes, Mike Cherim's template is a great one.

What kind of server will be hosting the site? You're probably already aware that each CMS has specific server requirements... Most open source solutions require PHP and MySQL on an Apache Server.

You may want to check out Drupal. It's a pretty heavy duty CMS, and may even be overkill for this particular project. But, it offers complete control over the presentation layer, and allows for site management from the front end interface, as opposed to the Wordpress and Joomla Admin consoles.

I hope this helps.

[docquesting]

And drupal is probably the most stable cms around.

[XraySierra]

All this talk about WordPress? WordPress is primarily a blogging software program. Don't you think your clients will be confused when they go to use WordPress? Are you using the Pages section or the posts section to add pages for a website?

[fashola]

Don't forget to check sitepoint properly before you make a final decision.

[malikyte]

I have tried several online WYSYWIG system over the last couple of years and I have yet to find one that is bullet proof. I need an easy to install system that I can install on clients sites and that will allow them to use a simple WYSYWIG editor to update their sites.

The first person who comes up with this is going to make a fortune!

@Booler: How's this? Close? (If you test it out, turn off Strict mode on MySQL5+ until after install, versions below this should be safe.)

For those of you suggesting difficult to configure CMSs, considering the requirement list of the original poster, you should be absolutely certain that either it's exactly what he/she would want (opensourcecms.com is a great suggestion in this regard) or make certain that the CMS can be installed and configured by practically anyone. pMachine, while great, can be difficult (or confusing) for someone to install and configure.

[irkyo]

I guess, WordPress can do the job pretty well.

I also think WordPress could be very suitable in this situation. But to tell the truth you should try some different CMS methods in order to know all the details in action. I am sure that it's better to know from your own personal experience than to use somebody's conclusions, because they could depend on many factors.

[elduderino]

Hi,

having used a few content management sytems ( textpattern and joomla included) ive found that as soon as you start wanting to stray/alter/add to how the default set up of the cms works ive run in to problems. You're always going to make that cms do something, or perform in a certain way that it doesnt do by default. Then you end up in lengthy conversations with developers/experienced users in support forums; Trying to install badly documented plug-ins and working out cms native languages.

Ive used textpattern before and once you get to know how to work it, its quite elegant and their support forum is very good if you run in to troubles. However, in the time that it took me to get a site, using textpattern, to work in the way that i wanted ( with complete overhaul to the design and some alterations to the workings) i could have learnt php/mysql and built my own site.

I think you should consider this. The system you need sounds very straightfoward.....php is in fact very easy and once you've got it, you have that skill to re-use and develop. You can make custom cms systems to work the way you want them to work. You can also have complete control over the design/css/xhtml this way

I appreciate that you may have no interest in programming but to be honest, for the sake of making your job easier id get a good php/sql book. IF you learnt the bare basics you could build an admin section consisting of a simple login system and a few forms to allow your users to update content on your site. Plus you'll have the satisfaction of saying i made this!

[Emj]

All this talk about WordPress? WordPress is primarily a blogging software program.

I would agree with XraySierra that WordPress is really just a blogging tool and a very limited CMS if it could even be classed as such.

The advise being given (including my own) here is clearly wide ranging so the next step might be to decide what exactly you want - a simple post based system like WordPress (effectively a blog with some pages) or a fully fledged CMS like Mambo/Joomla.

[dziner]

I prefer MovableType over WordPress. But for something that is not really a blog, Drupal seems like a good fit.

[NikLP]

I've been trawling the web for a decent open source CMS for years now, and god knows I've tried a few.

The only two that count:

Small sites/blogs: Textpattern
Big sites/complicated stuff: Drupal

Both of these have a bit of a learning curve. Textpattern has recently become a little simpler. I've been looking at Drupal for about 3 months and there's still bits of it I don't get, but the (very) new version was released this week and is excellent.

[Mahz]

Drupal remains my favorite CMS out there.

The learning curve isn't too difficult to transcend. It's not too hard to logic out the first time and there's plenty of support for it.