Can CMS be integrated with handwritten code?

CMS & WordPress
1

I haven’t really dabbled in CMS and I don’t really know what it is. All of the websites I have created are by hand written code (no WYSIWYG). If I want to allow the client to change, say images on the front page jquery/javascript slider, what can I do? Also, how do you create a website like sitepoint where members can log in and create threads? I don’t plan on doing that just yet, just wanna get an idea of how it is done. I’m just curious.

Currently learning PHP and MySQL but I’m only in the early stages. I’m sure there is a chapter on CMS later but I don’t want to jump right there.

2

I too prefer writing code in a plain text editor rather than a WYSIWYG editor. But if you’re going to “pass off” updating responsibility to others, chances are they won’t know how to code and only know “what it looks like”.

Most CMSs have plugins/addons that make things easier from the ACP. The big problem is deciding and finding the best CMS that will meet requirements with or without plugins.

Some CMSs have multisite available where the site admin can let others create their own sites, and most have “roles” where the admin can give others limited abilities such as starting new “threads” withut giving them full admin privileges.

3

What you describe it just what a CMS is for—providing ready-made functionality like log ins and an interface for the client etc. to make site updates. It depends on the CMS you use how it integrates with your own code, but as a rule, you write your HTML, CSS etc. just as before, and weave the CMS functions in where you need them. For example, CMSes like ExpressionEngine and Statamic let you hand code your templates like you always have, and then you just add in CMS functionality into your templates where you need them via litte tags.

There are also examples like Perch, where the CMS links in to your static site just where you need it.

4

I am far from an expert. So far have primarily been working and learning wordpress.
But at least for that cm you can do as much or as little handcoding as you’d like. While you are provided w/a pretty full cm and plugins when needed. you can also start from scratch, create template and add code as you want.
Lynda.com has a course on how to built your own cm (basic…still have to finish it) and am sure sitepoint has something along those lines as well. I have some sitepoint book and they are pretty helpful.
I think it all depends on how much coding you’d like to do. Have to say wp can spoil you a bit…until you have to code “into” it.

5

WordPress was designed so that even those with no “tech” in them could still use it.

That said, a friend thought the ACP was too much and opted for a “creator” type thing.

For me, the more I analyze the code, the more I want to ehance it.

But knowing how to show a client how to get up and running according to their needs and abilities is important.

6

in my experience wp can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make. But it has the appeal that it is fairly easy to use for the non developers
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