4: Content Management Systems (CMS)

Introduction:

Content Management Systems are all about making your life as web designer easier. I actually think the best thing you can do to get going in the web design business is to use your new XHTML and CSS skills together with a CMS platform like WordPress or Drupal.

This module is meant to give you a general overview of CMS. At the bottom of this page you will see a list of resources that will give you more in depth information. I highly recommend you explore content management systems. They are the future, they are the present, and the more experience you have with them the better off you will be.

What are they?

The CMS separates the data or content of your site from the structure and design. You log in to your site through a web browser and from the browser you can add new pages, text, images, videos, and so forth which will be stored in a database. Your web site pulls the content from the database, displaying it in your design. The CMS facilitates this interaction.

For our purposes you can think of a CMS as creating three different distinct pieces that work together:

1. The database which stores all of your text, pictures, movies, etc..
2. The Template files (note: CMS produce pages that are usually .php files that contain XHTML and snippets of PHP within them.)
3. The CSS file(s)

The database is created automatically for you once the CMS is installed, so you don’t need to know much about databases. You already know CSS and XHTML. PHP is something new. With CMS there is a minimal level of PHP that you will want to become familiar with. It wouldn’t be much help at this point for me to tell you to go and learn PHP and SQL, though you eventually should. The level of depth you gain depends on you. I don’t know much PHP, but I know enough to get the job done. And I know where to look if I need to learn more.

I’d like you to watch this fun video introduction to CMS  with a description of Drupal (a popular CMS): http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/5807818/15200331

Why you should use them:

CMS platforms give you a fairly easy way to separate the data from the structure of the web site. For example you can modify the look of your site without having to worry about copying and pasting all of the content, because the content is pulled from a database which is separate from the structure and layout of the website.

The real beauty of CMS platforms is that you can update the content of your sites without having to get into the code. On top of that you can show your clients how to update the content, which they will love you for. Now, that is what really makes a CMS beautiful to me, because people love to have the ability to update their own sites. So not only can we update text, images, etc. with in a few minutes, we can do it from any computer in the world at any time. These are only a few of the benefits of a CMS. The more you play with them the more you’ll come to enjoy using them.

Getting Started:

There are many, too many CMS platforms to mention. Two of the most popular and free CMS platforms are Drupal and WordPress.  I believe WordPress is the best platform to use. It has the shortest learning curve, is easy to use, easy to modify, and easy to teach, all of which are extremely important especially if you are going to be handing the site over to a client.

Here is a basic explanation of how they work (it’s a nontechnical explanation):

Conclusion:

I hope you are convinced and ready to go exploring. Stepping into the world of CMS can be overwhelming due to the many choices available to you. So I want to help narrow your options down to two platforms, Drupal and WordPress. As I said earlier WordPress is easier to learn and to teach, which means you can hand it over to someone who doesn’t have a lot of technical know how. Drupal seems to be preferred for sites that are going to be expansive and that need to contain multiple blogs, wikis, forums, and more. They are both built around wonderful communities, communities that you should be involved in.

If you have a hosting plan you should be able to install any number of CMS; if you don’t than you can actually use the free WordPress.com service to set up your own blog/site to play with. The free version will give you an opportunity to see what the program is all about. Besides being free it is also a great way to create a site for those who have zero dollars in their  budget, yet want a website. Actually, I have helped a few friends of mine who have small businesses that fit this scenario and they have had an exceptional return on investment using this free version.

In the module Putting it all together I will explain what I believe to be the easiest, most efficient way to begin doing web design.

A Few Examples:

Here are two sites, one that uses Drupal, one that uses WordPress, that will give you an idea of the reach of CMS :

Drupal: http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html

WordPress: http://magazine.nationalgeographic.nl/

Use WordPress, unless you are doing enterprise level work where the client will have an IT person, such as your self, updating and maintaining the site, then you may choose to use Drupal. Depending on what type of career you are looking for you may want to learn Drupal. It is wonderful software as well. It has a steep learning curve but if you are looking to add some glam to your resume, knowing Drupal will do that.