There comes a time in many webmasters' lives when the decision is made to make major improvements to their site. For some people these improvements may simply be creating and using a new theme, background, or page layout. For others, the realization comes that to take their site to the next level they must abandon the old HTML based web site all together and move into the modern age of web based content. Enter the Content Management System.
What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
A Content Management System is completely different than traditional HTML based web page writing. HTML pages are static. They do not change unless the owner goes in and edits the files. In contrast a CMS is dynamic. It creates HTML based pages on the fly gathering bits of data and information from various components that have been installed inside the CMS software package. For example, when a CMS creates a web page it might pull in a text based article from one file, pull in a graphical calendar for the current month from another component, produce a list of submitted documents that are available to download, and many other possibilities as well.
This dynamic web site content is created based on criteria that can change according to the date, time, or other criteria. A great example of this dynamic CMS technology is a news site such as CNN. Each of the pages is created automatically depending on what the viewer wants to see. Ads are automatically rotated, stories are added and removed based on the date, and other articles that are related to the one being shown are updated as new material is posted. A webmaster or writer need only worry about posting a new article and assigning it to the proper category, etc. Once everything is set up, the CMS takes over and does all of the hard work.
How Does A Person Install and Use a CMS?
Installation of a Content Management System is often much more complicated than creating a simple HTML based web page. Most of the time a CMS requires access to a database server such as a MySQL server. While MySQL is free software, setting it up can be very difficult if not impossible for novice webmasters. Plus, few free or low cost web hosting plans provide access to database servers by default. A potential user should check with their host before downloading and attempting to install the actual CMS software. Once the database issue is solved one need only upload the CMS files to the server and run an included, web based, installation program.
What Content Management Systems Are Available?
There are dozens of different CMS options, many are commercial in nature and can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Some, such as Joomla and Drupal are free, open-source products. The best way to get started with these or any other CMS is to visit the main CMS web site and look around to see if the software will meet the needs of the webmaster. Once the decision has been made and the installation completed, most people will find that Content Management Systems are much easier to use, customize, and maintain than a standard HTML web site.
What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
A Content Management System is completely different than traditional HTML based web page writing. HTML pages are static. They do not change unless the owner goes in and edits the files. In contrast a CMS is dynamic. It creates HTML based pages on the fly gathering bits of data and information from various components that have been installed inside the CMS software package. For example, when a CMS creates a web page it might pull in a text based article from one file, pull in a graphical calendar for the current month from another component, produce a list of submitted documents that are available to download, and many other possibilities as well.
This dynamic web site content is created based on criteria that can change according to the date, time, or other criteria. A great example of this dynamic CMS technology is a news site such as CNN. Each of the pages is created automatically depending on what the viewer wants to see. Ads are automatically rotated, stories are added and removed based on the date, and other articles that are related to the one being shown are updated as new material is posted. A webmaster or writer need only worry about posting a new article and assigning it to the proper category, etc. Once everything is set up, the CMS takes over and does all of the hard work.
How Does A Person Install and Use a CMS?
Installation of a Content Management System is often much more complicated than creating a simple HTML based web page. Most of the time a CMS requires access to a database server such as a MySQL server. While MySQL is free software, setting it up can be very difficult if not impossible for novice webmasters. Plus, few free or low cost web hosting plans provide access to database servers by default. A potential user should check with their host before downloading and attempting to install the actual CMS software. Once the database issue is solved one need only upload the CMS files to the server and run an included, web based, installation program.
What Content Management Systems Are Available?
There are dozens of different CMS options, many are commercial in nature and can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Some, such as Joomla and Drupal are free, open-source products. The best way to get started with these or any other CMS is to visit the main CMS web site and look around to see if the software will meet the needs of the webmaster. Once the decision has been made and the installation completed, most people will find that Content Management Systems are much easier to use, customize, and maintain than a standard HTML web site.
