[Nfb-web] How a Content Management System Works

[Peter Donahue]

Good afternoon everyone,

    In preparation for this weekend's Webmasters Seminar I searched for
information on content management systems and how they work. Below is a
description of what a content management system is, it's four components,
and how they work together to operate a Web site or other application. This
is great information for those attending the Webmasters Seminar, and for
those considering using a content management system, (CMS) for their
personal or business Web site.  Here is the article:



How a Content Management System Works



Before selecting a content management system some basics on how a content
management system works will help you to better understand what to look for
when assessing the choices available. A basic content management system is
comprised of templates, a programming language, a dashboard and a database.

Content Management System Templates
Content management system templates are a series of files that contain the
basic layout of your website or blog. These files are used in conjunction
with the selected program language and a database to produce what you and
your visitors see.

A template system for the content management system can contain a number of
files for different situations (slight layout changes for different
circumstances), the different sections of the page (head, navigation,
footer), member login (the gateway into the members only section of the
website), the members only portion of the site, and the stylesheet(s) (files
that contain the presentation formatting of the website).

Content Management Programming Language
A content management system uses a programming language to fetch the
information stored in the database, format it and then present it to the
viewer.

There are various programming languages that can be used in the background
of your website. The most common for hosted, purchased and open source
content management systems are PHP and ASP.NET (or ASP).

PHP Programming Language
PHP is an open source programming language bound by it's Open Publication
License. It is usually used on a web server that has Apache server software
installed on it.

ASP.NET Programming Language
ASP.NET ( or ASP) are Microsoft programming languages. These programming
languages have to run on a Windows based server.

Something to consider when selecting which programming language is best
suited for your website is that Apache server hosting costs tend to be less
than Window server hosting costs.

Content Management System Dashboard
The dashboard of the content management system is where authorized users
(people authorized to make changes to the website) make changes to the
website.

Depending on the business requirements of the website the number of tools
available to the user is based on their level of authorization (different
people can have different levels of permission to make changes). This is the
area where content is added to the website, changes are made, information is
manipulated and general maintenance of the website is done.

Dashboard features to watch for when selecting a content management system
are:

  a.. Ability to enter individual page titles.
Search engines use these when listing your web page in their results.

  a.. Ability to enter individual sets of keywords for each page.
Some search engines use these when indexing web pages.

  a.. Ability to enter individual page descriptions.
Search engines use these sometimes when displaying the web page in their
search results.

  a.. Ability to access files directly.
Some content management systems are not coded for optimal search engine
results. Access to these files will enable a knowledgeable person to fine
tune the background coding so it is search engine friendly.

  a.. Ability to add content to each page.
A shopping catalogue feature is included with or available as an add-on with
some content management systems. You need to be able to add different
content/descriptions for the summary pages as well as the individual product
pages.

  a.. Ability to backup the website and all data for storage elsewhere.
As a safe guard against human error and web hosting server breakdown the
ability to backup the website and all it's data is an important feature.
Some hosts will say they backup daily but to be sure you do not loose all
your work and information you should be able to backup the website to a
location off of the web hosting server.

These are a few to the more critical features to look for in the dashboard
of a content management system.

Content Management System Database
A content management system is usually run using a database. There are
different databases available and some are only compatible with certain
operating systems (online and offline). The site might also use what is
called a flat file system (a text file containing database information
without any program specific formatting that can be used by and manipulated
by other applications).

MySQL Database
MySQL is an open source database. It is usually used in conjunction with PHP
but can be used with different platforms.

Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is a Microsoft product that like ASP.NET needs to be
run on a Windows based server.

Flat File Database
A flat file based content management system uses a text file to store the
database information. The information is sorted in lines with a delimiter
(comma or space for example) between each part (or field) of information.

The ability to export the traditional database into a flat file (.csv) would
be something to consider if the website information is used off line as
well.

So, before selecting a content management system decide on what template
design you wish to have (custom graphics or whatever comes with the system
and the page layout), the programming language that best suits the
organization's needs, what dashboard features are important beyond the
specifically noted ones above and which database is required.

Once you have educated yourself on the basics on how a content management
system works you can make a more informed decision of which content
management system best suits your organization's needs.


    In addition to PHP and ASP.Net as their programming languages and
supported servers content management systems can also be created using
ColdFusion and must run on a CioldFusion  Server. The ColdFusion community
has created a number of open-source content management systems, (CMS) which
are made freely available. Since these are open-source some of them perform
better than others. The rules for selecting such content management systems
apply here as well. All the best for a great week and a safe trip to
Baltimore this weekend.

Peter Donahue


 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten"
Joel 2-25