create cms

hi,

is there a free cms solution i can use with html editor? can this be done in dreamweaver using editable regions?

many thanks

it is possible to build your own from scratch, there are plenty of resources. here's a pretty good place to learn how list_php_video.php at the bottom of the page is a series on building a cms. I gotta tell you though, it is a LOT of work. I tried once, but after about 15 hours I quit. It is well worth the $70 to just buy one and customize it the way you want

I agree with gruant, - it depends on whether you are factoring your own time as an expediture, or whether you are treating it as as an exercise in development learning.

If the latter, then you could make an adequate CMS using DataAssist, SecurityAssist, HTML Editor and ancillary WA products.

If the former then the small outlay for an integrated CMS solution is your best bet.

thanks so much for the advice guys.

is there anyone in particular you know of that is easy customizable to my own designs?

also i looked at using the html editor and i just to see how you would use this as i thought it would be idle for a cms solution but does not seem to be what i thought it was.

thanks again

You're welcome!

Most CMS solutions will integrate well with your site designs - they don't actually change any of the designs that you have already set up, they merely allow users to easily place content in the areas that you have already created and are allowing the CMS to add content to. So for instance, if you have a page with a content div, and you have already set the styles for that div in a stylesheet, then whatever is put into that div by the CMS will initially take on the styles that you have assigned to that particular content area.

However, there is nothing to stop a client going bonkers with large multi-coloured bold text if he wants it to look that way.

Most CMS systems use a database to store and update any content input by the CMS system, and HTML editor is really just a tool that allows that input to be formatted properly (and images placed etc) but is not in itself a CMS system.

There are free resources (Cushy CMS is one, and quite a good one) but none of which gives you a truly independent 'in-house' system to deploy in as many sites as you like. InContext by Adobe is another rather slick application, but the likelihood is that Adobe are going to start charging a monthy fee for it, so people are very wary of it right now.

Another version is InteractiveTools' CMS Builder, but it costs $199 and it's only for use on ONE site (it won't allow you to install it on two!) - and you don't find that out until after you've bought it.

So if you want a genuine impartial recommendation, I would actually go for WA's PowerCMS - I have it on three sites now (incidentally replacing one Cushy CMS setup because the user couldn't get to grips with it) and it works well and the clients like it. I wouldn't recommend anything I didn't use and like.

thanks for detailed reply. I looked at cushy, but did not like the idea of it being on their site, i know it is possible to brand but not sure of that just now. again i looked at adobe incontext but like you say they might charge so not really up for that.

i will look at powercms, is drupal and joomla good ones to use?

many thanks

try to find cms based on flat text files, like blondy cms - it is most simplest (but you will have to write raw php ) or use wa cms
it gives some facilities as real cms and good ideas for future development.