Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS

	Home Register Search Help Login

Sponsors

Hosting from $3.99 per month!

Shopping Cart Software
Ecommerce software integrated into Frontpage, Dreamweaver and Golive templates. No monthly fees and available in ASP and PHP versions. dd

Website Templates
We also have a wide selection of Dreamweaver, Expression Web and Frontpage templates as well as webmaster tools and CSS layouts.

Frontpage website templates
Creative Website Templates for FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Flash, SwishMax

Search Forums

Recent Posts

Todays Posts
Most Active posts
Posts since last visit
My Recent Posts
Mark posts read

Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> Web Development >> General Web Development >> Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS

Page: [1]


_gail Posts: 2876 From: So FL Status: offline	Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 15:05:39 Hi, I still have some thoughts swirling aroud my head based on a previous dicsussion: http://www.frontpagewebmaster.com/m-341337/tm.htm#341337 I think I understand this correctly but would like to make sure and was hoping you (or anyone) could advise. A Content Management System is basically separate from the site structure. So if a web designer doesn't know the Content Management System , they can still tweak the structure of the site?? My site is designed with CSS (which I know nothing about). Can someone who does know CSS still work on the layout of my site without messing up the CMS? Hope I've framed the question okay. Thanks. _____________________________ Digicamhelp - Easiest place on the web to learn about Digit@l Cameras & Photography


Tailslide Posts: 6368 Joined: 5/10/2005 From: Out here on the raggedy edge Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 17:13:07 In Jaybee's absence I'll pipe up! It may depend on the system but in my experience the CSS is held as a separate file and can be added to as it would when attached to a static site. The actual structure of the site e.g the markup itself is usually split into various files (for instance everything from the DOCTYPE to the end of the banner image might go in a file called "header.php" and everthing that goes in the footer in a file called "footer.php") which are then assembled in the final page along with the database held content to complete the finished page. So although perfectly possible to fiddle with the structure - it's harder unless you're happy working within the CMS itself. _____________________________ Little Blue Plane Web Design \| Land Rover project (in reply to _gail)


_gail Posts: 2876 From: So FL Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 17:18:51 quote: ORIGINAL: Tailslide So although perfectly possible to fiddle with the structure - it's harder unless you're happy working within the CMS itself. Thanks so much. Then, possibly, if someone is skilled in CSS but is not famililar with the Content Management System they won't be able to work on the site. Am I understanding this correctly? _____________________________ Digicamhelp - Easiest place on the web to learn about Digit@l Cameras & Photography (in reply to Tailslide)


coreybryant Posts: 2549 Joined: 3/17/2002 From: Castle Rock CO USA Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 17:53:39 Think of a CMS as a tool that helps you to manage content. The CSS helps you to layout that content. CMS is usually built on a server side language (ASP, PHP, .NET) using a database (MS Access, MSSQL, mysql). Once the CMS is built, the owner(s) can usually go into the admin section of a CMS and add / delete content as needed _____________________________ Corey R. Bryant My Merchant Account Blog \| Toll Free Numbers \| Expression Web Blog (in reply to _gail)


jaybee Posts: 14207 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:10:10 Mmmmm confusing if you've never used one. I'll try and break it right down. The idea of a cms is so that a client can update all the content in their own site including, with the more complex CMS packages, add new pages, pictures etc. In order to do that you have to have a dynamic site so all the content is held in a database. The CMS itself consists of several parts. A template which is the basic layout of the page. That template can be styled by a CSS file. PHP, ASP, Perl scripts. These pick up the styled template, pick up the data from the database and put them together to make a page when somebody browses to it. So, from your point of view. If you don't know the CMS but you do know some design and this may mean playing around in the CSS, yes you can change the template without affecting the scripts that control the CMS. Now that's a pretty basic description of the way it works and different CMS have different methods. Some you don't even have to do a template. You can change all the colours and styles from within an admin panel. Others have no templating system at all and you have to go into the ASP/ PHP scripts and change things there. Which CMS have you got? < Message edited by jaybee -- 12/6/2006 19:31:30 > _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to coreybryant)


jaybee Posts: 14207 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:18:02 OK don't answer that. Coranto, never heard of it or used it. _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to jaybee)


jaybee Posts: 14207 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:29:02 I've had a quick look and it is templated, sort of. There are two main files. CSS and CRS Themefile. What I don't get is that they both seem to be CSS files so whether one is a base file and the other colour tweaks I can't immediately tell. However the layout appears to be pretty much table free and that's good. I'll have to take a closer look at it when I have time. They do have a forum for it and some pretty heavyweight documentation. As long as you're only changing colours, fonts etc you should be fine with css. Coranto seems to allow you to change page layout with css as well and that's more complicated. So, no you can't corrupt the CMS by making changes yourself but you could make a mess of the design. Usually best to set up a duplicate site in a hidden folder and play with that, transferring the changes when you know they work. _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to jaybee)


_gail Posts: 2876 From: So FL Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:31:57 quote: ORIGINAL: jaybee OK don't answer that. Coranto, never heard of it or used it. Yes, I've been learning that few have heard of it. And from what I've read visiting their forum, development is waning. That's not my real concern, however, because I understand it is very stable. My concern is if I need to hire someone to work on it in the future and they don't know Coranto, will anyone be able to help? Let me give you a hypothetical. I want to move the Search field to a new location and put a field in it's place where I can insert a small ad. I ask you, jaybee, to do the work. Could you do something like that without knowing Coranto? Hopefully the answer is yes! _____________________________ Digicamhelp - Easiest place on the web to learn about Digit@l Cameras & Photography (in reply to jaybee)


jaybee Posts: 14207 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:36:47 In theory yes. Anyone who knows CSS could in theory do the work but we'd all need to spend a fair bit of time playing with Coranto first. Can't the designer who set it up make the change for you? _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to _gail)


_gail Posts: 2876 From: So FL Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:41:20 Yes, but my question is forward looking. I just want some assurance that I won't be stuck in abject limbo in the unlikely event that the developer, say, leaves the business. _____________________________ Digicamhelp - Easiest place on the web to learn about Digit@l Cameras & Photography (in reply to jaybee)

_gail

Posts: 2876
From: So FL
Status: offline

RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 19:51:30

quote:

I'll have to take a closer look at it when I have time.

Thank you kindly!

quote:

They do have a forum for it and some pretty heavyweight documentation.

Yes.

I stumbled upon this thread the other day and it started getting me a bit concerned when I read comments such as these:

quote:

" Hm. It seems like there is noone here anymore, who of the developers and coders are still here?"

AND

"YOUR Coranto setup is fine, but future development of Coranto may not be."

http://coranto.gweilo.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9260&highlight=

I don't know CSS or Coranto so I will always have to hire someone to do the work (unless I go back to using Front Page.

).

I don't mind paying someone when I need work. I just want to know there are folks who can.

< Message edited by _gail -- 12/6/2006 20:03:44 >

_____________________________

Digicamhelp - Easiest place on the web to learn about Digit@l Cameras & Photography

(in reply to jaybee)


jaybee Posts: 14207 Joined: 10/7/2003 From: Berkshire, UK Status: offline	RE: Jaybee - Follow-up questions re: CMS - 12/6/2006 20:14:49 quote: ORIGINAL: _gail Yes, but my question is forward looking. I just want some assurance that I won't be stuck in abject limbo in the unlikely event that the developer, say, leaves the business. Abject Limbo won't happen. 1. Somebody else may take on the Coranto development work. 2. It just gets locked down. My only concern there would be no fixes for security holes. 3. You switch to another CMS. If you're happy with what you have stick with it and see what happens. Unless your site is mission critical there's no need to jump. _____________________________ If it ain't broke..... fix it until it is. GAWDS Now where did I put that Doctype? (in reply to _gail)