Web Content Management System

[CNerd2025]

I am new on this board and am wondering about programming a content management system. My web host (http://lunarpages.com/) has a library of scripts, and one section is for CMS's (Geeklog, Mambo OpenSource, PHP-Nuke, phpWCMS, phpWebSite, and Post-Nuke). I've tried them all and I think they're horrible. I really want a more simple CMS without all the "modules" that come installed. Post-Nuke and PHP-Nuke have tons, including many which are useless to me (AvantGo for example).

It must support PHP and MySQL. I also want to have a system which is easy to administer and is easy for those who don't know HTML, not to mention PHP and MySQL. I want to have a forum, and I especially like phpBB2, vBulletin, or XMB Partangium. I also want to have separate areas of the site administered by various people. I definitely want it secure and want it to have a calendar. Another important feature with me is navigation. I especially liked the navigation in phpwcms, however the rest of the CMS was bad for my needs. In addition, this MUST comply with the XHTML 1.0 standard.

If there is such a CMS out there, please someone give me the URL. If not, I would graciously accept any help and/or resources with PHP and especially MySQL. I would almost like to program it myself, so that I know how secure it is, and how to update it. I can understand enough PHP to get by, and I understand SQL; my stumbling-block is the fact that I don't know how to make data models. I've searched and searched for more information and lessons, but what is returned is a book that can only be bought on the web. Thanks!

--Drew

 

[David Lindon]

Hmm. writting a CMS can be very difficult so I would suggest having a look around. I don't know of a good one myself so you will have to do some searching.
Good luck on your quest!

 

[root]

PHP-Nuke is meant to be one of the easiest, It might be more difficult, but I'm sure you'll get a better site of you make your own CMS system.

 

[CNerd2025]

I'm thinking more and more about programming my own. If anyone has experience with PHP/MySQL, please drop me a PM or an email. I can understand enough PHP to get by and I understand the SQL commands of MySQL, but I have no real experience in programming with PHP and I have absolutely no experience with designing data models. If anyone has experience and would be willing to help me, or knows of a site where each of these topics are taught in detail, please let me know. With three sites I now design, I can't edit raw HTML any more.

I like PHP-Nuke except for the fact that it has one of those images with numbers on it so that spammers can't autologin. The downside is that the legitimate users won't be able to autologin. I would prefer not to have that, but there seems to be no way to turn it off in preferences.

I really need help.

--Drew

 

[root]

I'm not entierly sure what you want to do, But I've got quite a bit of PHP/MySQL experiance. and I'd be willing to help you. (help being the word, a.k.a not just do it for you).
The best way I can think of this is:

Think of what you want to do and explain here (in reasonable detail).

I (we -the community) will suggest some methods you might like to consider. -Perhaps posting code snippets.

You develop some code. post here if you have problems (posting the problem code)

I (we -the community) will happily debug your code untill it works.

 

[CNerd2025]

Programming WCMS w/ PHP and MySQL

Root, I thank you very much for your offer. I agree that it would not be fair for you to soley help me, but instead a community effort would be a better idea.

I would like the following in my CMS:

• An authentication system required for use of certain portions of the site. I'd like to use a combination of the session variables as well as cookies, so that users who do not use cookies still have access to the site after leaving during the same session.
• Permissions given to certain users that allow them to update information in certain areas. This should be done in a "user administration" in the admin backend.
• A navigation system similar to that of phpWCMS. I tried phpWCMS and it had good features, but it was too basic as of yet. In phpWCMS I also dislike the fact that the only file that the user ever sees is the index.php file. I'd like to use more files in my CMS, rather than just one page.
• A template system integrated into the database -- no XML-based templates. Also, a CSS system integrated into the database.
• A calendar engine, allowing for daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly views. This must be have the option of being editable by users.
• Informational pages with not much actual dynamic content, just the authentiction system making sure people have correct authorization.
• News Pages with comments sections at the bottom.
• Forum, but this is not imperitive.
• PHP-based chat-room for users to talk to each other.
• URLs that aren't complete jiberish (if this is possible)
• Full compliance with XHTML 1.0 and all other standards, including CSS 2. I also want to have a way of upgrading once XHTML 2 is widely used.

I like the modularized system of features, but I do not prefer the current implementations (PHP-Nuke and Post-Nuke). I would rather have a site with solid structure than have one with numerous modules showing in the menu.

I have spent the last few days learning as much PHP as I can. I already know SQL, but I do not know the way to design a "data model." I understand the concepts of databases however, such as primary key, foreign key, 3rd normal form, etc. Again, root, I graciously accept your offer. My web host offers only one database, but this should not be a problem. Thank you for your help!

--Drew

 

[root]

The first thing you should realise is this will not be an overnight thing, making your own CMS requires quite a lot of planning, a good understanding of the code and what you want to do, (or at least a copy of the PHP manual!). and a lot of patients, it might be weeks or even months before you manage to sucessfully code you'r own CMS in this style...

Some thing that you may wish to consider. for your forum and news reader articles is using some forum software (eg phpbb), and hacking it about a bit, (using the control pannel and adding some code) so that you have an out of the box forum, and a news reader that you'll have made yourself, this also means you'll be able to change sytles etc just by changing a style sheet.

OK, I'll have a look at the first requirement first. (start at the very begining, it's a very fine place to start... (etc...))

An authentication system required for use of certain portions of the site. I'd like to use a combination of the session variables as well as cookies, so that users who do not use cookies still have access to the site after leaving during the same session.

For this, what I suggest is having a users table, the user table should contain all the information about your site users as well as your own personal details.

the database table should contain,
userID (int)
username (varchar(255))
password (varchar(255))
Privelage level (int)
email address (varchar(255))

privellage level will decide what is displayed on the page, and let you know that the user is logged in,
e.g. 1 - admin
2 - paying / privalleged user
3 - standard user
4/NA - not logged in / cannot login / not allowed to see info / banned etc...

(using this method of setting a privellage level with mean that only 1 char is sent and that instantly decides what can be displayed, this is a lot more server load friendly than if a username was set (many chars more traffic), and the database has to be searched to decide if the user exists, and to find out what the user can do.)

I'd suggest using just the PHP session (if someone has cookies enabled then it's quite certain that session variables will be allowed). but when a user first comes to the site, check for a cookie, if one exists set the session variable. in effect the cookie should just act as an unatended login of sorts.

(I'll post some code when I get home from work that should help with this login for you)

 

[CNerd2025]

Wcms

Thanks for that first installment. I'm starting school again on tuesday, but I should be checking this forum once a day and programming in my spare time. Again, thanks for your help to me and to the community.

--Drew