edit in place - CMS

[philjohns]

Right, ive had CMS in the back of my mind for a while. Ive decided to try and work out how to use an "edit in place" type of css.

Ive fiddled with both 24 ways: Edit-in-Place with Ajax and Create flickr-like Editing Fields Using AJAX & CSS » Dustin Bachrach Blog both of which I have had no luck with.

All im looking for is an extremely simple CMS system (preferably like one of the above two types) where my client can edit certain areas of TEXT CONTENT only.

Any help......?

[D856C]

Texty -- the simplest CMS

[philjohns]

Yeh, ive seen that before - didnt really like the look of it though.

Ive just tried CushyCMS - Take the work out of managing content, it works brilliantly if im being honest.

What are your thoughts on using something like this with a client?

[D856C]

If you're trying to shield the client from the code, it should work. My opinion is reserved for 1) A target client profile 2) An outlined objective for the CMS

Otherwise we're not talking about content management strategy ...we're talking about a play pen to keep the client from hurting themselves.

These things merely set up an online version of notepad, not a CMS. At best it's a neat way of managing the layout ...and shielding the developer from thinking about client content.

CMS installs were never about a "don't ask, don't tell" firewall between client and developer. I usually roll my eyes whenever the discussion turns to "the best" CMS without any mention of the client or objectives. Because there is an obscenely high probability the thread will have the least to do with either content or reaching an objective.

And no, I don't consider the color scheme and client okay of generic stock photography a content management strategy.

My opinion is these are anti-content-management applets. If anyone ever talks about content driven website design and one of these in the same paragraph, it'll be a surprise to me.

[philjohns]

Right, thats a fair statement.

Im looking to run a content management system where my client can log in and change information including general text, headings and SOME images.

I need it to be as basic as possible for the client to use and also it needs to work with websites I design using xhtml and css - without templates.

Any ideas now?

Phil

[D856C]

Doesn't tell me a thing. So my estimation would be you're looking for layout management -- and cushy should do okay for you.

Client profile: An intermediate level computer user with a technical background. Despite talking about being "hands on" the client quickly loses interest and will more than likely pass off content editing duties to one of three employees, all of which is beginner level with the web.

Client Objective: Integration of the website into an existing marketing campaign with a two step sales process. The website is designed to eliminate one of the more expensive steps in what was a physical direct mail campaign. The objective is to save roughly 32% budgeted for mailing costs through a virtual step with a name capture mechanism. Client needs the workflow management to okay a page before it goes live.

The CMS Strategy: Never Get Involved in a Land War in Asia (or Build a Website for No Reason) ...No XHTML no generic "information change." Reasons for web sites are incompatible with excuses. Deftly skirting anything about content with "changing information" pretty much rules out being allowed to use the letters CMS together.

[Toon]

I used Cushy CMS today for the first time, it was ideal for what I needed although it is only for very simple edits, I am impressed with the ease of use but for a full blown CMS it is very limited.

[D856C]

for a full blown CMS it is very limited.

One more time: Not a CMS. Sure, the developer wants to call it a CMS. And while calling the mockery of the CMS the very thing it isn't remains a common practice, anybody who gets truly surprised hasn't been paying attention.

[jkinz]

Take a look at Concrete5, it seems pretty simple to me and I have considered using it for my clients that only need the ability to edit text. It is a very young CMS so there aren't a lot of module, but for a basic site it would work!

Also, if you are familiar with Joomla! There is a plugin that allows front-end editing of text. I don't have the links for these things handy, but if you do a search, I'm sure you can find it!

[SineQuaNon]

First off, ignore D856C, he's over-dramatizing this entire CMS thing and not helping.

I'm looking to run a CMS where my client can log in and change information including general text, headings and SOME images.

I need it to be as basic as possible for the client to use and also it needs to work with websites I design using xhtml and css - without templates.

So you need 3 things:

• Username and password pairings
• Editing of text
• Uploading images

Based on what you need and you've written so far, I would stay away from systems like Joomla, Cushy, Texty, Concrete5 or anything else because ultimately you're just going to be making more work for yourself. If you already have a website in place, making these systems work around what you've developed will take longer. You might end up having to entirely redo the site just so you can use the CMS. That being said, I think the easiest solution for you would be to develop a custom CMS that exactly fits your needs and can be incorporated into your site(s).

To accomplish this you're going to need two things: 1) a server-side scripting langauge like PHP or .NET and 2) a database. Without these 2 things what you're after won't be possible. There needs to be a place where information like login credentials, text, headings, and images are stored so that it can be updated anywhere, anytime.

Don't worry about the xHTML and CSS, because those are structural and visual layers that work separately from the content layers. The two can be incorporated seamlessly. As for using templates, you may be trying to avoid them, but I guarantee you will find yourself using them. You should really be thinking in terms of and using templates anyway because it saves time, money, and code.

As for ease-of-use, well, that's really determined by you and how you design/develop it. If it's well thought out and designed, then anybody with a 3rd grade education should be able to figure it out.

So, does this sound like something you can accomplish based on your know-how? There are plenty of people here, including myself, who do this kind of stuff day-in and day-out, so if you need help don't hesitate to ask.