Advice needed on creating a bespoke CMS for static HTML websites ? 1

[c0deM0nK424]

Hi all.

I want to ask seasoned veterans and highly experienced full-stack / back-end php and asp.net programmers/coders, what advice they could give to me with regards to wanting to go all out and 'code/develop' a simple yet effective Content Management System tool for those who are proficient in developing hand coded HTML5/CSS3 Responsive Web Layouts.

My Aim is to learn on the job, meaning this is uncharted territory but something I've had a burning desire and interest in pursuing for quite a while now.

I just don't quite know where to start.

If all I wish to offer a client is the facility to 'update/add/delete' content on static web pages, can this not be achieved using native javascript ?

after all, are we not simply manipulating the dom here and nothing else ? the static html/css websites are not utilising any form of database here, therefore can client side scripting be utilised to create an entry level bare bones, 'CMS' sort of tool ?

or am i overlooking or forgetting some serious shortocmings of this approach ? or am I thinking correctly ?


Naturaly I felt I'd need to use a server side scripting langauge to hand code, from scratch a tool taht would utlimately save the web page content in DB files.

so if i went the php route, surely this means ....and forgive me for Zzz here, My Dreaded SQL ? :|

likewise, if i go the asp.net route, again surely the content that would need to be changed would need to be saved in a db of some kind ?


perhaps I'm thinking too hard here and the solution is simpler than i think, and thats where you veterans come into play.

So if anybody could advise me on the best approach, techologies to use for this venture ( creating my own bespoke CMS...) I'd appreciate it HEAPS.


thanks all.

Look forward to your prompt replies.

Warm Regards,

C0de Monk.

 

[ChrisHirst]

For c0deM0nK424


If you want a bit of a 'from the ground up' look at a CMS from scratch

http://www.elated.com/forums/topic/5114/

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[c0deM0nK424]

Well folks, sorry for appearing out of the wilderness a century later after the threat post date heh

but it was fascinating to see two school of thought - one from Chris, who advocates that building something entirely from scratch, from the ground up allows one to learn on an exponential level and makes one far more experienced than one who jumps in on the act to do a 'bit here' and a 'bit there'.

The other school of thought, that something built entirely by one person - tested by one person - is never going to be on par ( in terms of quality ) with something that had 'multiple eyes' scrutinising, and analysing and testing that 'thing'.


Both are right - but Chris made a strong point which encouraged me to go all the way now, and I'm not looking from here.

I too, shun away from utilising all the latest JS frameworks and libraries and various CMS tools on the market.

Why ?

well because I want to master the fundamentals of both client side and server side 'scripting/programming'.

I feel, that the only way I'll ever achieve this is if I DO REINVENT the wheel ( by mistake ) and realise by doing, I have INTIMATELY understood how,where and what is happening. I began in the early noughties teaching myself how to right basic static web pages by learning HTML markup, using the in built form elements such as text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, select dropdowns etc. I experimented with tables, sometimes on hours on end trying so much all by myself - often 'discovering interesting' things.

Now, in that same era - I began stumbling across 'tutorials' on the web.

Much of what was shown was pretty much stuff I knew, thanks to LEARNING ON THE JOB.

all I can say - with hand on heart, and confidently - is that, there simply isn't a substitute for learning something all by yourself. There isn't. The reason why I'm still doing what Im doing, is because this is the most enjoyable aspect of building web pages and web applications.

The challenge of climbing Everest is daunting at first, and indeed it will not harm one to speak to seasoned veterans ( which is WHY i came on here with this thread folks..) to gain some insight from their experiences, nor is there any harm in obtaining in invaluable 'advice' or 'pointers'.

However, Do i wanna go up Everest with all of those guys ?

nah, I wanna go up Everest Alone.

even that means, i don't make it up the summit and you find my frozen mummified corpse a 1/10th the way

p.s - im not REALLY considering climbing everest guys.


2 Minds on a problem is better than one - but the joy of learning/teaching yourself something without that 'other mind' is well worth building anything from scratch.


So thats my take on this heh.


Thanks all for posting.

 

[spamjim]

I'm glad you were able to glean something from these two schools of thought presented by Chris. Chris advocates building something entirely from scratch but promotes his Joomla site in his signature and a ready-made CMS tutorial from elated.com.

Building your own CMS is a great way to learn before you decide to do what most everyone else does (including Chris).

PS...my gift of additional eyes: Chris, I recommend an update from Joomla 2.5.24 and PHP 5.4.27. There have been security updates for both.

EDIT: I'm just realizing that Phil is also promoting a ready made CMS (blogspot) in his signature. This discussion is hilarious.

I suspect the problem here is that Chris and Phil have indicated that the only way to learn is to do it all on your own. That's pure misinformation. Your education is not stunted when using an existing CMS. With an open source CMS, you can clearly observe what is happening under the hood. You are also trained to use proper coding conventions to match the standard used in the CMS. PHP can get pretty messy if you wing it without guidance.

 

[ChrisHirst]

but the joy of learning/teaching yourself something

Absolutely true, and as a Richard Feynman book is titled, "The pleasure of finding things out".

but promotes his Joomla site in his signature and a ready-made CMS tutorial from elated.com.

Yep but I'm working on the replacement, and "tutorials" are what they are, learning tools, a place to start that you can adapt, develop and extend, if you are building a house, you need the groundwork done before you can start painting.


Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[spamjim]

they are, learning tools, a place to start that you can adapt, develop and extend, if you are building a house, you need the groundwork done before you can start painting.

You are absolutely correct. Which is why I'm confused about the avoidance of learning via open source CMS, which by its nature is "a place to start that you can adapt, develop and extend".

WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, the CMS starter on elated.com, etc are all groundwork.

Homes are built with a team of people too.

 

[ChrisHirst]

WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, the CMS starter on elated.com, etc are all groundwork.

Not really, if you are just 'starting out' with PHP, looking "under the hood" of any of them is a bit like being Jack Carter in Henry Deacon's workshop (A Town Called Eureka). There are times that I have "WTFDTD?? moments" when looking at the Joomla! or WordPress code. Even trying to construct a theme using one of the default templates as a guide would be a 'trial by fire' exercise for a 'relative newbie', simply because you also have to know what the core functions that themes use are, and what they do.

The Elated source code is a relatively simple system that is annotated with comments that 'document' what each line or section of code does (or should do).

Yes, Wordpress is also annotated, but it is far more complex and convoluted for anyone without a lot of experience (and patience), to use as a "tutorial" and studying WordPress or Joomla! code does not necessarily mean you learn how to start from 'nowhere' to finally end up with a completed CMS.

Certainly there are times when 'using' an 'off the shelf' product is expedient, beneficial or necessary, but this thread is not about "What is the 'best' to use", it is about "How do I learn to do this".




Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum