Is CMS Made Simple for me?

[gnolen]

Hi there everyone!

First just tell my story. I am developing/designing website for small-medium sized businesses. Most of the time I have been using phpWCMS, althought I have really enjoyed it I want to switch. Mostly because it is not really userfriendly towards my clients, to small and some bugs..So this is my third whole day of looking around the CMS field...I think I have been testing about 30 different CMS, some to hard to create tempatles and some to ugly in the backend which I always think is important. I am really glad to have found this CMS because it really look easy to use and look of modules..

So, do you guys/girls think that CMS Made Simple is something for me? What I wish for is:

- Create XHTML valid pages
- Pure CSS for layout
- Listbased navigation (so I can control the look easily in CSS) both for main and subnavigation? Is there actually different navigationchoices?
- A CMS that is getting developed and doesn't die out
- A great community(I know what you are going to answer to this one ) )
- Safe CMS, not easy to hack for others
- Easy to hack the code for developers
- Userfriendly in the backend for clients

So? What do you think? Is CMS Made Simple for me?

Thankful for all answers!

Greetings from Gnolen

[Ted]

Hi gnolen,

If you were using something like phpwcms, then CMSMS might be what you're looking for.  I lot of the goals are the same between the two, but I'm not totally sure that phpwcms is being developed anymore.  Here are some quick answers to your list of questions...

- Create XHTML valid pages
- Pure CSS for layout
- Listbased navigation (so I can control the look easily in CSS) both for main and subnavigation? Is there actually different navigationchoices?
- A CMS that is getting developed and doesn't die out
- A great community(I know what you are going to answer to this one ) )
- Safe CMS, not easy to hack for others
- Easy to hack the code for developers
- Userfriendly in the backend for clients

- Yes, the default template is valid XHTML Transitional
- We prefer CSS as opposed to html table tayout...  it's SOOO 1998
- The bulletmenu plugin makes it easy to use CSS to make a menu pretty
- I'm planning on working on it this morning... 
- You're looking at it.  IRC is pretty active also.
- Well, the only security issue I know of was an older version Smarty... but that's fixed in 0.9.2
- The module API is easy, somewhat documented and offers a lot of flexibility
- I'm not totally happy with the backend, but I'm currently working some ways to make it easier...  most people swear to me that it's intuitive in it's current state, though

I hope that helps.  To answer your question, though...  I think CMS is for you.

[gnolen]

Thanks for the replay Wishy and Patricia!

And after looking more under the hood of your CMS I have to say it looks easy and easy to modify! And the community is alive and well(and friendly ). I love the templatesystem, it is great to just design with {NAME} snippets! Just copy paste from my editor into the CMS - good stuff.

There is one crutial thing that I miss though - content blocks? To be able to put a text anywhere, outside the menustructur. Will this be implemented in the near future or? Just to be able to put {CONTENT2} in a div and be able to change the content in the backend.

Thanks!!

Greetings from Gnolen

[Ted]

Multiple content blocks are written, but not released yet.  As an alternative, you can use html blobs for smaller pieces of content, but they are global, not on a page-by-page basis...

Make a new html blob and put it in content/template with {html_blob name='somename'}.

[Ted]

Pat, we think too much alike...

[Ted]

Just means I'm more lazy...

[gnolen]

Hehe, you are just to fast...Even for each other! The {html_blob name='somename'} is exectly what I meant! Great stuff!

It's getting better and better!

Thanks!

/ Gnolen

[gnolen]

Yeap, this is going to be the one I am going to do the next site on!

I am not 100% sure about the GNU but is it alright to change the backend-look, it is sooo easy with CMSMS(which I have learned is the normal way to say CMS made simple here). Ofcourse!!! not rebranding but just to change the navbar,picture,colors and icons and so? I assume that it is possible, so could you send me the CMSMS logo in vector format? Would be great, so I'll get the highest quality look!

I can later also post the result and share it...Nothing wrong with the current style but it is just not my cup of tea...

Thanks!

/ Gnolen