A few "pre-sales" questions

[abu_aaminah]

Hi all,

I am an experienced PHP developer, but am thinking about the use of CMSMS to fast-track the development of an upcoming site which will be managed by a non-techie.

I wanted to ask:

1. Is CMSSMS completely database driven in that a page's content is saved to a database or is it part database, part flat file?

2. Is it possible to mix CMSMS with normal PHP code? By that, i mean to say that have CMSMS do most of the work and then include my own PHP code on specific pages?

That's all for now.

Thanks.

[alby]

1. Is CMSSMS completely database driven in that a page's content is saved to a database or is it part database, part flat file?

CMSMS is database driven (you use file for own plugins and a few module templates)

2. Is it possible to mix CMSMS with normal PHP code? By that, i mean to say that have CMSMS do most of the work and then include my own PHP code on specific pages?

Sure, use UDT/plugins and/or enable {php} tag in template

Alby

[calguy1000]

1. Is CMSSMS completely database driven in that a page's content is saved to a database or is it part database, part flat file?

All content is stored in the database, with the exception of images and other binary fiiles. 

2. Is it possible to mix CMSMS with normal PHP code? By that, i mean to say that have CMSMS do most of the work and then include my own PHP code on specific pages?

CMS Is written in php.  there are numerous ways to add in PHP code to specific pages;
  a) User Defined Tags (UDT) are small chunks of re-usable PHP code stored in the database
  b) plugins (medium sized chunks of php code stored as files in the plugins directory
  c) Modules (larger PHP applications) found in the modules directory
  d) Your own php code can be inserted into the content directly by using {php} and {/php} instead of
        (to enable this there is a flag in the config.php)

We make efforts to minimize variable conflicts, and to keep globals to a minimum, but you may run into problems with variables like $db and $id and things like that.
Database acccess in your private code using mysql_connect, etc, requires that a) you use a separate database handle, and then re-connect to the internal database after your code is done with adodb_connect().  It is recommended that you use adodb for your database calls then you don't have problems with databasse access.

[abu_aaminah]

Thanks for the responses (although the idea of storing php in a database sounds worrying from a security point of view).

Another question, can CMSMS be used on a commercial site?

[Pierre M.]

Welcome,

e)your code.php can live along with CMSms too.

CMSms is GPL software. To make it short :
-you may download and run GPL software.
-if you redistribute it, you MUST redistribute it under the GPL (hence provide the source code).
-you may modify the software to fit your use.
-if you redistribute your modifications, you MUST redistribute them under the GPL (hence provide the source code of your modifications).

Have a look at the Show Off forum for commercial and non commercial sites.

Pierre M.

[abu_aaminah]

Thanks.

One last question... what would you say are the key points of differentiation that CMSMS has over Joomla?

[Pierre M.]

I can't answer this question because I only know the name "Joomla" and not the product. But when I have discovered and choosen CMSms over other CMS (some long internet time ago) I think I had feeled CMSms to be a lot more flexible (and "simply powerfull") than Mambo.

I hope others will give you fair points on this topic.

Pierre M.

[tractorboy]

Thanks.

One last question... what would you say are the key points of differentiation that CMSMS has over Joomla?

Joomla has more add-ons and a wider user base than CMSMS.  It has a lot more options for how content is grouped and displayed.  95% of sites don't need these options, which therefore are an unnecessary complication for both the developer and the non-techy user.

[Dr.CSS]

They also have one of the largest 'fix security' threads in the business... 

[abu_aaminah]

Lol! I'm quite concerned about the security side of things as, after all, a CMS is an application written by someone else and if an evil hacker were to come across a vulnerability in a CMS, he/she would simply google around for sites using that CMS to take advantage of the vulnerability.

Which leads me on to my next question...

Is it necessary to have a "This site uses CSCMS" kind of link at the bottom?

[calguy1000]

You can use whatever footer you want.  and take CMS verbology out of the frontend all you want.  We recommend you keep it in the backend, and according to the GPL you cannot take the copyright notices out of the source.

[abu_aaminah]

Ok.

If i have any more questions, i'll let you know.

I'm expected to start on the site three weeks from now.