CMS Made Simple Forums

Well, before reading, be aware that these are just propositions, so feel free to discuss about it.

I've thought about content management, and here is what i found out :
- contents, whatever they are, have a certain number of common properties
- each type of content have specific attributes.

If we think in re-useability and factorization of code, it implies that all which is common should be treated by a common framework, all which is content specific should be treated by the content itself.

My point of view is that contents should be thought as a "unix filesystem". What does it mean :
- a specific content can be thought as a filetype : it has a owner, rights, it is included in a directory; but it also needs a specific editor / viewer.
- it can be symbolic link

So what i propose is to build the contents management like a filesytem :

1. Common properties of contents / files (perhaps not exhaustive)
- owner
- group
- status (draf, published, anything else)
- permissions for groups
- name
- parent folder
- hierarchy level

This should be managed by a content class. Each specific class should inherit this one.

2. Specific content (perhaps not exhaustive)
- show itself
- edit itself
- preview itself

3. Folders

We also need folders (think of it as sections). Each folder can either be clickable or not.
- if not clickable, folders will just act like sections acted before, it's just a container
- if clickable, 2 choices
* it has a default page which show when you click on it
* it has no default page, and therefore should show a list of it's content, like thumbnails (this will call each content preview function : that's the content work to now how it should be previewed)

If you want an idea of what it "could" look like take a look at :
http://mystick.ksa.free.fr/tigrou/siteframe/web

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We should be able to navigate content the same way we navigate a filesystem :
- see either in flat or tree-like (this is true for admin AND menus)
- enter folders, go back to parent (this is true for admin AND menus)
- cut, copy, paste, link

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By giving group rights to a folder, you only people form this group can add / modify content within the folder, just like you can do with rwx under unix.









Well these are just very basic ideas and only my point of view. I'm waiting for comments.

ps : using a unix like fs, we should be able to restrict access to certain categories / folders to its group members, really allowing collaborative editing of a site.

Good idea i think, because design of unix fs is solid and considered,
and Collaborative editing of web site is for me one of primarily reason for me to migrate to a cms,

Why i liked cmsmadesimple in the first place was that there was no CarvedIntoStone way how the data content should be presented the output of the content can be defined quite easily to my own templates.

While most of the proposed features are very good ideas, i dont see any reason why there should be a set way how visitors view the site. I Think that should be adjustable for the enduser who is maintaining his own site.

Hierarchial viewing like viewing a filesystem is good in some cases, like document management, and corporate portals but for ordinary user-driven websites, it might be a bit overkill..

in fact, you can still manage the way your site looks by acting this way. What i was proposing for folders (being able to list its content) is just an option. The idea of folders just came from the fact that most people out there wanted sections to organize their data. folders allow this; and using a unix-like fs for them also allows to control access for EACH folder to specific groups / users. when you look at how you would build by hand a site, what happens generally is that you have a first root older where you put your index, and others subfolders which could contain files for specific categories. you just have a "index.html" that is the default page, but it's still arrange in a fs way. Currently, you already have hierarchy in content. what i want is just going further in this idea. If you don't want your folders to list their content, they won't : they'll show their default page or not be clickable at all.

however, listing content can be usefull in many ways : you can for example think about a folder with just pictures, and you'll have auto thumbnails generation, giving the ability to get albums with no work at all (no need for plugins etc).

something else that i was asked for was a way to show the title and beginning of a doc, for a tutorial list for example. once more, the directory listing allows it.

is it more clear ?

btw : the general content should be able to handle multiple version of files / content for internationalisation.