Content Management Systems

Agenda Week overview Web-page basics The why and what of CMS Typo3

This week Monday: 9-12 Introduction to CMS, Typo3 basics and portfolio Tuesday: 9-12 Typo3 basics Wednesday: Portfolio implementation continued and reflection (without teacher). Thursday: Portfolio implementation continued and reflection (without teacher). Friday: 9-11 Presentation of portfolio, database and reflections week 36-37

Web-page basics

From server to browser Web – server -Repository for files that can be accessed by a web broser Browser interprets HTML files Designer and programmer

Web-page basics XHTML – extensible hypertext mark-up language –Formatting text and screen layout –References to other pages (links) and places non-text context – fx pictures in a page –XHTML only stores text (not pictures) Browsers interpret XHTML and renders the page we see No sharp distinction between form and content (or at least it used to be so for a long time)

From single pages to large(-r) web- sites Challenges –Very large web-sites –Many people contributing –The ones with knowledge of the content lack technical insight and/or time deal with technical issues –Need to serve many different platforms –Need for a consistent design across large sites –Need for different versions and different languages –(interactivity) –…

From single pages to large web- sites Technological and organisational solutions –Splitting form and content on the programming level (XHTML, CSS) –Editors with template and reusable content –The rise of the information architect –(added interactivity through server-side programming: asp, php, java,...)

From single pages to large web- sites CMS – a technical solution that provides new conditions for the organisation –Decentralized maintenance Designed with non-technical content editors in mind –Configurable access restrictions –Consistency of design is preserved Navigation is automatically generated Content is stored in a database Dynamic content –Daily updates (easy) –Cooperation –Content scheduling (produce today and set a later release day) –… Source

CMS in principle Database CMS – backend Content input Formatting Templates Search engine Core CMS – frontend Output for webbrowser User input

But what is content? Texts Pictures/photos Tables Menus Forms …

CM Systems and reasons for not teaching them here Commercial (more or less closed systems – very little continuous or community development, expensive) –Sitecore –Synkron Via –Odeum –… Open source –Typo3 – complex, Typo3 specific programming language for templates –Joomla – a bit on the simple side, a fork of Mambo (continued development by other developers) –Mambo – a bit on the simple side, did the best developers leave with Joomla? –…

CM Systems and reasons for not teaching them here Commercial (more or less closed systems – very little continuous or community development, expensive) –Sitecore –Synkron Via –Odeum –… Open source –Typo3 – complex, Typo3 specific programming language for templates –Joomla – a bit on the simple side, a fork of Mambo (continued development by other developers) –Mambo – a bit on the simple side, did the best developers leave with Joomla? –…

Why Typo3? Build on general CMS principles – what you learn transfers easily to other systems Open source – you can go into an organization and if needed bring the entire package for free Handles small – medium – large web-sites Many free templates available Plugs in extra components Developed by a large and stable community (at the moment)

Source: Typo3.org

Let’s have a closer look at it…

Task today Play with Typo3 Set up a new site Add pages and content … Suggestion: Play today and start all over tomorrow