Web Design Forums

pgo · 29-08-2005, 08:00

I'm looking for a CMS for "brochure" style sites - maybe like 5 pages of content, static HTML.

Normally, this might be something that you just make static (HTML or PHP includes to simplify). However, what if a client requests a small site, with the ability for them to update/change as they see fit as opposed to hiring you to make updates for an hourly fee (a one-time fee vs. a variable fee).

Any ideas? And I'm looking for something simpler than Wordpress et al.

Create pages, upload images, edit the XHTML without having to know XHTML, but not mess with the CSS. Very basic.

Any suggestions? I've looked at www.opensourcecms.com with very little luck. Maybe it would be better to take an existing CMS from there and really break down the way it generates code to simplify the whole thing?

cam · 29-08-2005, 08:49

Mate seeing as you keep saying you'd like to learn programming, it sounds ideal as a little project

There's plenty of tutorial for doing exactly what you're asking (check Sitepoint in paticular)

If you're looking for an off-the-shelfer I'm afraid I don't know/use anything that fits the bill, although there'll undoubtedly be loads of them on hotscripts and the like

pgo · 29-08-2005, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by cam

Mate seeing as you keep saying you'd like to learn programming, it sounds ideal as a little project

Yes, but I'm lazy!

I suppose you're right, though. Perhaps I'll bite the bullet and take a project like this on.

emil · 29-08-2005, 09:03

Get off your lazy ass and learn the mysteries of programming. Then you can teach me

illvibe · 29-08-2005, 12:57

and me.

Dusteh · 31-08-2005, 10:46

Damn right, you can teach all of us!

I have been looking for exactly the same thing. All the CMS systems I have seen try to do too much. Boring old brochure sites are the bread and butter of my work (I'm in a rural location - no big companies) and if I want them updatable I have to try and tone down a much bulkier package.

Is there anything smaller than wordpress?

emil · 31-08-2005, 10:50

www.cutephp.com ?

finbarr · 31-08-2005, 12:01

like cam said sitepoint is a good place to start.

I'm reading a book by them on building a cms combining php and xml. Dont know fuck all about programming but the book guides you through the whole process. Once completed you can use the end result wherever you like - at least thats the big sell.

I've had 2 potential clients ask for the ability to change things on their sites and rather than give them a pirate copy of Contribute I thought I'd bite the bullet and get my head stuck into some backend stuff.

Hey,if I can do it anyone can... I'll let you know if I can!

Luke Redpath · 31-08-2005, 13:09

Use this as an opportunity to learn RubyOnRails - you wont regret it.

Dusteh · 01-09-2005, 06:12

Yes thats the conclusion I've come to.

However, am I correct in thinking that unless you have a dedicated server setup with your hosting company - you won't have permissions to install Ruby remotely? In other words you have to track down a hosting company that has embraced the language?

Or am I completely wrong and you can ftp the ruby install onto an apache server?

pgo · 01-09-2005, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke Redpath

Use this as an opportunity to learn RubyOnRails - you wont regret it.

So maybe just skip the whole "AMP" thing and get a leg up on the competition with "AMRoR"?

Guess I'll just send myself on over to...

Ruby on Rails

weldo · 01-09-2005, 10:39

All this talk of Ruby is making me hungry....

d*d · 01-09-2005, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusteh

Yes thats the conclusion I've come to.

However, am I correct in thinking that unless you have a dedicated server setup with your hosting company - you won't have permissions to install Ruby remotely? In other words you have to track down a hosting company that has embraced the language?

Or am I completely wrong and you can ftp the ruby install onto an apache server?

I wouldn't mind knowing that - being dependant on external companies for my hosting needs, and if enough people start learning Ruby, Luke might stop going on about it

Luke Redpath · 01-09-2005, 11:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusteh

Yes thats the conclusion I've come to.

However, am I correct in thinking that unless you have a dedicated server setup with your hosting company - you won't have permissions to install Ruby remotely? In other words you have to track down a hosting company that has embraced the language?

Or am I completely wrong and you can ftp the ruby install onto an apache server?

If you have a dedicated box you're set. Otherwise, give these two a look:

http://www.textdrive.com/
http://www.dreamhost.com/

TextDrive aren't taking on new customers for the next few days as they are migrating to a new data centre and new boxes, but I've heard nothing but good things about them and they offer a lot of control for shared hosting. I don't know much about Dreamhost but they are often recommended as a Rails host too. And at those prices with the current exchange rate, you're laughing

I haven't used either of the above yet but will probably be picking up a Textdrive account as soon as new accounts are being accepted for a client.

pgo · 01-09-2005, 11:54

My host - www.asmallorange.com - has Ruby on Rails installed now.

My sites have been a bit touch and go lately, though. As in, I'll type the url and it won't show up, I'll try again and it'll be fine.

Luke Redpath · 01-09-2005, 11:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgo

So maybe just skip the whole "AMP" thing and get a leg up on the competition with "AMRoR"?

Guess I'll just send myself on over to...

Ruby on Rails

Perhaps. I'm also getting my head around PostgreSQL and its more advanced features. I have a few issues with MySQL's licensing - not really a problem for hosted sites but could be if you are writing your own off-the-shelf web app and selling it. See here for more.

Also, whilst Rails runs quite well with Apache, it seems the preferred server is lighttpd.

So what would that be? LLPRoR? Doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same

Luke Redpath · 01-09-2005, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by d*d

if enough people start learning Ruby, Luke might stop going on about it

Maybe...maybe not

pgo · 01-09-2005, 12:01

My only problem is that learning something as big/powerful/complex as RoR or PHP/MySQL is very daunting.

Thinking about writing a small - very basic CMS - I wouldn't even know where to start. All I know is a touch of PHP and that's it. No programming experience since BASIC. Maybe I'll just start writing web apps in BASIC!

oli · 01-09-2005, 12:02

sack it, you're a designer. Thats what they invented monkeys for

pgo · 01-09-2005, 12:03

Luke! Get your pre-hensile tail over here and code me up a CMS! For free!

In all seriousness, my difficulty is that it's so hard to find a decent application for simple things.

For example, I did a site a while back for a political group (for free) and now they want an updateable calendar of events. I search and find dozens. Try out...oh...6 locally and they all suck. I can't hack them for shit. Wordpress was easy to hack through, but these little simple scripts are a pain. It'd be much easier if I could just get exactly what I needed without all this frustration!

29-08-2005, 08:00	#1 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	The Simplest of CMSes I'm looking for a CMS for "brochure" style sites - maybe like 5 pages of content, static HTML. Normally, this might be something that you just make static (HTML or PHP includes to simplify). However, what if a client requests a small site, with the ability for them to update/change as they see fit as opposed to hiring you to make updates for an hourly fee (a one-time fee vs. a variable fee). Any ideas? And I'm looking for something simpler than Wordpress et al. Create pages, upload images, edit the XHTML without having to know XHTML, but not mess with the CSS. Very basic. Any suggestions? I've looked at www.opensourcecms.com with very little luck. Maybe it would be better to take an existing CMS from there and really break down the way it generates code to simplify the whole thing?

31-08-2005, 13:09	#9 (permalink)
Luke Redpath Barney army! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London Posts: 692	Use this as an opportunity to learn RubyOnRails - you wont regret it. __________________ Luke Redpath .::. Software Engineer .::. Reevoo - Real Reviews From Real Customers

01-09-2005, 10:39	#12 (permalink)
weldo now with added beard Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liverpool Posts: 5,602	All this talk of Ruby is making me hungry.... __________________ fuck signatures

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29-08-2005, 08:49	#2 (permalink)
cam vague™ Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Glasgow Posts: 5,590	Mate seeing as you keep saying you'd like to learn programming, it sounds ideal as a little project There's plenty of tutorial for doing exactly what you're asking (check Sitepoint in paticular) If you're looking for an off-the-shelfer I'm afraid I don't know/use anything that fits the bill, although there'll undoubtedly be loads of them on hotscripts and the like

29-08-2005, 09:03	#4 (permalink)
emil dt immigrant Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bucharest - Romania Posts: 7,555	Get off your lazy ass and learn the mysteries of programming. Then you can teach me

29-08-2005, 12:57	#5 (permalink)
illvibe say werd. Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Japan Posts: 1,296	and me.

31-08-2005, 10:46	#6 (permalink)
Dusteh Sir digby chicken caesar Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 5,382	Damn right, you can teach all of us! I have been looking for exactly the same thing. All the CMS systems I have seen try to do too much. Boring old brochure sites are the bread and butter of my work (I'm in a rural location - no big companies) and if I want them updatable I have to try and tone down a much bulkier package. Is there anything smaller than wordpress?

31-08-2005, 10:50	#7 (permalink)
emil dt immigrant Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bucharest - Romania Posts: 7,555	www.cutephp.com ?

31-08-2005, 12:01	#8 (permalink)
finbarr who the fuck am i? Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: london Posts: 2,670	like cam said sitepoint is a good place to start. I'm reading a book by them on building a cms combining php and xml. Dont know fuck all about programming but the book guides you through the whole process. Once completed you can use the end result wherever you like - at least thats the big sell. I've had 2 potential clients ask for the ability to change things on their sites and rather than give them a pirate copy of Contribute I thought I'd bite the bullet and get my head stuck into some backend stuff. Hey,if I can do it anyone can... I'll let you know if I can!

01-09-2005, 06:12	#10 (permalink)
Dusteh Sir digby chicken caesar Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 5,382	Yes thats the conclusion I've come to. However, am I correct in thinking that unless you have a dedicated server setup with your hosting company - you won't have permissions to install Ruby remotely? In other words you have to track down a hosting company that has embraced the language? Or am I completely wrong and you can ftp the ruby install onto an apache server?

01-09-2005, 11:54	#15 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	My host - www.asmallorange.com - has Ruby on Rails installed now. My sites have been a bit touch and go lately, though. As in, I'll type the url and it won't show up, I'll try again and it'll be fine.

01-09-2005, 12:01	#18 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	My only problem is that learning something as big/powerful/complex as RoR or PHP/MySQL is very daunting. Thinking about writing a small - very basic CMS - I wouldn't even know where to start. All I know is a touch of PHP and that's it. No programming experience since BASIC. Maybe I'll just start writing web apps in BASIC!

01-09-2005, 12:02	#19 (permalink)
oli Low flying star™ Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Manchester, England.™ Posts: 10,000	sack it, you're a designer. Thats what they invented monkeys for

01-09-2005, 12:03	#20 (permalink)
pgo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12,340	Luke! Get your pre-hensile tail over here and code me up a CMS! For free! In all seriousness, my difficulty is that it's so hard to find a decent application for simple things. For example, I did a site a while back for a political group (for free) and now they want an updateable calendar of events. I search and find dozens. Try out...oh...6 locally and they all suck. I can't hack them for shit. Wordpress was easy to hack through, but these little simple scripts are a pain. It'd be much easier if I could just get exactly what I needed without all this frustration!

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