Website Content Management System The Future of Web site development

1. Website Content Management System The Future of Web site development Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

2. In the Beginning • You used a text editor to construct Web pages in a language called HTML • If you knew the HTML mark up language, you controlled the content of your Web site. “The Webmaster” ME! Big Webmaster! • Problem! • The Web Master is usually not the source of the information (content). He or She is the middle person. Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

3. Current Web Design • The Web – a world of information • Information is one of the fastest growing businesses • Problem • The stakeholders (Person(s) with the information / content) are one step or more away from the Web page • Must learn HTML or hire someone with that knowledge • Content written to individual HTML files (static) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

4. What is a CMS? • Helps you create/edit/delete content in a shared repository (database) • Organizes content • Content shared across the Web site • Content can be published or not based on conditions (Approved, Date range, Viewer rights) • Much improved control of the format (CSS) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

5. Benefits • Creation of content in a standard format using a Web browser and WYSIWYG editor (Frontpage, Dreamweaver -- bye-bye) • Share the work with several staff members and have options to let the public enter content (Library 2.0) • Control of branding elements • Archive and reuse content Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

6. The Old Webmasters • Used Candlelight • I use LAMPS Linux Operating System Apache Web Server Mysql Database PHP or Perl Programming Language Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

7. Examples of LAMPS • PhpSurveyor http://www.phpsurveyor.org/ • Mai Mailguard http://www.maiamailguard.com/maia/wiki • Webalizer http://www.mrunix.net/webalizer/ • Horde http://www.horde.org/ Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

8. Various CMS products • PhpNuke (www.phpnuke.org) • Plone (www.plone.org) • Drupal (www.drupal.org) • Mambo (http://source.mambo-foundation.org/) • Joomla (joomla.org) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

9. Joomla • The name Joomla is a phonetic spelling for the Swahili word "Jumla", which means "all together" or "as a whole". • Open Source software • A fork of Mambo CMS • Available for Linux, Unix ?, Windows, OS 10 (2007?) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

10. What is it? • php files • A few additional files such as XML, Java • php script to create initial database and tables (Mysql) • Front and backend access Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

11. Joomla Templates • Much like Microsoft Word Templates • Positions on screen • Top, banner, header, left, right • Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) for entire site • Control over look and feel Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

12. Example of template Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

13. Joomla Extensions • Self-contained archived file (zip) that a non-programmer can install by simply using the Joomla menu driven install options • Components (additional functionality to site) • Modules (mostly provide interface to components e.g menus, lists, forms) • Bots (search capability, content editing, additional css formatting, embedding code) • Plug-ins (additional functionality to core) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

14. Uniqueness of Joomla Extensions • Wide variety within the community • Non-profits • Corporate • From powerful to quirky • Today’s Weather (module) • Podcast Suite (component, module and bot) • SOBI2 Business Directory (component, module and bot) • Ludo_highlight_search (module and bot) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

15. Implementation • Need apache (configured for php and Mysql) • Mysql (create user and tweak for performance - my.cnf) • php ( php.ini file settings set for security) • Download Joomla archived file (Joomla.org) and decompress in Web site root directory • Run install from Web Browser Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

16. Install Screen 1 Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

17. Screen 2 Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

18. Install 3 Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

19. Fatal ERROR Screen Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

20. Final Install Screen Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

21. Stuff • Migrate from HTML pages • Create content sections and categories • Team effort - select Super Adminsitrator, Administrator, Editors • Training • Areas of responsibility • Procedures • Manual and training sessions Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

22. Possibilities • Database driven Events Calendar • RSS Feeds • Podcasts • Comments/Blogging • Google Map Direction to Library • Community Resource Database • Subscription Services • Arcade games for Kids Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

23. Any Downside? • Need for Library specific extensions • Must have a Team the works • Learning Curve • Some support problems • Extensions are written by anyone in the Joomla Community – ANYONE! Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library

24. Demo Atlantic City Free Public Library (ww.acfpl.org) Atlantic City Kids (atlanticcitykids.org) South Carolina State Library (http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/) Robert P. Rynkiewicz, Atlantic City Library