Topic awaiting preservation: Templating or content management? (Page 1 of 1)

New toys to play with. Mainly PHP and MySQL. Can't say I know much about either.

Currently, I am using basic SSI to keep some things straight. You know, a template with some #includes so global changes where I might need them are easy to make. Now I'm thinking about moving on to the next thing.

Unfortunately, having no experience in this arena, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for just yet.

Something where I can write an article or two, and upload with images. Then the everything is automatically plugged in...?

Or maybe something that is a cross between a blogger and a wiki? Actually, mangling a wiki doesn't sound like a half bad idea.

I know I have to make some decision before a solution that I'm happy with shows up, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what the options are. Or even how the various options work.

Any suggestions or general ideas that might nudge me in the right direction?

Well, I'm off to hit Google and some PHP sites. Why, I'm even downloading MySQL as we speak.

A really good place to start is at the GUrus Network.

Warmage wrote 2 nice introductory tutorials for working with PHP and templates.
DmS has a great intro to using PHP and MySQL together.

After a bit of fiddling, making a small scope CMS should be in your reach.

It'll make you pull your hair out for a while...but it's fun stuff =)
I can hardly imagine webpages without PHP anymore

wj: Yep its over to the GN for you - what you want can be done with includes - some ideas:

1. The simplest approach is to just do it like they have in WarMage's tutorials and add the code for the inclues to your page - upload them and Bingo.

2. You could extend it (I think I suggested an extension along these lines) where you could have one page draw in the includes (and this is what we have for the KPT pages).

3. A further extension would be to add a script which found all the files in a directory and you could have a system where it included them on to a page with a list on the index page. That way you need only upload the scripts to a certain page.

[edit: added a note in here:
http://development.gurusnetwork.com/discussion/showthread.php?s=&postid=20818#post20818

for those following along at home ]

4. Wikis are good but it depends on what you are going to use it for - if it is for Tech Slop then you might be better going for something like the above but if it is for something new (pos. where you skecthed out thoughts and ideas or jotted down resources, etc.) then that might work.

5. Again it depends but a CMS might be a bit of overkill but in the long run it might be the best solution - DmS has been working on a tutorial on this for the GN so...........

___________________
Emps

The Emperor dot org

Just gotta put this one in here.
Yes, I've been working on an extensive wcm-tutorial based on my own cms.

However, lot's of paid and unpaid work and a newfound addiction to OOP I "need" to rewrite my whole wcm and I won't pick up the tutorial until I've gotten further on that.

So, don't hold your breath waiting
From your description a full blown cms is probably overkill, it sounds more like wcm (Web Content Management), that's splitting hairs, I know, what can I say, I'm damaged goods after a couple of years fiddling with these concepts

I think this boils down to one question though, do you want to roll your own system or do you "just" want one to use?

If you just need one, have fun, there are litereary hundreds of them out there.
If you want to learn, pick up a couple of the simpler ones and pick them apart to see how they are done, trust me, almost all of them are different. I've got the approach to separate the static parts, basic structure that is, into more or less straight HTML and then include all dynamic stuff through calling functions that return the missing parts populated from the database. But that's me.

To find your flavour there really is no better way than testing diffeent methods.
/Dan

{cell 260}
-{ a vibration is a movement that doesn't know which way to go }-

No idea if I can keep my thoughts straight on this, but I'll try.

For me, going two deep is enough. You know, Index > Secondary > Tertiary. Actually, one deep with select grouping would be enough. So, Index > Secondary A1, Secondary A2; and Index > Secondary B1, Secondary B2. That's the fundamental structure that I'm already using. Or am I talking about the same thing? Ugh.

Emps, I read what you wrote and I'm pretty sure I understand what you are saying and I think I am liking it. My only question would be about scanning the directories. Would it be everytime index is loaded, or a "house keeping" script that puts the scan results in another file which is read when index is loaded? Double ugh.

Well, I got MySQL running and did some messing around. As a matter of fact, I did a little too much messing around a little too fast. I need to slow down. Learning a one button option is sometimes slower than rolling my own low level deal.

So, slowing down is now on the menu. I'm going to take some of the low level advice and do my own little deals. Once I start getting the hang of it, I'll start shopping around for something a little more robust.

I'll also do my best to keep an eye on how the GN stuff is progressing.

I'm sure that's not everything I have to say, but it's time to go and pass out.
Thanks, folks.

wj:

quote:

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Emps, I read what you wrote and I'm pretty sure I understand what you are saying and I think I am liking it. My only question would be about scanning the directories. Would it be everytime index is loaded, or a "house keeping" script that puts the scan results in another file which is read when index is loaded? Double ugh.

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Well you can things however you'd like. Unless you were going to throw in a huge number of files I'd imagine you could scan the directory everytime.

___________________
Emps

The Emperor dot org