CMS - Decisions, decisions...

[clubbedougan]

Hi All!

I've been using PHP since 2005 so a relative newbie.

I have built one or two 'big'(in my eyes) CMS systems and have one standard one I built from scratch that I give to clients allowing them to add/edit pages, news etc. to their own sites. As a freelancer this made sense, but this is now my job.

I'm starting to think my work is becoming a bit redundant having seen the rise and rise of the likes of Wordpress, Drupal, sNews, Mambo and Joomla.

I was just wondering, in a commercial sense, would it make more sense to build my web site around one of the more mainstream CMS, and if I do, do I have to pay for the privelege?

Thanks for your thoughts on this,

Michael.

[BlueKai]

I think it depends on what you're using it for. In my experience I've found that custom building a CMS is almost always the way to go. It keeps things simple and flexible.

[clubbedougan]

Good point. I guess a lot of it is to do with timeframes and things.
Really it's all the same, they want control over web pages, articles going up etc., and I just figured I either choose/adapt my own or sometimes go with a pre-made solution.

[bpat1434]

Yes, it truly depends on what the client wants. Mambo and Joomla and other CMS packages can really be overwhelming. Many times, you probably only want 1/100th of their feature set, yet you have to go in and set it up that way.

If you're just starting, what you might want to do is create self-contained code. Something like setting up your own code library is a good idea. Using some object oriented patterns & practices are a good thing to do. You can then just pick what you need, and place them together. If they're self contained, all you need to do is just pick out what you need, add the basic procedural code for it, and that's about it. Gives you "cookie-cutter" type of functionality, while still having the ability to modify it as needed on a per-client basis.

[Elizabeth]

From an employer's point of view, I can also see the other side of it -- it would make me a bit nervous knowing you're the only one who really knows the ins and outs of the code base... but if I was using a more mainstream package, then I know that if you leave me high and dry, chances are I can find someone to basically step in and take your place at the drop of a hat.

Just something to think about - I would offer both solutions to the client and let them decide.

[shadow_483]

well, personally...i find must of those huge mainstream CMS solutions bulky and unusable. I avoid them as they are frequently just...much more then i could ever need for a certain project. I prefer a custom solution and my own templates...

with that said, Elizabeth raises a very interest poing to take into consideration despite.