May 10 th , 2007 WCMS Customization. Best Practices. Prepared by: Irina Krasteleva WCMS Lead Analyst, CGI

INTRODUCTION Irina Krasteleva @krasteleva Lead Analyst for CGI Information Management Practice In WCMS development since 2001 Open source and enterprise platforms Various implementations for private, non-profit and government clients

Irina Krasteleva

Lead Analyst for CGI Information Management Practice

In WCMS development since 2001

Open source and enterprise platforms

Various implementations for private, non-profit and government clients

CUSTOMIZATION WCMS Customization – development work to implement a functionality that is not provided by CMS out of the box. Image source: Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/nearnearfuture/2426502934

WCMS Customization – development work to implement a functionality that is not provided by CMS out of the box.

Customization Example: Metadata Manager Very unique requirements for metadata Selected CMS platform offers basic support for page metadata

Very unique requirements for metadata

Selected CMS platform offers basic support for page metadata

Customization Example: Metadata Manager

Before we start… Planning Phase Requirements analysis must - should - could Proper CMS evaluation process What is offered out of the box What are the limitations What is require a customization

Planning Phase

Requirements analysis must - should - could

Proper CMS evaluation process

What is offered out of the box

What are the limitations

What is require a customization

Before we start… Be ready to do custom work with selected CMS platform Technology Development API Ability for customization Limitation of CMS NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE DONE WITH CMS CUSTOMIZATION!

Be ready to do custom work with selected CMS platform

Technology

Development API

Ability for customization

Limitation of CMS

NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE DONE WITH CMS CUSTOMIZATION!

Types of CMS Customization User Interface Customization Functional Customization

Functional

Customization

User Interface Customization Custom Help Menus Custom Editorial Navigation Custom Admin Page And many more…

Custom Help Menus

Custom Editorial Navigation

Custom Admin Page

And many more…

Common Areas for Customization Workflows Custom tasks in the workflow process Templates Advance templates Navigation Integration with third-party tools Search Web Analytics tools Document Management Systems

Workflows

Custom tasks in the workflow process

Templates

Advance templates

Navigation

Integration with third-party tools

Search

Web Analytics tools

Document Management Systems

Common Areas for Customization Content Migration Custom development to optimize content migration process Execution of content migration procedures

Content Migration

Custom development to optimize content migration process

Execution of content migration procedures

CUSTOM DEVELOPMENT

CUSTOM DEVELOPMENT

Back again to planning… Technology Company standards. Preferences of your technical team. Windows vs Linux, Java / PHP / .NET and etc… Development interface CMS custom interface for development Integration with standard development environment: Eclipse, Visual Studio What API is offered for custom development Language Areas for customizations

Technology

Company standards. Preferences of your technical team. Windows vs Linux, Java / PHP / .NET and etc…

Development interface

CMS custom interface for development

Integration with standard development environment: Eclipse, Visual Studio

What API is offered for custom development

Language

Areas for customizations

Development types Following development standards Plugins Extensions Areas for custom code, or call custom applications Hacks and tricks UI tweaks, JavaScript / AJAX Re-building core functionality (for open source solutions)

Following development standards

Plugins

Extensions

Areas for custom code, or call custom applications

Hacks and tricks

UI tweaks, JavaScript / AJAX

Re-building core functionality (for open source solutions)

Development Communities Community Technology Community

Community

SUMMARY @krasteleva Choose your CMS wisely to minimize the number of customization Choose the right technology and development API for your team Always follow CMS standards for customization Offer User Interface Customization for your editors Common Customizations are Workflow Templates Third party integration Pay attention to Content Migration

Choose your CMS wisely to minimize the number of customization

Choose the right technology and development API for your team

Always follow CMS standards for customization

Offer User Interface Customization for your editors

Common Customizations are

Workflow

Templates

Third party integration

Pay attention to Content Migration