Content Management Systems (CMS) allow individuals to create and manage website content without advanced coding knowledge. The document discusses several popular CMS options including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. It compares their features such as ease of use, extensibility through plugins/themes, and suitability for different types of websites. While each CMS has strengths, WordPress is highlighted as the easiest to use with an extensive library of plugins and themes, making it ideal for most basic websites.

1. Content Management Systems
BITM 3730
Developing Web Applications
11/8

2. What is CMS?
• Content Management Systems (CMS) are commonly used to create and store data
online
• The most commonly used CMS tools allow individuals to create their own website
without knowing anything about web development [coding in HTML, CSS, JS, etc.]
• Individuals merely install the CMS software to their website and type in specific
information to create websites

3. Two Common Reasons to Use CMS
• User-friendly browser-based publishing tools
• No technical skills required
• Compliance with Accessibility requirements
• W3C standards

4. What is Content?
• Any type or unit of digital information.
• Text, images, graphics, video, sound, documents, records, etc
• Anything that we would like to manage in an electronic format.

5. Why CMS?
• Web Content Management System
• Create/manage HTML & images
• Authoring tools
• Templates for presentation

6. Common CMS Requirements
Database Code Server

7. Most Common CMS

8. Differences in CMS
• Every CMS has its own unique way of organizing and managing content.
• It helps you to create/edit/delete content in a shared repository (database).
• It contains much improved CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
• CMS enables content to be shared across the Web sites.

9. Why Use Them?
• Drupal, Joomla, WordPress use a database (tables) to store information
• CMS uses a different technology than standard html/css sites
• The technology is open-source (free!)
• Allows people to update their owns sites
• You are the master of your own domain!

10. Joomla
• The name Joomla is derived from the Swahili word "Jumla", which means "all
together" or "as a whole".
• Joomla! is one of the most powerful Open Source Content Management Systems. It
is used all over the world for everything from simple websites to complex corporate
applications.
• Joomla! is easy to install, simple to manage, and reliable.

11. Joomla
• Joomla is written in PHP, uses object-oriented programming structure
(OOPS) techniques and software design pattern, stores data in a MySql
database, and includes features such as page caching, RSS feeds, printable
versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, search, and support for language
internationalization.
• It is based on a model-view-controller (MVC) web application framework
that can be used independently.

12. Why Joomla?
• It is designed to work perfectly in basic shared web hosting environments, a package that is
least expensive and most common. Installer is simple and just like any other common
desktop software.
• It is supported by several extensions, add-on, and plug in. They are written in PHP, which is
most widely used, general purpose scripting language and best suited for web development.
• Joomla supports SSL logins and SSL pages.
• Joomla probably has a pre built module to transform it in a social bookmarking website.
• Joomla's greatest advantage is availability of a large number of extensions that you can use
to Plug-in extra features into your website and transform your website into anything you
like.

13. WordPress Issues
• The WordPress content management system is an ideal platform for
bloggers as it is easy to install and use.
• Adding or removing post dates, need to be changed in design mode and it
requires knowledge of WP scripting.
• You can add membership functionality in WordPress.

14. Why WordPress?
• With WordPress, any type of website can be created like a personal blog or
website, a photoblog, a business website, a professional portfolio, a
government website, a magazine or news website, an online community, even
a network of websites.
• Website can be made with beautiful with themes, and can be extended with
plugins.

15. WordPress
• Free website on WordPress website
• Installed to your website if you own a domain
• Themes can be uploaded or created for use

16. Drupal Issues
• Learning curve is bigger than Joomla and WordPress
• Less support available than Joomla and WordPress

17. Other CMS
• Shopify
• Squarespace
• Wix
• Blogger
• Weebly
• Moodle

18. Learning Curve
• WordPress
• Easy, No experience required
• Joomla
• Medium, Easier than Drupal, harder than WordPress.
• Drupal
• Requires technical expertise. Major updates are an effort

19. E-Commerce
• WordPress
• Yes, with plugins
• Joomla
• Extensions for managing products and content
• Drupal
• the latest version, does not support a stable e-commerce module yet

20. SEO Friendliness
• WordPress
• Excellent
• Joomla
• Basic
• Drupal
• Good

21. Speed
• WordPress
• High traffic can cause limitations
• Joomla
• Faster and less resource intensive
• Drupal
• Consumes resources if not tweaked properly

22. Plugins
• WordPress
• Extensive. 41,579 plug-ins
• Joomla
• Few. 7000 extensions
• Drupal
• Many. 32,568 modules

23. Themes
• WordPress
• Extensive. Tens of thousands of themes
• Joomla
• Few. Thousands of themes
• Drupal
• Many. Thousands of themes

24. Mobile Friendly
• WordPress
• Good. Simple responsive starter themes
• Joomla
• Good. Many mobile extensions to choose from
• Drupal
• Good. Going mobile is simple.

25. Once Installed
• Easier to have website host install for you to avoid potential errors
• Login through Admin Panel, such as wp-admin
• All actions occur with the Admin panel, impact how website looks and is
accessed

26. WordPress Admin

27. Joomla Admin

28. Drupal Admin

29. Homework
Assignment 9:
Of the Content Management Systems described in class, pick one and explain why you would choose that
CMS over other options.