Content Management System

CMS, a newest and hottest technology in Web				tools to manage the activities of authors and the
Hosting World Content management is the				progress of content.
organizing, categorizing, and structuring of				Content Storage: This feature keeps the content
information resources (text, images, documents				sensibly organized and accessible. Most CMS use a
etc.) so that they can be stored, published, and				relational database; the point is to store the
edited with ease and flexibility. A content				content in one place and in a consistent fashion.
management system (CMS) is used to collect,				Publication Management: This allows you to
manage, and publish content, storing the content				organize your content with metadata and
either as components or whole documents, while				formatting. CMS have different ways of
maintaining dynamic links between components.				approaching this, but the better ones allow you to
Content management is the organizing,				define and manage your metadata and your
categorizing, and structuring of information				templates.
resources (text, images, documents etc.) so that				Publishing: Publishing allows you to merge the
they can be stored, published, and edited with				content data and the content formatting and
ease and flexibility. A content management				move it from the repository to your publication.
system (CMS) is used to collect, manage, and				Different methods exist, but they all allow you to
publish content, storing the content either as				push the content out to some publicly accessible
components or whole documents, while				place without the help of your tech team. Content
maintaining dynamic links between components.				portability: Since the CMS stores content as data,
CMSs allow end-users (typically authors of some				that data can be inserted into any appropriate
sort) to provide new content in the form of				output format or template. If you want your
articles. The articles are typically entered as plain				article to appear with a blue background in your
text, perhaps with markup to indicate where				Members section, but with a yellow background in
other resources (such as pictures) should be				your General Information section, you don't need
placed. The system then uses rules to style the				to write your article twice. Instead, you write it
article, which separates the display from the				once and assign it to the blue template and the
content, which has a number of advantages when				yellow template.
trying to get many articles to conform to a				Design flexibility: Similarly, since the CMS stores
consistent "look and feel". The system then adds				the templates separate from the content data, if
the articles to a larger collection for publishing.				you want to make a design change, however
The systems also often include some sort of				small (such as changing the font color on a
concept of the workflow for the target users,				particular type of page) or sweeping (such as
which defines how the new content is to be				changing the font color, type, and size throughout
routed around the system.				your site), you only need to change the template;
A good example of a CMS would be a system				the CMS handles the rest. Single Storage in a
for managing a newspaper. In such a system the				Single Place: In a CMS, all the content data is
reporters type articles into the system, which				stored in one place, in a consistent way and
stores them in a database. Along with the article				perhaps most importantly, only once. If you've
the system stores attributes, including keywords,				ever suffered because you have nine different
the date and time of filing, the reporter's name,				versions of an article and you can't figure out
etc. The system then uses these attributes to				which one to use, you'll be happier with a CMS.
find out, given its workflow rules, who should				The system maintains one copy of the content,
proofread the article, approve it for publication,				regardless of how you plan to use it.
edit it, etc. Later the editors can choose which				If, for example, you have a press release that's
articles to include (or ignore) in an edition of the				displayed in your Press Release section, your
newspaper, which is then laid out and printed				News Section, and your Archives section, and a
automatically.				mistake is discovered, the process for fixing it will
How Content Management System Work				be easier. Without a CMS, you would probably
1. A professional web developer designs a web				have to fix the mistake in three files; with a CMS,
page format - typically with a logo at the top, and				you would fix it in one file (because there's only
standard navigation options across the top, down				one data file anyway), and the change appears in
the left hand side, and/or at the foot of the page.				all three locations. Because your content is stored
2. This new format is used to create a master				consistently in one system, it's much easier to
template. 3. All the web developers in the				create relationships (usually hyperlinks) between
organization get to use special software that lets				content pieces and maintain them. For example, if
them add text and images to web pages,				you have several pieces that link to each other,
automatically using the master template. 4. A				and you move one, the CMS will make the
professional web developer designs a web page				necessary changes to keep the links working.
format - typically with a logo at the top, and				It's also simpler to create a new piece of content
standard navigation options across the top, down				by aggregating other pieces. For example, let's
the left hand side, and/or at the foot of the page.				say you have a collection of Internet tips, each
5. This new format is used to create a master				stored as a separate Piece of content, but all
template. 6. All the web developers in the				united by the same metadata. A CMS makes it
organization get to use special software that lets				easy to present all those pieces together by
them add text and images to web pages,				creating a template that shows all content that
automatically using the master template. 7. Each				had the metadata, in this case, "type: tip" and
completed page is submitted to an editor, who				"subject: internet". It's also much easier to survey
might make changes or send it back to the writer				what you have Finally, should you decide to take
for revision. When the page is OK, the editor				all your content and migrate it to some new
clicks an on-screen PUBLISH button and uploads				format, the process should be much easier.
the page to the web server, so that the world				This entire means more time and money saved:
can read it. 8. Each page is usually saved on a				you don't duplicate work, you don't lose content,
text database. Most web pages have file names				and you spend less time managing content.
that end in .htm or .html, but sometimes you will				Workflow Management: Any good CMS will have
see pages ending in other file extensions, such as				some sort of workflow management scheme.
.php. These are often generated by content				This usually involves defining certain roles -- such
management systems. However, some CMSs will				as author, editor, and publisher -- and giving each
generate plain .html pages, which are more easily				of those roles some abilities and responsibilities.
found by search engines. 9. The CMS also				Likewise, content can exist in a number of states,
generates indexes, showing what files have been				such as draft, final, published, or archive, and each
changed when, who updated which file, and so on.				state has certain characteristics. Combine the
10. The more elaborate CMS perform a lot more				roles and the states, wrap some logic around it,
functions (such as archives, built-in search engines,				and you have a workflow system. The author is
permission control, and workflow management),				assigned to create the draft, the editor is notified
but the above ones are basic. 11. Giving control				that the draft is ready to be edited, etc.
back to content owners, allowing them to user				Workflow management facilitates better
their web browser to add and edit content on the				communication, progress tracking, and more
site with no special knowledge required. 12.				efficient content transitions. Even a basic system
Separating page content from format and design,				will notify the appropriate role that a piece of
creating a more consistent look and feel across				content has reached a state where it needs
the site. 13. Faster publication of content and				attention. More advanced systems allow all sorts
updates as well as immediate site-wide changes.				of triggers and controls to be put into place. None
14. Automation of all navigation, internal links, and				of these features are going to do the work of
other site sections where rules can be imposed				managing your processes; rather, they give you
on content, eliminating internal broken links or				better visibility into the process and better tools
orphaned pages . 15. The ability to schedule the				to do the work.
publication or expiration of a page and all links to				The major gain here is control, which saves time
that page. 16. Development of workflow and				and money by speeding communication and
approval processes; turning management of your				preventing mistakes. The workflow system
website into a business process. 17. The ability to				handles much of the communication, tracking, and
customize the level of design and formatting				measuring so your authors, editors, and publishers
control given to site authors. 18. Development of				can concentrate on writing, reviewing, and
user templates for content delivery using existing				publishing, instead of walking around checking on
site design or in conjunction with a site redesign.				things, looking for lost drafts, and trying to figure
19. Development of customized approval				out where all the time has gone.
workflow. 20. Creation of user accounts and roles				Automated Publishing: When it comes to freeing
to fit your desired level of control and access. 21.				technical resources from publishing tasks, almost
Integration with existing applications and				any CMS shines. The CMS allows non-technical
databases. 22. User training to assist content				people to schedule, trigger, and otherwise manage
authors in becoming familiar with the system				the process of moving the content to the
Benefits of Content Management System				production environment.
â€¢ Content Authoring: This allows your				If your valuable technical people are constantly
content contributors to create content and store				distracted by pushing out small text changes,
it in the repository. There are many tools and				regularly releasing new articles, or fixing layout
styles. â€¢ Workflow Management: This				issues, the CMS will change their worlds. With a
allows you to monitor, adjust, and maintain the				CMS in place, these tasks become things that
process through which the creation and publishing				publishers and editors can do, usually with a
tasks are done in your organization. Systems				powerful set of tools available within the CMS.
range from highly complex to quite simple, but all				The technical people maintain the CMS, but it's at
give you a set of tools to manage the activities				much higher level, and their time is greatly freed
of authors and the progress of content.				to handle more technical issues throughout your
â€¢ Content Storage: This feature keeps				organization.
the content sensibly organized and accessible.				Usually, the actual time required to publish your
Most CMS use a relational database; the point is				content is reduced. More importantly, the time it
to store the content in one place and in a				does take is spent by the most appropriate
consistent fashion.				people (authors, editors, publishers), and not by
Content Authoring: This allows your content				people who are probably supposed to be working
contributors to create content and store it in the				on a new Web site feature or tuning up the
repository. There are many tools and styles.				network. Hopefully, you have a more specific idea
Workflow Management: This allows you to				of what a CMS does, and how a CMS might save
monitor, adjust, and maintain the process through				your organization time, effort, and therefore
which the creation and publishing tasks are done in				money. On top of that, a CMS will enable you to
your organization. Systems range from highly				better manage your content, therefore making it
complex to quite simple, but all give you a set of				more usable for you and your constituency.

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Content Management System

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