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Slide 1: Open Source Content Management Systems Karen A. Coombs Jason Griffey Amanda Hollister
Slide 2: Karen Coombs • University has 35,000 students • Has multiple library web sites • Approx 1000 pages • Complex intranet • Implements any tool that will do the job on the library web site, mostly OSS
Slide 3: Jason Griffey • University has 9,500 students • Has one library website, • Developed the Joomla implementation • Now maintained by Web Development Librarian • Moving to all Open Source Software
Slide 4: Amanda Hollister • College has 7500 students • One library web site • Approximately 150 pages • Simple intranet • Plays with open source for fun, implementing OSS on next web redesign
Slide 5: What is Open Source Software • “free” software • source code is available for you to examine • Source code can be modified • Modifications can be redistributed • Typically developed in a collaborative fashion by many people
Slide 6: Some OSS you may know • Microsoft Windows = Ubuntu, Redhat • Internet Explorer = Firefox • Microsoft Outlook = Thunderbird • AIM = Pidgin/GAIM/ Adium • Microsoft Office = Open Office • Adobe Photoshop = Gimp • Oracle SQL = MySQL
Slide 7: What is a CMS • Content Management System • System for creating, organizing and publishing web content • Create web content without knowing any code • Content stored in database back-end and edited/ create with web-programming language
Slide 8: Why use a CMS • Can focus on site organization not content management • Can give others ability to update their own content • One install can manage 10,000,000 html pages • Easy off-site access
Slide 9: What are some OSS CMS? • Wordpress • Joomla • Drupal • Dot CMS • Plone
Slide 10: What will we cover? • Joomla • Wordpress • Drupal
Slide 11: Cortland Free Library
Slide 12: Joomla as CMS • Used by a variety of libraries including – Health Sciences Library, Stony Brook University, South Carolina State Library, Tyngsborough Public Library • Also used by IHOP, Citibank’s Intranet, Outdoor Photographer (Magazine)
Slide 13: Joomla as CMS • Requirements: – PHP 5.2+ – MySQL 4.1x+ – Apache 2.x+ – (Microsoft IIS 7+) – Desktop – WAMP, XAMPP, etc
Slide 16: Global Configuration
Slide 17: Global Configuration
Slide 18: Content Organization • Two Level site only • Sections ->Categories ->Articles – Sections – very broad topics – Categories – article “file cabinets” – Articles = ALL content – Articles can only be in one category
Slide 19: Plan Your Content!
Slide 20: Designing the Site • Add Sections with the section manager • Add Categories to Sections with the category manager
Slide 21: Adding Content
Slide 22: Global Article Parameters
Slide 24: Templates • Decide on a template before doing much work on your site • The template will determine what modules are displayed and where they are displayed
Slide 25: Template manager
Slide 26: Joomla Templates • http://drupal.org/project/Themes • http://www.joomla24.com/ • RokWebify theme and tutorials for that theme: http://tutorials.rockettheme.com/joomla-templates/r Note: 1.0x templates may not work with 1.5x
Slide 27: Making a Page Your Homepage • By default Joomla displays the most recent “articles” added as the homepage to the “latest news” module • You can add/remove front page content in the front page manager
Slide 28: Joomla Extensions Extension Types: • Plugins – can change Joomla functionality • Components – can replace web page with a forum, guestbook, forms, galleries etc – display in center of page, one per page • Modules – joomla widgets – menus, polls – Template determines where modules are placed
Slide 29: Menus • Menus are modules – and very flexible
Slide 30: Menus • To have different content links – need a new menu item:
Slide 31: Menu content
Slide 39: Modules to Add • Polls • Feed aggregators – New books • Rss links
Slide 40: RSS Feeds • Pulling RSS: – Module type: Feed Display
Slide 41: RSS Feeds • Creates a feed for subscribing • Module – “Syndicate” • Will create an RSS feed of articles anywhere it is placed.
Slide 42: Advanced Techniques and Tricks • MeeboMe in your sidebar • Catalog Module – Turn off WYSIWIG editor in Global Configuration – Create new module with html code for the catalog – Select where the module will be displayed – Save module – Turn WYSIWIG editor back on
Slide 43: Extension manager • Installing extensions is easy!
Slide 45: Removing extensions
Slide 46: Fav Extensions! • Google Maps • DocMan (Joomla 1.0x) • Joomla Stats • Xmap • MorfeoShow • ChronoForms • JoomlaPack
Slide 47: Google Maps
Slide 48: Document management
Slide 49: JoomlaStats
Slide 50: Xmap – Site Map
Slide 51: Xmap – Site Map
Slide 52: MorfeoShow
Slide 53: MorfeoShow
Slide 54: Chronoforms
Slide 55: JoomlaPack
Slide 56: Joomla Issues • High learning curve • Inspired hatred at first • Many extensions are not updated to 1.5x • Many templates are not updated to 1.5x
Slide 57: Joomla Strengths • Exceptional Flexibility • Good community support • Inspired love at the end
Slide 58: Wordpress as CMS • PHP and MySQL Backend • Used by many libraries for blogging • Some libraries are using it for some CMS functions: • Atchison Public Library, California State University East Bay, Dartmouth Public Libraries, Millsaps College Library, Park County Library, Patagonia Public Library, Stevens Memorial Library
Slide 59: Wordpress Pages • Outside the normal “sequence” of blog • Typically, content input via a WYSIWYG editor • Can be hierarchical • Can use different templates • Page order
Slide 60: Making a Page Your Homepage • Settings • Reading • Front page displays • Choose the page you want to be your homepage from the drop down • Make another page your “news” page
Slide 62: Themes • In choosing a theme you should consider the following: • • • • what kind of banner do you want? where do you want your site navigation to appear? what kinds of layouts do you want to use, one column, two column, three column? do you want a fixed or scalable layout? • Sources for Themes • • http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ http://www.templatesbrowser.com/wordpress-themes/
Slide 63: Basic Theme Structure • index.php • style.css • header.php • footer.php • sidebar.php • comments.php • comments-popup.php
Slide 64: Customizing Your Theme • Widgets • Template Tags • Conditional Tags
Slide 65: Widgets • What is a widget? • Default Widgets • Archives, Calendar, Categories, Links, Meta, Pages, Recent Comments, Recent Posts, RSS, Search, Tag Cloud, and Text
Slide 69: Widgets • Where to get other widgets • Other widgets to consider • Flexi Pages Widget, Category Posts Widget • http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/widget
Slide 71: Key Template Tags • • wp_list_pages() Post tags - need to sit in the Loop • • • • • • the_title() the_content() the_meta() the_category() the_tags() wp_list_bookmarks()
Slide 72: • • • • • Helpful Conditional Tags is_front_page() is_page() • • can include or exclude pages no conditional tag to test for subpages is_page_template() can check to see if a specific page template is being used is_home() - posts page, which is typically the site home
Slide 73: Custom Fields • Allows you to add additional fields to pages or posts • Key - Value pairs • Stored as text in database • Can be displayed using <?php the_meta(); ?> • Better way is to code to display each field <?php $key="mykey"; echo get_post_meta($post->ID, $key, true); ?>
Slide 75: Useful Plugins • Blogroll Links • cforms • Google Maps for Wordpress • Inline Feed • OpenBook Book Data • Widget Logic
Slide 85: Advanced Techniques and Tricks and Tricks • MeeboMe in your sidebar • Creating a Photo Gallery • Events Template • • Attach files [gallery]
Slide 92: Wordpress Strengths • Easy to use • Lots of plugins available • Easy to create new themes of modify existing themes • Large user base
Slide 93: Wordpress Issues • Can’t easily create custom content types • Events • Contact Info • Lacks flexibility to deal with complex types of objects with different types of fields requires knowledge of PHP • Customizing display of group of page/posts
Slide 94: Drupal as CMS • PHP and MySQL backend • Strongly recommend using PHP5 • Used by a variety of libraries including • Darien Public Library, Athens County Public Library, McMasters University Library, University of Prince Edward Island
Slide 95: • By default Drupal displays the most recent “nodes” added as the homepage Making a Page Your Homepage • You can override this by going to • Administer > Site configuration > Site Information • Change the “Default front page” field to be the node you want to be your homepage
Slide 97: Themes • http://drupal.org/project/Themes • http://drupal2u.com • http://mydrupal.com/downloads
Slide 98: Modules to Add • FCKEditor • IMCE • Image
Slide 99: Modules to Add • CCK • Date, URL, Email • Contact Form • MultiBlock • Token • Views • View Reference
Slide 100: Content Types • Pages • Stories • Image
Slide 102: Blocks • Default Blocks • Can be made to display on certain page • include • exclude • PHP
Slide 103: Blocks • Custom Blocks • HTML • PHP code • Views
Slide 105: Menus • Primary Links • Secondary Links • Navigation • Menus you create
Slide 106: Taxonomies • Used to organize content on your site • Categories • Tags • Can be hierarchical, or free-form • Different taxonomies can be used for different content types
Slide 107: Feed Aggregator • Does more than aggregate feeds • Creates a block for every feed • Allows you to embed feed in a node • Need to give Anonymous user permission to access feeds
Slide 109: Image gallery • Create Galleries • Uploaded Images can be associated with a gallery
Slide 112: CCK • Add new fields to any Content Type • Control the type of field added • Text, Number • Date, Email, URL • CCK fields can be used in views • Remember to give Anonymous user permission to access fields you create
Slide 113: Create Your Own Content Type • Events • Date field • Time field • Links • URL field
Slide 118: Views • Types • Page • Block • Feed • Display • Node or Fields • Limit criteria • Sort Criteria
Slide 121: Filters • Default filters • Other filters often classified as “Modules” • insert_view
Slide 122: Drupal Strengths • Exceptional Flexibility • Easy to create new content types • Substantial user base particularly in libraries • Drupal4Lib • SOPAC • Drupal + Fedora
Slide 123: Drupal Issues • Date CCK buggy and problematic • High learning curve • Not as many modules and filters developed as one would like • library-related modules in particular missing in some areas
Slide 124: Choices, choices • Wordpress is best for small sites; has an easy start up • Joomla is best for medium sites, average complexity, relatively easy UI sites • Drupal can handle multiple, large, complex
Slide 125: Lessons Learned • Learning a CMS takes time • Important to map out your site’s content look in order to choose an appropriate theme limitations to know what modules, widgets need to be installed • Need to decide how you want your site to • Understand each CMS’s strengths and