July 22, 2010 at 22:22CMS interface for ordinary people
There is no ideal in interfaces , you can always come up with a little better ... We will deal with the CMS interface for ordinary people with the least knowledge in programming (php), layout (html / css) and design (templates / image processing, etc.). Let's say such a CMS will be made for a simple site with articles, news and a forum without registering users and one administrator.
Many write CMS. For everyone, this process proceeds in its own way:
- I wrote a bunch of TsMSok! Everything - crap, I decided to use a third-party ...
- For the second year now I’ve been writing one, not bad, but damp, everything changes too quickly, I don’t have time to attribute new bells and whistles :(
- We work as a team and together writes an excellent CMS. It is not better than those on the market, but this is our development and we are quite happy with it. Clients do not chop a damn in it, so we also earn support!
- Add your version, I really hope that I did not write it.
What is needed to build an interface? The component of the future interface is all that the user will use (synonyms to taste).
We will omit the initial form of entering the administration - there is little to offer here, and more often than not, minimalism wins.
Next is the main admin window with a bunch of features to make life easier.
We need something understandable and adequate.
Let's start by presenting and positioning the information:
- a list of sections, a link to create a section
- a link to exit administration (needed if someone else can sit on the computer)
- a link to edit the main page of the site
- a drop-down list of recently edited "articles" for quick access to them if corrections
are needed - a drop-down a list of recent comments (if needed) for fast read / reply / delete
- a reference to the discovery of the site and statistics (do not interfere with)
scattered hodgepodge of sheet:
opening lists can be made as to Ajax, and in simple terms - it all depends on your diligence, desire and knowledge.
Still not badadd a built-in search on the site - if there are a lot of pages, the necessary ones will be easy to find, and visitors will also like the built-in search more than third-party. Well, then come the “goodies”: icons, a little graphics, work on the style, constant adjustment, adding new functions as they are written.
In my CMS, I abandoned many established concepts, but I do not actively advocate this (each has his own way when creating a CMS).
Examples:
- modularity (separate modules for each data type) is replaced by a monoblock section constructor
- familiar templates for the simplest - html + inserts ala bbcode [block name], oriented to “parts of the world” (top, bottom, right, left) blocks (found in many CMS) replaced by automatic, semi-automatic and html inserts with any name that can be used everywhere: in design templates, in sections, on pages
- css and design templates (main page, sections and individual blocks) are edited online
- a lot of things were put into background execution without user intervention (caching, database backup, backing up pages before editing for the sake of possible cancellation of changes)
In fact, most of the data is the same, therefore news and articles and even forum topics can be stored in one table and accessed individually with different settings due to the separation of the data type, and not create your own module for each data type.
An example of a simple structure of a similar database table: id, type, catalog, title, open_text, main_text, counter, data, keywords, description, active.
id - record number (news, articles, topic, notes ...)
type - section id, corresponds to a table with the names and settings of different sections
catalog - id of the directory (or folder) of the section, if 0 is the root of the section, corresponds to the table with the names of folders.
title - title
open_text - preface
main_text - content
counter - hit counter
data - creation date
keywords - keywords used to search by tags and meta keywords
description - description, used for meta description
active - activity, 0 - disabled (draft), 1 - actively (see everything), maybe other modes ...
Here is what I got as a result (about 3 years of development):
MY OPTION IS NOT A MANDATORY! It's just my move to the ideal. You will have a completely different, perhaps even more advanced / better / “right” solution. I want to show the way to it, if you yourself have not thought of this or your creation does not suit you. If everything is “tip-top” with your CMS, you should be glad that this topic is not for you.
Well, a few more screenshots:
Explanations:
1. On the top right - Notes - a text drop-down window for administrators to “communicate”, for example: a developer can leave help here for those points that are not clear to the administrator user.
2. Three colored pencils - 2 different WYSIWYG-editors and html-mode for quickly changing settings / title or text (if the user has knowledge of HTML markup)
Explanations:
1. The name of the commentator and the beginning of the comment are shown. When you click on the beginning, the entire comment is opened. The quick response feature is not yet implemented, but already planned.
Explanations:
1. An unlimited tree will not surprise anyone now. But here a more thoughtful tree, the presence of various sorting, possible actions on folders and pages are quickly opened (js, not ajax) by clicking on them
2. red RSS icons - means that the page is not displayed in the RSS stream
3. two stars (** ) - description and keywords are not entered, one - one thing is not entered.
4. Refresh section - not a very necessary button and will soon die out as a rudiment (I didn’t overwrite it on screenshots)
Explanations:
1. It is possible to select sections in different colors that indicate the process over this section (unlabeled, new, often-, rarely- or not used) - it is only necessary for the administrator. Poppy growers will appreciate)))
Well. If the user has seen at least one CMS, they “write” from me immediately or in a short time for joy. Especially nothing needs to be explained. I spend 10-15 minutes. If you are not at all familiar with editing systems - half an hour or an hour.
Agree with the above - supplement , disagree - try not to write what I think is wrong - just offer your creativity (it’s not scary if you don’t know how to “draw” - you can describe it) and everything will become clear right away.
There are no analogues, your opinion is your opinion and everyone has their own, and choosing between different opinions in the absence of one is much easier if no one “poured a barrel of tar” about them.
PS:I would really like to start open testing, but I seriously doubt the security of my CMS, so I will be glad if I see reviews from people who are well versed in CMS security in the comments (or in PM). I am ready to offer them closed testing and a license to use the future paid version of CMS "DvizhOk" (as well as all subsequent versions). We can say that I invite co-authors. Non-safety tips are also accepted.
Many write CMS. For everyone, this process proceeds in its own way:
- I wrote a bunch of TsMSok! Everything - crap, I decided to use a third-party ...
- For the second year now I’ve been writing one, not bad, but damp, everything changes too quickly, I don’t have time to attribute new bells and whistles :(
- We work as a team and together writes an excellent CMS. It is not better than those on the market, but this is our development and we are quite happy with it. Clients do not chop a damn in it, so we also earn support!
- Add your version, I really hope that I did not write it.
What is needed to build an interface? The component of the future interface is all that the user will use (synonyms to taste).
We will omit the initial form of entering the administration - there is little to offer here, and more often than not, minimalism wins.
Next is the main admin window with a bunch of features to make life easier.
We need something understandable and adequate.
Let's start by presenting and positioning the information:
- a list of sections, a link to create a section
- a link to exit administration (needed if someone else can sit on the computer)
- a link to edit the main page of the site
- a drop-down list of recently edited "articles" for quick access to them if corrections
are needed - a drop-down a list of recent comments (if needed) for fast read / reply / delete
- a reference to the discovery of the site and statistics (do not interfere with)
scattered hodgepodge of sheet:
opening lists can be made as to Ajax, and in simple terms - it all depends on your diligence, desire and knowledge.
Still not badadd a built-in search on the site - if there are a lot of pages, the necessary ones will be easy to find, and visitors will also like the built-in search more than third-party. Well, then come the “goodies”: icons, a little graphics, work on the style, constant adjustment, adding new functions as they are written.
Lyrical digression
In my CMS, I abandoned many established concepts, but I do not actively advocate this (each has his own way when creating a CMS).
Examples:
- modularity (separate modules for each data type) is replaced by a monoblock section constructor
- familiar templates for the simplest - html + inserts ala bbcode [block name], oriented to “parts of the world” (top, bottom, right, left) blocks (found in many CMS) replaced by automatic, semi-automatic and html inserts with any name that can be used everywhere: in design templates, in sections, on pages
- css and design templates (main page, sections and individual blocks) are edited online
- a lot of things were put into background execution without user intervention (caching, database backup, backing up pages before editing for the sake of possible cancellation of changes)
In fact, most of the data is the same, therefore news and articles and even forum topics can be stored in one table and accessed individually with different settings due to the separation of the data type, and not create your own module for each data type.
An example of a simple structure of a similar database table: id, type, catalog, title, open_text, main_text, counter, data, keywords, description, active.
id - record number (news, articles, topic, notes ...)
type - section id, corresponds to a table with the names and settings of different sections
catalog - id of the directory (or folder) of the section, if 0 is the root of the section, corresponds to the table with the names of folders.
title - title
open_text - preface
main_text - content
counter - hit counter
data - creation date
keywords - keywords used to search by tags and meta keywords
description - description, used for meta description
active - activity, 0 - disabled (draft), 1 - actively (see everything), maybe other modes ...
Here is what I got as a result (about 3 years of development):
MY OPTION IS NOT A MANDATORY! It's just my move to the ideal. You will have a completely different, perhaps even more advanced / better / “right” solution. I want to show the way to it, if you yourself have not thought of this or your creation does not suit you. If everything is “tip-top” with your CMS, you should be glad that this topic is not for you.
Well, a few more screenshots:
Explanations:
1. On the top right - Notes - a text drop-down window for administrators to “communicate”, for example: a developer can leave help here for those points that are not clear to the administrator user.
2. Three colored pencils - 2 different WYSIWYG-editors and html-mode for quickly changing settings / title or text (if the user has knowledge of HTML markup)
Explanations:
1. The name of the commentator and the beginning of the comment are shown. When you click on the beginning, the entire comment is opened. The quick response feature is not yet implemented, but already planned.
Explanations:
1. An unlimited tree will not surprise anyone now. But here a more thoughtful tree, the presence of various sorting, possible actions on folders and pages are quickly opened (js, not ajax) by clicking on them
2. red RSS icons - means that the page is not displayed in the RSS stream
3. two stars (** ) - description and keywords are not entered, one - one thing is not entered.
4. Refresh section - not a very necessary button and will soon die out as a rudiment (I didn’t overwrite it on screenshots)
Explanations:
1. It is possible to select sections in different colors that indicate the process over this section (unlabeled, new, often-, rarely- or not used) - it is only necessary for the administrator. Poppy growers will appreciate)))
Well. If the user has seen at least one CMS, they “write” from me immediately or in a short time for joy. Especially nothing needs to be explained. I spend 10-15 minutes. If you are not at all familiar with editing systems - half an hour or an hour.
Agree with the above - supplement , disagree - try not to write what I think is wrong - just offer your creativity (it’s not scary if you don’t know how to “draw” - you can describe it) and everything will become clear right away.
There are no analogues, your opinion is your opinion and everyone has their own, and choosing between different opinions in the absence of one is much easier if no one “poured a barrel of tar” about them.
PS:I would really like to start open testing, but I seriously doubt the security of my CMS, so I will be glad if I see reviews from people who are well versed in CMS security in the comments (or in PM). I am ready to offer them closed testing and a license to use the future paid version of CMS "DvizhOk" (as well as all subsequent versions). We can say that I invite co-authors. Non-safety tips are also accepted.