Please share your experiencea and ideas....Thanks :)

Not for 'how-to' coding questions but PHP theory instead, this forum is here for those of us who wish to learn about design aspects of programming with PHP.

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crazytopu
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Please share your experiencea and ideas....Thanks :)

Post by crazytopu »

Hi ppl,

I need some help. I am currently developing a small web site for a small company. The company requires me to build the site as such that even a completely non-technical person can insert new text, images, new links etc. and keep the site updated from time to time. I have already built the html skeleton for the site.

What I want to know is how to make it most user friendly but yet not too complicated to build. I am 3rd year student of bachelor and web programming is not even part of my course. however, I feel quite interested to help this company.

One easy way one guy has suggested is to download the html file, make changes and then upload it using FTP. But that isnot the best way, right? A non technical person is not supposed to know so much.

Oh, yah..the site I m planning to build with PHP. So, anything that you feel like might help me, please dont hesitate to tell me here.

I appreciate your time and help.
kettle_drum
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Post by kettle_drum »

Create a dynamic site using php and a database of some sort (mysql, postgre). Then create a template in html and use php to call the content from the database. Then you can simply create a form or two that the company can fill in that updates the database and then that info is shown on the site.
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CoderGoblin
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Post by CoderGoblin »

Although many are overkill for what you are looking for, investigate some existing Content Management Systems (CMS). There are quite a few freely available. If nothing else they may give you some ideas.
timvw
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Post by timvw »

Give it a try, can login with webmaster/webmaster and edit the items

http://home.mysth.be/~timvw/test2/

Allows you to upload images/files through the webinterface, but also to use FTP if you have a <span style='color:blue' title='I&#39;m naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> of stuff to upload :)
crazytopu
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Post by crazytopu »

kettle_drum,

your tips dont really help me build a site whose links can be added and deleted over the time...do you also suggest to bring the links from the database? what if a non-technical person wants to add a button when i m not available? how would he add a table and insert some text there for which there was not pre designed input form?

You know what i mean? a very flexible site...i may not be able to build it now..but at least i would know that is possible..and some clues as how to build it later as i grow more expertise and experience..

Hope i havenot been too annoying;-)

Many thanks in advance
Draco_03
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Post by Draco_03 »

what if a non-technical person wants to add a button when i m not available? how would he add a table and insert some text there for which there was not pre designed input form?
You talking about a WYSYWIG... something like Macromedia CONTRIBUTE (but with database hits).

And I would suggest making alkl your menu with css instead of images, it'll save you a lot of trouble..
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Christopher
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Post by Christopher »

I'd recommend first looking at the skills the people using it have. If they are used to editing HTML pages, say in Dreamweaver, then that is a simple way to build and maintain a site.

If you want more web based site builder then look at the many CMS systems in PHP. See sites like http://www.opensourcecms.com/index.php.
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CoderGoblin
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Post by CoderGoblin »

Content Management Systems (CMS) Overview

http://steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_what/
crazytopu
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Post by crazytopu »

Yah, I know they knowing how to use dreamweaver would make my job a lot easier. But unfortunately their skill base is almost elementary level in terms of web applications. The management is going to assign the work to a person to update the site from time to time with the given content who is no more than a typist. So, basically the concept of html editing is not gonna work here.

Thanks Draco_03, the idea of using CSS is pretty good. I will remember that. Thanks to others by helping me giving site links. I will do some serious studies before I plan to build the site.

Anything you missed out...dont wait to speak up ;-)
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patrikG
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Post by patrikG »

Maybe worth looking into Mambo (quite a good CMS) which, with a little getting used to, allows total laymen to update and create new content of a website. http://www.mamboserver.com
fangorn
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Post by fangorn »

What kettle_drum was saying is the way I write my pages. 1) Design a layout. In doing so, you must decide which areas are for links that can be changed, or maybe news items that can be changed, added to, deleted, etc. 2) Put all the links and their info in a database. This is the first level of dynamic web development. The second is different pages differing based on permissions. So, then you give a page which is a simple form. Let's say they want to update the news items. You'll have a table called news (for example). In this table you have parameters describing a basic news item - date, link name, file (if applicable), text, etc. You define whatever you want shown in this table and then write a PHP script to pull it out of the db and show it. So, after you write you generic code to get all records from this table, you can easily write a page which modifies the contents of the table, therefore modifying the content of the page.

If your customer wants someone non-technical to modify the actually layout and non just the content, tell them they can't afford it. Programs that give a graphical design screen for web pages still have to be learned - it takes someone a little technical to do that. Not as technical as opening notepad and going to town like you or I do, but it still take knowledge of the specific program.

does this help you crazytopu?
Draco_03
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Post by Draco_03 »

fangorn wrote: If your customer wants someone non-technical to modify the actually layout and non just the content, tell them they can't afford it. Programs that give a graphical design screen for web pages still have to be learned - it takes someone a little technical to do that. Not as technical as opening notepad and going to town like you or I do, but it still take knowledge of the specific program.

does this help you crazytopu?
Though I think by non-technical, he means that the person knowledge might be word and internet explorer.

Meaning if the person can use words ( type a text) or brows the internet, he should easily be able to use the program
crazytopu
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Post by crazytopu »

yah fangorn, it helped. thanks. And draco_03 got my point right.
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