Content Management System

In this blog we discuss and detail the general Content Management System implemented in the CORE Framework.

As the name says, this system is used to manage content within the different sites being managed through your Master Intranet Site, the same module can also be deployed to Extranet Sites to delegate the gruesome task of generating and managing web content.

For example, the sales department might want control over the disclaimer, returns, cancelation and privacy policy pages. Whereas the marketing department might be interested strictly in the front pages. The framework allows all this, and so much more.

CMS components are currently limited to a very small set, because its really all one needs. So, what is a CMS component? Normally it's a language string, an image, a media file that could be customized per language, device or geography.  In the CORE Framework we limit the nuances to language specifics, preferring to focus on supporting the entity's service languages.

We don't bother managing real layout or HTML content from our content management system, its not our main focus. But, we do have some nifty CMS components that would make the competition rewrite their engines from scratch.

Basic CMS objects

Text / HTML snippets

The Text CMS Object holds strictly text, allowing (or not) carriage returns, according to the page designer's intent. Useful for holding text strings that go in buttons, titles and other pre-formatted visual components. HTML CMS Objects are edited through a wysiwyg editor (tinymce) allowing for a full range of designer-restricted components. HTML editing is linked to our internal Filemanager module, enabling a true distribution platform in the back-end.

Image / Caroussel / Slideshow'

A general media component really, it allows to insert language-specific (or not) images in the rendered web pages. If the designer so wishes, the component can easily be turned to a caroussel (bootstrap) or slideshow (jquery) component, with fine-grain control of what can be delegated option-wise. Again, uploaded images and media files are directly integrated with our Filemanager module, so everything gets staged in a central environment for web distribution.

CSS Stylesheet

A loner, this one stands apart because we had to. Alas. Rather than restricting our framework to one stylesheet per page, we preferred this route which allows a designer to load additional stylesheets in stacked format, while allowing delegation of said stylesheet preferences. Of course, this is extra rope for making design mistakes, so use with extreme care.

The type of a component can be changed in real-time. And the types can be changed back to their original, and if they were configured, retain the same configuration. Its a side effect of our laziness really, but it works miracles.

Role of the designer and content managers

As mentioned in the CORE Framework - Security concepts, typically the designer setting up a site would work as an Administrator (and usually maintain that role for support purposes), while delegating managerial work to the enterprise employees who deal each with their own sections.

So, how it works is that the Administrator has additional editable access in the CMS administrative GUIs. It's possible to setup limits, write short descriptions and instructions, restricting managers and users to the confines he wishes to set.

Whereas, typically, a manager or regular user would see a shortened read-only version of those elements, and be restricted to changing images.

If the Administrator locks the style against design changes, normally this also locks in place the CMS Object type, leaving only the actual content editable by regular Intranet users with access to the module.