CMS
CMS is the abbreviation for Content Management System. It is a software that is used to create, edit, manage or organize content. The content is available in various forms, such as text, table, image, animated graphic, audio or video file. A user with access rights is able to operate the system without HTML or other programming knowledge, a graphical user interface makes it possible. Mainly, a CMS is used to design websites, but it is also used in other forms of media, for example, radio or various print media. If it is exclusively about the creation of websites, one would have to speak technically precisely of WCMS, i.e. Web Content Management System. However, the more global term CMS has become established in widespread usage. A great advantage of the CMS is the media-neutral data storage. This means that data can be retrieved in different output formats if desired. For example, content can be output as a PDF or HTML document. Providers and users alike thus have convenient access to information.
Additional options and permissions
In addition to the main task of the CMS, i.e. the administration and target group-oriented presentation of content on a website, it offers a number of additional possibilities: the integration of external data sources such as calendars or maps, of meta information such as author or publication date, or the multiple use of content through transclusions. It automatically offers alternative content aggregation and integrates search engines that allow users to search the website content. Users of a CMS are assigned user roles based on a permission concept and must authenticate themselves before working with the CMS. The authorization concept is arranged hierarchically, it allows certain user groups to work only in the areas assigned to them.
Classification of CMS systems
CMS are classified according to the delivery of the created pages. There are fully dynamic systems, which only regenerate a requested document when it is retrieved. Static systems work with statically stored files in the file system and generate their web pages from their templates and content. Hybrid systems combine both methods: Content that is not continuously changed is statically stored, and all other content is dynamically generated from a database. In semi-static systems, content is generated both statically and dynamically.
Open Source CMS
With about 300 different CMS on the market, it may be difficult to decide which system is best suited for your needs. More than 50 of them are open source content management systems, which are a cost-effective solution, but one disadvantage is the lack of warranty. The best known open source CMS are Joomla, TYPO3, WordPress, Drupa, Contao and Plone.
