HTML, XHTML & CSS

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Part IV: Scripting and (X)HTML
Table 17-1 HTML-Only and CMS-Based Web Sites Compared
CMS-Based Site HTML-Only Site
Edit anywhere using a Web browser
and an Internet link
HTML, XHTML, and CSS knowledge not
required, but helpful for customization
Access can be restricted on a per-user
basis
Hard to set up unless assisted by Web
host
Easy to update, lots of automation
support
Requires a database to store
information
Popular CMS Sites and Programs
Edit local files and upload to a Web
server
HTML, XHTML, and CSS required
unless using a WYSIWYG editing tool
(such as Dreamweaver)
Anyone with write access to the right
server folder can add, change, or delete
HTML files
Easy to set up
Easy to update, little or no automation
support
A database is possible but not required
There are probably more CMS options available than pages in this book.
Supporters of any particular CMS are a lot like most of the mixed martial
arts fans that we know — all of them think whoever or whatever they support
is the absolute best and no amount of arguing can change that — until
one party takes the other party out! We don’t cover any particular CMS in
depth in this chapter. Rather, we identify three of the most popular CMS
choices available — WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla! — and introduce them
with some high-level exploration. For those who might want to find out
more about any or all of these systems, whole books are dedicated to each.
We recommend checking them out so you can pick one to explore further
on your own, without any threat of someone putting you into the infamous
“kimura hold.”
If it looks like we’re avoiding in-depth coverage of these CMS options, this is
a case where looks do not deceive. There’s no way we can cover everything
about CMS systems and capabilities in a single chapter, nor can we provide
much useful information or detail about any single CMS in the same space.
However, we can tell you what makes them useful, interesting, and popular,
so that’s what we do instead.