PhpWebSite
Encyclopedia
phpWebSite is a Content Management System
provided by Electronic Student Services at Appalachian State University
. It is considered Free and Open Source Software
and is released under the LGPL
.
PhpWebSite 0.8.x implemented broad changes to Phpnuke, including the ability to install modules.
A complete rewrite
of the phpWebSite began in March 2002. The goals were to remove all Phpnuke code, increase modularity, and allow multiple installs to run off a single hub of code. The developers released the rewrite as phpWebsite 0.9.0 stable on February 2, 2003.
0.10.0 was released on November 24, 2005. It contained the same core as 0.9.x, but new default modules, themes, features and bug fixes. The final release in this series was 0.10.2, which was not compatible with php5. An unreleased version .11 fixed compatibility issues, but development on this series has ceased.
PhpWebSite 1.x (codename:Fallout) began development in 2003 with the core and core modules rewritten again for new functionality and ease-of-use issues. The first edition 1.0.0 has been available since November 2006. The current version is 1.7.0, released in May 2010.
Development is underway for PhpWebsite 2.0. A name change to beanie CMS will take place with this version.
scripting language and utilizes PHP Extension and Application Repository
(or PEAR) libraries. Versions 0.7.x to 0.10.x require a MySQL
database. PhpWebSite 1.x.x supports PostgreSQL
as well. It was written to run under the Apache HTTP Server
.
PhpWebSite is a content management system
(CMS) which is often used by community groups and education users. Although offered to the public, its focus is serving Appalachian State University. Electronic Student Services (ESS), a department at Appalachian State, developed phpWebSite to make it easier for staff to build and update their web sites. ESS also wished to standardize the Student Development web presence and make sure it complied with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
PhpWebSite is a customizable, modular package; each component can be installed, updated, or modified by the phpWebSite administrator. PhpWebSite extends the customization to the user with selectable themes and HTML templates.
Although PhpWebSite modules cover functions like blogging, photo galleries, and bulletin boards, they often are not as feature-rich as dedicated web programs such as Word Press, Gallery Project
, or phpBB
. ESS focuses on the core library files in order to ease internal module development. Since many modules focus on university users, the content modules suffer in complexity.
For more information, see the Features page at http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/.
phpWebsite utilizes a control panel approach to manage content and administer the system. Permissions are granular meaning general content contributors have no access to the administrative functions.
There is some work to be done prior to installing, but phpWebsite does checks for you to determine if your version of PHP meets the minimum requirements and whether certain features are enabled/disabled. Once you get past that initial screen, installing is nearly automatic. phpWebsite requires a backend database, most commonly used is MySQL.
In addition, phpWebSite allows each user to choose from several different pre-defined visual styles/themes/skins. These themes are implemented using CSS and template files. Additional themes can be created by the phpWebSite administrator for branding or customizing the look of their website. This requires familiarity with CSS and templates. There are a number of themes to choose from and these can be previewed online. A large proportion of the themes are free to download and use. Commercial themes exist for purchase and commercial theme design services are also available.
Documentation
Community
Content management system
A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
provided by Electronic Student Services at Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
. It is considered Free and Open Source Software
Free and open source software
Free and open-source software or free/libre/open-source software is software that is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code...
and is released under the LGPL
GNU Lesser General Public License
The GNU Lesser General Public License or LGPL is a free software license published by the Free Software Foundation . It was designed as a compromise between the strong-copyleft GNU General Public License or GPL and permissive licenses such as the BSD licenses and the MIT License...
.
Background of phpWebSite
PhpWebSite began with the release of version 0.7.0 on January 29, 2001 as a fork of Phpnuke.PhpWebSite 0.8.x implemented broad changes to Phpnuke, including the ability to install modules.
A complete rewrite
Rewrite (programming)
A rewrite in computer programming is the act or result of re-implementing a large portion of existing functionality without re-use of its source code. When the rewrite is not using existing code at all, it is common to speak of a rewrite from scratch...
of the phpWebSite began in March 2002. The goals were to remove all Phpnuke code, increase modularity, and allow multiple installs to run off a single hub of code. The developers released the rewrite as phpWebsite 0.9.0 stable on February 2, 2003.
0.10.0 was released on November 24, 2005. It contained the same core as 0.9.x, but new default modules, themes, features and bug fixes. The final release in this series was 0.10.2, which was not compatible with php5. An unreleased version .11 fixed compatibility issues, but development on this series has ceased.
PhpWebSite 1.x (codename:Fallout) began development in 2003 with the core and core modules rewritten again for new functionality and ease-of-use issues. The first edition 1.0.0 has been available since November 2006. The current version is 1.7.0, released in May 2010.
Development is underway for PhpWebsite 2.0. A name change to beanie CMS will take place with this version.
Features of phpWebSite
PhpWebSite is programmed using the PHPPHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
scripting language and utilizes PHP Extension and Application Repository
PHP Extension and Application Repository
The PHP Extension and Application Repository, or PEAR, is a repository of PHP software code. Stig S. Bakken founded the PEAR project in 1999 to promote the re-use of code that performs common functions. The project seeks to provide a structured library of code, maintain a system for distributing...
(or PEAR) libraries. Versions 0.7.x to 0.10.x require a MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
database. PhpWebSite 1.x.x supports PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system available for many platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, MS Windows and Mac OS X. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, which is an MIT-style license, and is thus free and open source software...
as well. It was written to run under the Apache HTTP Server
Apache HTTP Server
The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
.
PhpWebSite is a content management system
Content management system
A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
(CMS) which is often used by community groups and education users. Although offered to the public, its focus is serving Appalachian State University. Electronic Student Services (ESS), a department at Appalachian State, developed phpWebSite to make it easier for staff to build and update their web sites. ESS also wished to standardize the Student Development web presence and make sure it complied with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
PhpWebSite is a customizable, modular package; each component can be installed, updated, or modified by the phpWebSite administrator. PhpWebSite extends the customization to the user with selectable themes and HTML templates.
Although PhpWebSite modules cover functions like blogging, photo galleries, and bulletin boards, they often are not as feature-rich as dedicated web programs such as Word Press, Gallery Project
Gallery Project
Gallery is an open source project enabling management and publication of digital photographs and other media through a PHP-enabled web server. Photo manipulation includes automatic thumbnails, resizing, rotation, and flipping, among other things...
, or phpBB
PhpBB
phpBB is a popular Internet forum package written in the PHP scripting language. The name "phpBB" is an abbreviation of PHP Bulletin Board...
. ESS focuses on the core library files in order to ease internal module development. Since many modules focus on university users, the content modules suffer in complexity.
For more information, see the Features page at http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/.
Content Creation and Management Tools
These features enable administrators and users to create, display, and maintain online-accessible content including text, documents, files, images, links, and more.Content Organization Tools and Navigation Aids
These features enable administrators and users to organize, structure, and present content in a manageable way.Communication Tools
These features enable administrators and users to communicate with each other (and the outside world) by means of numerous media, including internal messaging, email, data interchange, and more.Configuration Tools and Administration Tools
These features enable administrators (and users who have been given the appropriate permissions) to configure and administer all aspects of a phpWebSite site.phpWebsite utilizes a control panel approach to manage content and administer the system. Permissions are granular meaning general content contributors have no access to the administrative functions.
There is some work to be done prior to installing, but phpWebsite does checks for you to determine if your version of PHP meets the minimum requirements and whether certain features are enabled/disabled. Once you get past that initial screen, installing is nearly automatic. phpWebsite requires a backend database, most commonly used is MySQL.
Development Tools
These features enable administrators (and users who have been given the appropriate permissions) to develop modules for phpWebSite.In addition, phpWebSite allows each user to choose from several different pre-defined visual styles/themes/skins. These themes are implemented using CSS and template files. Additional themes can be created by the phpWebSite administrator for branding or customizing the look of their website. This requires familiarity with CSS and templates. There are a number of themes to choose from and these can be previewed online. A large proportion of the themes are free to download and use. Commercial themes exist for purchase and commercial theme design services are also available.
Third Party Tools
A large number of third party modules exist for phpWebSite. These tools extend the capabilities of phpWebSite and because it uses an object-oriented framework the modules work together to build a customized CMS. These modules include tools across all major component categories and are constantly being updated and extended by the developer community. For more information, an extensive listing of third party modules can be found on the official phpWebSite web site.External links
General- Official phpWebSite Home Page
- SourceForge phpWebSite Project Page
- Kiesler phpWebSite Themes Catwalk
- Kiesler phpWebSite Modules Catwalk
- phpWebSite Directory / Search
Documentation
- Draft ezine about phpWebSite 1.0.0 HTML Version
- Official phpWebSite Manual HTML Version
- Official phpWebSite Manual PDF Version
- Comparing TYPO3 with phpWebSite
Community