phpWebSite

phpWebSite

Stable release	1.6.3 / June 17, 2009
Written in	PHP
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	Content management system
License	GNU General Public License
Website	http://phpwebsite.appstate.edu/

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.

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 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 1.6.3, released in June 2009.

Features of phpWebSite

PhpWebSite is programmed using the PHP 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 or CMS that 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/.

Major Components

phpWebSite provides components in these general categories:

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.

See also

• List of content management systems

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

• phpWebSite User Community Website
• phpWebSite Community Wiki
• phpWebSite Support Forums