Html Editor / Content Manager.

Tech Overhaul

I'm doing a website for a friend for her business that she has just started. At first, it was going to be a static informational site so I put it on my windows hosting package that I have with Hosting365.ie where my site is also hosted.

But now she has decided that she wants to update the site on a regular basis. (Once a week) She knows very little about Html or websites and I don't want to give her my password for the ftp. (Just in case she went and changed my site by mistake).

Is there any simple html editor I could install so that she could log in and change the pages or a simply content manager or something?

Ph3n0m

if you know asp or php you could rebuild the site storing the text in a database and build an interface so that she can change the text easily


other then that there are a few editors out there, but they require

a) to be installed
b) your pages to have hidden specific code in them so that the editor can root out what elements can be changed on the page

mneylon

Something like Typo3 would be the ideal solution.

FreeHost

I would agree that typo3 is an excellent CMS, but I think the back end may be a bit intimidating to a person who only has the basics of HTML.

IMHO typo3 is more geared for the advanced user.

I tripped over a nice little package a while ago called LtNuke, it’s a light weight CMS, (little brother of PHPNuke) ideal for a beginner or a small site of 100 pages or so. It’s in PHP and uses a flatfile database structure, so it doesn’t need MySQL support.

It just has simple commands to add a category and add a page.

However, I noticed their download site was down, if you want it I can make it available for download on my test server.

ConsultClifford

Ive been working with Mambo it now for a while - its quite a CMS!
Anyone here ever use it?

FreeHost

Yes, I would agree Mambo is a lovely programme to work with, the 4.5.1 version recently declared stable, allows for SEF URL’s and dynamic page titles, which is fantastic if you Search Engine conscious.

Going back to the original question “is it suitable for a person with basic html knowledge”

The back end is easier to use than typo3, I’d say a user with an intermediate level of experience should feel comfortable with Mambo.

A couple of hour’s tuition for a basic user should have them competent enough to edit their own pages.

Figment

Macromedia Contribute is what you need. Typo sounds like over kill for this.
Works like work/Explorer so she will have no problem using it.
You can limit what she can edit with it, you can be admin and the ftp details are encoded in an email you send her so she need never know the ftp details.

dangerman

possibly not helpful, but you said 'update once a week' - would that be news in a blog style format?

if so, throw wordpress up onto it. needs php & sql. It's exceptionally easy to install/config and has a very pretty web interface for her to use thats very straight forward.

http://www.wordpress.org/ - the site in my sig runs on it.

Tech Overhaul

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I downloaded Macromedia Contribute (30 Day trial version) Works like a charm. Very easy to use. Simple even for a user with zero knowledge of html. The only downfall I could find with it, is that is costs $149!!! Seems like a bit much but sure that's life.

dynamic.ie

This should do the trick for you.... http://www.yusasp.com/prj04.asp

It's easy to set up, install and customise! Most of all, it's not expensive!

Enjoy!

tomED

Figment wrote:

Macromedia Contribute is what you need.

Yeah, contribute would be ideal - only $149... def worth the investment.

I don't think it's expensive for what you are getting.

egan007

Wizard Archer wrote:

I'm doing a website for a friend for her business that she has just started. At first, it was going to be a static informational site so I put it on my windows hosting package that I have with Hosting365.ie where my site is also hosted.

But now she has decided that she wants to update the site on a regular basis. (Once a week) She knows very little about Html or websites and I don't want to give her my password for the ftp. (Just in case she went and changed my site by mistake).

Is there any simple html editor I could install so that she could log in and change the pages or a simply content manager or something?

I had a similar problem - easiest solution was to write a cgi based site.
a script that takes input from a html 'data entry' page and dumps it in a textfile.
Another that reads the file and displays it html.
I added in a few simple features like if she typed <bold> b4 a line then it's bold etc...

tomED

egan007 wrote:

I had a similar problem - easiest solution was to write a cgi based site.
a script that takes input from a html 'data entry' page and dumps it in a textfile.
Another that reads the file and displays it html.
I added in a few simple features like if she typed <bold> b4 a line then it's bold etc...

This is definitely not the easiest solution. It would be easier to install typo3 than to do the above!!!! There are numerous other systems that would be alot easier to do than this.

Bottom line - if you want something for fee, get an open source CMS like typo3 or postnuke (or whatever else has been suggessted).

But my suggestion would have to be contribute for ease of use and installation (in most cases there is no need to configure contribute, but there is a lot you can do with contribute if you have time to play around with it!).

egan007

tomED wrote:

This is definitely not the easiest solution. It would be easier to install typo3 than to do the above!!!!

Depending on your level of perl......it took me 1/2 hour
of course i don't know Wizard Archer's level of perl.
but to say this is 'definitely not the easiest solution' is not quite accurate!

tomED

egan007 wrote:

Depending on your level of perl......it took me 1/2 hour
of course i don't know Wizard Archer's level of perl.
but to say this is 'definitely not the easiest solution' is not quite accurate!

Would ye stop - it's not the easiest solution - no matter how good your coding skills are.........

Takes two mins to install contribute..... the interface as as easy as using word.

Cmon man you can't seriously think your solution is the easiest?????????

egan007

yea if you know perl like i do!
if it'l make you feel better then....
It's definately the easiest solution.....for ME

tomED

egan007 wrote:

yea if you know perl like i do!
if it'l make you feel better then....
It's definately the easiest solution.....for ME

The information you are giving is completely wrong and not thought through at all.

Whether you are a super duper coder or someone new to all this - the solution you recommended is not the easiest solution for Wizard Archer to provide to his client. In fact I would go as far to say that it's not even a solution.....

Move outta the dark ages and into the new........ The tools are there.... don't be afraid to move with the times and use these tools.... You're no less a man for doing it... Everything evolves

egan007

the solution you recommended is not the easiest solution for Wizard Archer ....

at the risk of repeating myself...
"Depending on your level of perl......it took me 1/2 hour
of course i don't know Wizard Archer's level of perl."

do you think these solutions wrote themselves - it's ridiculous to assume that someone could not provide as good a solution that they write themselves.

tomED

egan007 wrote:

the solution you recommended is not the easiest solution for Wizard Archer ....

at the risk of repeating myself...
"Depending on your level of perl......it took me 1/2 hour
of course i don't know Wizard Archer's level of perl."

do you think these solutions wrote themselves - it's ridiculous to assume that someone could not provide as good a solution that they write themselves.

Oh for god sake... Forget it man.....

When you come into the 2000's maybe then see what yer writing and see if you're giving good advice.....

Anything that is developed in 30mins is hardly going to compete with tools that have taken years to develop..... (well we could argue the microsoft point with that )

Anything developed in thirty minutes is not going to have features that will be extremely useful to someone with little html knowledge, like uploading pictures, adding links, adding formatting tags etc etc.....

In 30 mins yer gonna have a pile of sh1te. But thats not the point - the point is what is the best solution for Wizard Archer to provide to his client....

There have been numerous suggestions here and none as ridiculous as this

End.....................

egan007

tomED wrote:

End.....................

Thank god
:rolleyes:

steve-hosting36

Contribute. 100 euro or so well spent.