Information Management Content Management Systems CMS Joomla Drupal

Information Management Content Management Systems CMS: Joomla & Drupal (with flashbacks to Wordpress) J. Michael Moshell University of Central Florida Original image* by Moshell et al. Imagery is from. Wikimedia except where marked with *. 1

Objectives of this course concerning CMS: • Be familiar with what CMS are good for • Have brief experience with three CMS - Wordpress - Joomla - Drupal • Have extensive experience using ONE CMS to build an information management system/website -2 -

Some unfinished business from Wordpress: • I was installing a Support Ticket plugin • Needed to have it appear on a Page • Didn't know how to make it happen. WHAT TO DO? -3 -

Some unfinished business from Wordpress: • I was installing a Support Ticket plugin • Needed to have it appear on a Page • Didn't know how to make it happen. WHAT TO DO? RTFM -4 -

Some unfinished business from Wordpress: • I was installing a Support Ticket plugin • Needed to have it appear on a Page • Didn't know how to make it happen. WHAT TO DO? RTFM Read the Flippin' Manual -5 -

What manual? http: //wpstorecart. com/wpsc-supporttickets/#Dashboard_Widget -6 -

What manual? http: //wpstorecart. com/wpsc-supporttickets/#Dashboard_Widget -7 -

What wpsc Support Tickets Page? I go back to last week's notes; discover it in main admin menu -8 -

What wpsc Support Tickets Page? I go back to last week's notes; discover it in main admin menu -9 -

What wpsc Support Tickets Page? I go back to last week's notes; discover it in main admin menu -10 -

Page now appears with new tab -11 -

So we try it -- -12 -

So we try it -- -13 -

So we try it -- -14 -

So we try it -- -15 -

The ticket turns up in the Admin's Support Ticket mgt. screen -16 -

The other problem we had. . . -17 -

The other problem we had. . . What to do? -18 -

The other problem we had. . . What to do? R T F M! -19 -

The other problem we had. . . What to do? R T F M! In this case, it means READ THE FLIPPIN' MESSAGE! -20 -

The message says output was started by fragrance/functions. php What to do? Go look at that code. -21 -

Here's the code. See any potential problems? -22 -

An old PHP hand would instantly see. . . a BLANK LINE outside TAGS -23 -

So, I fixed that little problem. . . and theme works fine now. -24 -

How do you get experience? - Put in the time - Blunder in the dark until you KNOW what you DON'T KNOW - Go ASK someone who's been there before -25 -

How do you get experience? - Put in the time - Blunder in the dark until you KNOW what you DON'T KNOW - Go ASK someone who's been there before. . . e. g. me. (That's what you are paying me for) -26 -

Joomla: • Advantages: - Designed as a CMS from the get-go - Relatively easy to use - Lots of plug-in modules (9969 in 2012) Disadvantages: No built-in tag system; Diminishing popularity -27 -

Joomla: Control Panel -28 -

Joomla: Features • User classification: called User Groups -29 -

Joomla: Features • User classification: • User Groups • + You can add a new Group • (E. g. Pastafarians, subgroup of Customer) -30 -

Joomla: Features • Fundamental content types: • Article • Others added by Extensions • Instead of “published” or not, • Access Levels: Public, Registered, Special, and: • You can add custom Access Levels • You can assign each document an Access Level -31 -

Joomla: Features • Visual design: Templates • Easy to install • Build your own • Template Manager: • control over dynamic elements of template -32 -

Joomla: Features • Menu design: Menus (links to Extensions, articles) -33 -

Joomla: Extensions • Come in three flavors: - Components (large) - Modules (smaller) - Plugins (small, usually built-in) -34 -

Joomla: Content classification Categories: + Hierarchical (sub-categories) - An article is in just one Category Tags: Not native to Joomla (What’s a ‘tag’? A search term that’s not in the article itself, but which you may need to find the article. ) -35 -

An example of ‘tagging’ A ROGUE’S REVENGE The pachyderms had a field day last week at the Oviedo Circus. Feeling mistreated, Jumbo, the largest of the huge grey animals, deposited 800 pounds of (shall we say) “used hay” on the mayor’s doorstep. TAGS: elephant, Joan Horton, manure -36 -

Joomla: Setting up • Creating a database. If you haven’t figured it out by now: MAMP or WAMP -> php. My. Admin (1) DB User: -37 -

Joomla: Creating DB User -38 -

Joomla: Creating New DB Just name your database, then hit ‘Create’. -39 -

Setting up Joomla: Special notes As you walk through the procedure, you will be asked for your database name, user. ID and login. You just created these information items. -40 -

Setting up Joomla: Special notes IF you are setting up on Sulley, then you have only one DB for your use. Its name is your nid. In this case open “Advanced Settings”. Provide your initials as a table prefix, like jmm_ o Backup old tables (you don’t have any) -41 -

Setting up Joomla: Problems Here’s a typical problem. You may have others. So I googled “Joomla error loading feed data”. This brought me to a forum post. -42 -

Forum Post: • BUT. . No such module is in my default setup. • Also, that URL is NOT broken now. • However, it gives me the idea: some module is broken. -43 -

Debugging: • I disable lots of modules at once, to find the problem. • Didn’t help. Logged out and in again. No message. • Now I re-enable HALF the modules to seek the problem. • Re-enabling all of them; still no message. BUT • On front page, “Alert: The URL is not valid. . ” • SO, disable modules again. Click ‘Home’ to test. • I narrow the problem down to the ‘wrapper’ module. -44 -

Understanding: • I narrow the problem down to the ‘wrapper’ module. I google “Joomla Wrapper” Explanation: The Wrapper Menu Item creates a shortcut to a display page that wraps an external web page. The new display page appears as a 'page within a page'. If this is an external web site, all of that site's functions, menus for example, will be operable from within the Wrapper. -45 -

Understanding: • I narrow the problem down to the ‘wrapper’ module. I google “Joomla Wrapper” Explanation: The Wrapper Menu Item creates a shortcut to a display page that wraps an external web page. The new display page appears as a 'page within a page'. If this is an external web site, all of that site's functions, menus for example, will be operable from within the Wrapper. -46 -

Exploring a Module’s Settings: • So … ‘wrapper’ needs some data. Maybe a URL? I open the module by clicking on its blue name in the Module Manager: -47 -

Exploring a Module’s Settings: • And … there’s an empty URL box! I put in a URL that I know is valid. -48 -

Exploring a Module’s Settings: Back to main page: NO PROBLEM! Lower left corner now contains: And, by using the control panel Of the module again, I can change the header: -49 -

Exploring a Module’s Settings: Back to main page: NO PROBLEM! Lower left corner now contains: And, by using the control panel Of the module again, I can change the header: -50 -

Strategy for Debugging: 1. Understand the problem - seek help from the Web - try to generalize on the advice, if it doesn’t work 2. Change things, one at a time, note results 3. Persist, but don’t get frustrated! - take a walk, do something else 4. Go get help if needed - team mate - post to the forums yourself - come see professor in office hours -51 -

Another bug, another search INVALID TOKEN (when logging into Administrator. ) Forum search … empty history, close & reopen browser That worked. Onward we go with debugging. . . which never ends. You may grow to love debugging – it's your main job skill. You may grow to hate debugging – move into Marketing Dept! -52 -

Drupal: The Dutch Option Let’s focus on the salient differences between Drupal, Wordpress and Joomla. Content classification: WP, J: Categories, Tags Joomla: Taxonomy + Vocabulary You can define a controlled vocabulary for any term in the taxonomy. This can serve to generate pulldown lists, radio option buttons, checkbox lists, etc. -53 -

Drupal: Special Features Modules: 17, 200 of them (2012). Technically sophisticated e. g. RDF (Resource Description Framework) A useful resource for Artificial Intelligence connections Theming: Prior to Version 7, Admin showed current theme (Joomla & Wordpress have a static Admin theme) In Version 7, you select Admin theme from active list -54 -

Drupal: Special Features Search: Site is pre-indexed and re-indexed by a cron task. What’s cron? It’s a unix process that can be scheduled to run at regular intervals, even if no user is generating events on the website. So you would set up a cron task to re-index, e. g. every 10 mins. -55 -

Drupal: Special Features Search: Site is pre-indexed and re-indexed by a cron task. What’s "Pre-indexed"? Well, I lectured last week on indexes. You should be able to deduce that searching a complex CMS-based website can be slow. A built-in index whould be a major help. BUT re-indexing after a changbe (by a user) to the site can be slow too. Best if you can do it when the user is not "in the loop". -56 -

Drupal: An Example The Field module: Add data fields to existing sites. Example: Take a tour of RSL’s moma “Moshell Manager” built with Drupal incorporates a Job Ticket module used the Field module to extend includes two custom modules -57 -

Drupal: Distributions In Drupal-world, The usual approach is to build your system by selecting Modules and Themes from online libraries Drupal Modules ‘out in the world’ Themes ‘out in the world’ -58 -

Drupal: Distributions In Drupal-world, a distribution is a complete package including a Drupal core (e. g. 6), associated modules, themes, special libraries and example data. COD EXAMPLE: Conference Organizing Distribution (COD) -59 -

Drupal: Distributions How to analyze a Module or a Distribution 1) Make sure you know what you need. Example: In Conference Registration, there are “ 3 dimensions” SALE ITEM: What the registrant wants (Main Conference, Tutorial, Spouse Program) ATTENDEE TYPE: What price level they’re at (Student, member, nonmember, retiree) PAYWHEN: Early rate, late rate, onsite rate -60 -

Drupal: Distributions How to analyze a Module or a Distribution 2) Experiment with the system to see how it meets your needs SALE ITEM: What the registrant wants (Main Conference, Tutorial, Spouse Program) -61 -

Drupal: Distributions ATTENDEE TYPE: What price level they’re at (Student, member, nonmember, retiree) Problems – several! Problem 1: Shopping cart metaphor: “Select first, register yourself later during checkout. ” BUT the shopping cart has ONE price per sale item. Problem 2: Shopping cart system had no capability for automatic date-sensitive pricing (Early vs. Late rate. ) A site built with this system would need manual maintenance. Miss cutoff lose money mad -62 client!

Drupal: Conclusions It’s a spiffy framework for custom-writing your own code. >Many resources, foreign language support, etc. It’s got thousands of modules that should be checked out It’s got a steeper learning curve than the other CMS BOTTOM LINE: Find the MODULE(s)* you need, and THEN CHOOSE YOUR CMS! * (or distributions) -63 -

Note- I’ve linked a spreadsheet Summarizing the key differences that I’ve found in these 3 CMS You should report other differences to me as you find them. . . help future students. . . See course website for the link. -64 -

And now we tour your Modules How did you seek? What did you find? How will you seek tomorrow? -65 -

THURSDAY: Your Requirements Presentations Mail them to me ON THURSDAY with this Precise Subject: DIG 3563 – Requirements – Pachyderms (if your team’s name is ‘Pachyderms’) NOTE: No space between DIG and 3563 -66 -