A content management system (abbr.: CMS) is a system for creating web content that allows the editor to enter and manage content independently of the source code. No programming knowledge of the editor is required, because the editing is done in a special WYSIWYG editor. Access management allows multiple users to work in the system. The best-known representatives of open-source CMS are WordPress, TYPO 3, Drupal and Joomla. The web application Magento also contains a CMS. Content management systems are offered both for a fee and for free.
Functions
A content management system can perform numerous functions so that website operators or authors can create a website quickly and easily.
Website Structure
In CM systems it is possible to create a website structure in a relatively trivial way. Directories and folders can be easily managed and organized in the backend Creating and deleting website folders does not require any special knowledge. A CM system is usually updated dynamically.
Edit
The content is edited with a rich text editor that provides all formatting options with a WYSIWYG tool. In addition, the tool ensures the integration of multimedia content and dynamic image processing. Thus, videos, images and other interactive content can be easily inserted.
Design and templates
Another function enables the user of a CM system to map designs, templates and CSS without great effort. The separation of the development environment and the editorial area makes it easy to create designs and templates.
Hosting
Content management systems support most hosting service providers that offer PHP and MySQL. The users of a CMS only need a browser to be able to work in the backend administration. In addition, an access system enables easy handling of uploads and the maintenance of document files.
API
Through the use of APIs, it is possible in a CMS framework to flexibly expand the existing functionalities and to develop new types of content elements. There are many communities on the Internet for expanding content management systems, especially for open-source solutions such as Typo 3.
Conclusion
Content management systems have many advantages over a “handmade” website. As a rule, CM systems are very easy to use and usually require less development effort compared to self-programmed solutions. This is particularly helpful for webmasters without programming knowledge. Thanks to the numerous ready-made functions, such as Captchas, websites can be created very quickly and individually adapted to the target group.