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Content management solution for a small software site?

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tranglos:
The best way to go insane is to go looking for the best CMS.  Everytime I've tried it I've lost a day and felt more confused at the end then at the begining.  There are just so many different CMS out there.-mouser (February 16, 2007, 08:19 PM)
--- End quote ---

Exactly. One thing I didn't mention is WordPress, because it's primarily a blog, but it's quite elegant and may be good enough for a start. I'm in no hurry to decide, but even before my current project is ready, I would like to move the old stuff to a new site design, to see how it fares. So I took this sage advice and went looking for a domain first. Now I want to put something there...

There may be some commercial solutions written with ISVs in mind, but I haven't seen any yet, and from what I *have* seen  CMS systems are either open-source or pretty expensive.

Ideally, for an ISV site CMS, you'd just enter the core information (app description, release date, download links, etc) on one config screen, and a default site would be generated for you.

It's a niche, I guess, but the needs are very different from those of an individual blogger or a community. Download statistics are a must, and I'd love to have a way to centralize application info: enter the version number only once and refer to it via some tag everywhere. This is easy to add to any php-based system, but then you'd have to re-apply the changes when upgrading, and the system must allow for php code in posts, which not all systems may support.

I'll probably give TextPattern another try, because it really is an excellent design, very elegant and extensible. It's just that you have to go some extra length to get static pages, so the site becomes one big workaround.

By the way: did you tweak Simple Machines a lot? DC has an awesome set of features; the forum itself is much better than phpBB. *Every* DC feature I've tried is more convenient to use than anything else I've seen.

mouser:
I have done a ton of modifications of smf, BUT i don't think anything important that you might be referring to.  mostly to do with the donationcredits stuff.  most of what you see is smf built in stuff with minor tweaks.  However if you don't have a strong need for the best forum, you might be better off just using one integrated into the cms you choose (drupal has it's own forum for example).

dk70:
You end up with Drupal I think :) What cant Drupal do? Very popular, very documented and quite easy to use.

Anyway, recently I was looking for something much less ambitious for a mini site and was close to jump at CMS Made Simple http://www.cmsmadesimple.org/ Yeah, they use SMF too ;) Mouser is right, you can waste days and not getting anywhere but actually most you can dismiss because of development speed, support. Many projects are halfdead it seems - not that many options if you look closer, for example at Opensourcecms http://www.opensourcecms.com/

If you want almost personal support check out Serendipity http://www.s9y.org/ Beats Wordpress by far if you ask me. So WP is getting there but was not first for sure. For example static pages, being able to move blocks about through administration is old news to s9y. Installation of plugins/themes is done through ADM and a thing called Spartacus - you see all stuff available and can pick and chose - also when uninstalling. Much easier than WP. Some problems due to being a tiny project but check forum and notice a certain "garwinhicking". Main coder dude and amazing. He see s9y more like a framework for whatever. I have only little clue about php, css above basic hacking level but I can modify s9y very easy - or go ask and I get answer, perhaps 1 hour later and likely from the man himself. s9y is still mainly blog so not a natural suggestion for what you ask but neither is Textpattern or WP - this can be extended as you please/are able to. If interested post your wishes at their forum and see what they say. Project has same problems any small project has so unless you find close to 100% confidence probably best to go Drupal, something else. The guy who invented php use s9y btw ;)

Should it or similar sized CMS meet requirements may be a good question what will be easier to maintain and develop - the massively documented project with endless options or the tiny one with fewer yet adequate? Projects sized as s9y, CMS Made Simple appeals 10 times more to me than WP, Drupal - simply easier to figure out problems.

Forgot Website Baker, another good one http://start.websitebaker.org/en/features.html similar size and probably more suiting requirements than s9y. Check forum again (also SMF here!)

tinyvillager:
    ExpressionEngine Core
   http://www.pmachine.com/ee/pricing/

   Or Drupal

Both of these are rather easy yet powerful.You can go either from simple blog or
massive "site"

 I too have procrastinated when it comes to putting up a site.I got the CMS,domain name,host,etc.
But need a creative boost.What to say,what to do, what to create, what to share,oh so many
choices.The brain is brewing but the fingers lay still. :mad:

I just installed xampp which has really got me excited though,developing locally is so freakin sweet. :-*

VSiAQ:
I'd choose TextPattern. A very good and simple CMS.  :-[

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