Professional LAMP: Linux®, Apache, MySQL®, and PHP5 Web Development

Chapter 13. Content Management Systems

A Content Management System (CMS) assists a software or Web developer in organizing and facilitating any collaborative process and its final outcome. The term "content management" loosely refers to not only the checking in and out of files, but also the generalized sharing of information, such as common calendars, wikis, and the like. The earliest Content Management Systems emerged around 1975 when mainframes and electronic publishing required really began to catch on. These earliest versions were basically nothing more than general repositories that enabled multiple users to participate in the same project.

As computer systems became more and more complex, the need to effectively manage content also becomes more complex. As the Internet came to fruition, so did the wave of CMSs. Now there are more CMSs than you can shake a stick at. The goal of this chapter is to try and wade through all the muck to help you define whether you need a CMS, which variety of CMS is right for your project, and how you can use a CMS to improve your efficiency.