Need simple php flat file cms.

June 17, 2008 6:14 PM

I need a simple php cms.

I'm building a site for someone and they have a simple site. They only occasionally need to change the content, things like links in the side bar , content on the front page and adding and deleting images. I don't really need a database for this, but he user doesn't know any html and isn't interested in learning any. Any ideas?

posted by zorro astor to computers & internet (9 comments total)

I use Wordpress for all of my clients, and they all love it. I usually end up turning off a lot of features and deleting some bits here and there from the template files, and then I change the wording on the admin panel so that they know what everything means, but it's super easy for the HTML-challenged to update. There's a plugin for just about everything else you could need, too.
posted by katillathehun at 6:26 PM on June 17

indexhibit is pretty simple to set up, use and customize.
posted by lia at 6:49 PM on June 17

well, i was wondering if one was available without mysql. I don't yet know wht kind of host my user is using.
posted by zorro astor at 7:16 PM on June 17

CushyCMS looks pretty cool. You basically just add a css "editable" class to a block of text. Client logs in, double clicks on the text, and it's editable. Maybe other people will chime in with opinions. I'll probably check it out for my next project. Be warned: there's a $28/month fee to customize the backend. But if you're making this for smaller clients, branding won't be a priority.

Otherwise, I love Wordpress. You can hack the backend to make it dead easy, as katilla mentioned.
posted by theiconoclast31 at 7:17 PM on June 17 [1 favorite]

I could try to sell him on mysql i suppose. It's not expensive.
posted by zorro astor at 7:18 PM on June 17

cushycms looks pretty interesting.
posted by zorro astor at 7:24 PM on June 17

I used sNews once. It uses MySql but it's very light - only one file if I remember correctly. Sounds like it might be worth looking in to.
posted by cdmwebs at 7:34 PM on June 17

I've used doop with moderate success. It isn't steller, but it is simple and does not require MySQL.
posted by Chrishartley at 8:12 PM on June 17

With the basic requirements you described and the push-back you're sensing with a database back-end, they/you aren't really looking for a true CMS.

Adobe Contribute is a good choice for basic content editing and updates by clients.
http://www.adobe.com/products/contribute/
posted by hitopshelf at 11:40 PM on June 18