Developing a Web Site with the Ektron CMS400.NET Content Management Solution and Dreamweaver Extension
Developing a Web Site with the Ektron CMS400.NET Content Management Solution and Dreamweaver Extension
Ektron's line of Web authoring tools and Web content management solutions have evolved over the years becoming the ideal choice for organizations who want their everyday business users to manage content on their Web site. Ektron continues to rise to the demands of the marketplace by making Web content management more powerful and robust, yet keeping the process easy-to-use.
Ektron CMS Web site Development: The Basics
Every Web site needs to have at least two elements…content and navigation. Among many other things, content and navigation just so happen to be two components of a Web site that users can manage with an Ektron CMS.
Several other elements are commonly used and seen in many Web sites like forms, calendars, metadata, search functionality, and RSS feeds. These elements can enhance your visitor experience, however, the core and beginning of any Web site is to get your content and navigation established, and then begin with the additional elements.
In this tutorial, we will explore the most basic functionality of an Ektron CMS400.NET driven Web site including:
- Content Blocks
- Login Button
- Dynamic Summary Lists
- DHTML Menus
Other tutorials will follow showing additional functionality of Ektron CMS400.NET and how these elements can easily be added to your templates using the Macromedia Dreamweaver extension.
Getting Started
Supplied with a download of Ektron CMS400.NET is the Dreamweaver Extension. Installation of the extension is the same as any other extension, and the configuration inside Dreamweaver is minimal, simply provide the URL for a special file in your Ektron CMS400.NET Web site on your Web server (Figure 1). Once this path is correct, you can connect to your CMS400.NET Web site and pull data directly out of the database to be displayed on the Web page.
Figure 1 – CMS400.NET Dreamweaver Configuration Dialog
Start Your Development
Just like any Web site development project, the first steps include planning and conceptualizing the actual Web site. Once those tasks are complete, development - including graphics, layout, and coding - begin.
Typically, a graphic designer begins the process by creating a large graphic that represents the look and feel of the Web site, typically called "comps." These comps can show a wide array of Web site elements like showing where a DHTML menu, calendar, or content block should be and what it should look like. It's then up to the developers to turn that graphic into a workable Web site.
Figure 2 represents the initial transition of this comp from a graphic to a Web site template.
Figure 2
Each of the balloons notifies the developer to add a unique element to complete the Web page. Each of these elements can be added via the CMS400.NET Dreamweaver extension by simply clicking on the function type in the Dreamweaver commands menu (Figure 3).
Figure 3 – List of Ektron CMS400.NET Functions
Comments
Horrible!!!!!!!!!!
I have got bad experience with the Ektron WYSIWYG editor (lack of functionality) and now they are trying to push this into Dreamweaver also!!!!!!!! Looking at the Flash demo it is bag full of $$$$$ for nothing much fancy.
Sorry.............
Was this a paid article by Ektron?
Ektron is one of the worst products I have had the displeasure to have to work with. The company I consult for had Ektron build their site out in CMS 400.NET. The implementation was EXTREMELY sloppy and amateurish. Although the CMS includes the jQuery library, form validation was attempted through inline Javascript that reported errors one at a time in popup alerts. The site was riddled with bugs and support was virtually non-existent. Content managers were afraid to submit content unless a developer was on hand for fear of something breaking.
Use this product at your own risk!!
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