GreenBeast CMS v.1.1
It has taken a while, but I’m really quite pleased to announce the release of GreenBeast CMS Version 1.1. This marks the second phase of a fairly long-term three phase (plus) project which will culminate with the release of v.2.0 down the road a piece.
The GreenBeast CMS project came about by way of my simple need for a CMS to offer my web design clients a back-end management tool for the content of their websites. I figured this would serve two purposes, really. One is that it would make my services more attractive to potential clients. Second, it would allow my clients to update their websites on a regular basis, keeping the content fresh and, making their sites more worthy of re-visits. Good things for all parties concerned.
So I did it. I made a CMS. Version 1.0 as it was coined. There is even a Blog entry about it from its original release. But it needed improvements right out of the starting gate. A vast number of improvements. Stability, accessibility, usability, interface improvements, more functionality, flexibility, smarter, easier to set-up, better at handling errors and keeping users from inadvertently doing things the wrong way, to set up a better live feed system with consideration to users if our server was down for some reason. There was a lot to do.
I was doing well with the upgrade from v.10 to v.1.1 but found I was quickly getting in over my head. I am, after all, new to using PHP. That’s when Jonathan Fenocchi joined me in this project. What a relief he has been. He is quite knowledgeable in the field of several server-side languages and JavaScript, and he is especially keen on PHP.
This is when me and my CMS become us and our CMS. Even though it’s still named “GreenBeast.”
The GreenBeast CMS v.1.1 still has a bit of a raw set-up — though it is greatly improved allowing one to set it up with the CMS’s File Editor instead of having to edit raw files via FTP. For version 2.0., a proper installer and a method of uploading files and images, and creating blank documents and folders, will be included. This all part of the master plan. We also want to create an automatic upgrader, so all the user has to do it click “Upgrade Now” when we pass the link and any and all file uploading, swapping, creating, and deleting will be done by the upgrade utility itself.
An awful lot of the work that has been done involves this aspect of product production. Always thinking about the next version and how to deal with it without inconveniencing existing users and their clients. I developed a cross-over strategy to v.2.0 which will hopefully be easy and the last one in which the user has to do anything. However, please note, that v.2.0 is going to be a highly professional software grade web application, much more so than it is now. This is the plan, anyway. It should be worthwhile. It has been so far. It’s not the money, there is none, but the experience is priceless. Moreover, we feel we are offering a decent tool. After making the CMS’s web page (http://www.greenbeastcms.com) and the site for Adagio Spa & Salon, plus using it to partially build and maintain GreenMethods.com, I personally find it very useful and helpful. The Adagio Spa site only took three days. CMS set-up was fast and easy. Version 1.1 is version 1.1, though, and it’s time to move on with its improvements and the coming of the next version. We do not expect a release of a full version between now and v.2.0.
Some considerations for version 2 include that mentioned above. We also plan to offer an auto-fill/auto-complete function to deal with writing basic mark-up and ensuring tags are closed properly based on the language specification desired. We do plan to keep selectable languages as we have now for the Content Updater. We have chosen to not offer UBB code. We feel that making people learn another code set and syntax is silly. If they must learn something, we feel that HTML is ultimately more useful to learn and really just as easy if the basics are used. We also want to offer more file management functions such as being able to reopen (or keep open) a recently updated file in an editor that doesn’t show the added tags and character entities but simply reverts it to the inputted state. This would be better for beginners to make edits. We want editing to be on the fly a little more than it is, especially as it concerns the Content Updater tool. Also, spell check would be nice as part of the on-the-fly editing. In time.
Until then, for version 1.1, do look for some plug-ins coming up. Specifically, a high(er)-visibility style sheet as I know some people won’t like what’s offered, mostly as it concerns the text and colors used in the File Editor’s and Content Updater’s textarea fields. That should be released very soon. It’ll be a rename, drag-and-drop affair with a suggestion of renaming the old style sheet for retention (this is will available via a link delivered with our “Live Feed” as it seems like the best way to do it. Version 1.0 had a style changer, but that was removed as it complicated matters considerably when trying to attain the best system security performance. It could be done, it just didn’t seem worthwhile and a lot of extra work.
Another up-and-coming plug-in is an XML/RSS feed “Newsmaker” form in which one will enter HTML (processed with the Content Updater for beginners) and have it convert to well-form XML in a properly set-up RSS feed (with the right metadata). Currently this is done. We made a decent utility by way of a massive overhaul/conversion of Ryan Brill’s XML Guestbook. It produces RSS 2.0 (a sample of its use can be seen at GreenMethods.com, Latest News. One problem has been identified, though, the feed is not Live on all devices. So while it works with Bloglines, it isn’t picked up by Firefox’s built-in reader. This needs to be addressed. After that, the hardest part will be to incorporate the plug-in into the CMS so it’s navigable, and plug-n-play in its setup. Not too long hopefully. Being that RSS is becoming all the rage, it’s an important feature to offer. XML documents can be viewed completely (in their entirety) and be edited via File Editor already so that step is done.
Extra thanks goes to SourceForge Whois Project for the use of their open source “Whois2″ utility. This is a nice CMS add-on. In fact. there are a number of features that one won’t normally find on a CMS. We’d also like to extend thanks to DaringFireball for use of the “SmartyPants” script on our Content Updater. It helped make the thing a lot smarter.
Dear GreenBeast CMS v.1.1 Users:
Use this weblog entry if you would like to comment about this web application, need to complain (be reasonable) or compliment, if you have a suggestion for this version or v.2.0, do it here. Also let me know if you would like to have a support forum in addition to the support tools we offer. It seems silly now, but if we get a lot of users, then it may be a smart move in the area of self-help and peer-to-peer brainstorming.
If you’re user, thank you for downloading the GreenBeast CMS v.1.1. We hope you are finding it useful. Your feedback is always valuable so speak up. If you’ve created add-on features, plug-ins, or new styles for your CMS for your own use, please share them. If the improvements are really great, we might like to borrow your ideas, giving you full credit for your work, of course. Thanks.
Zach Blume responds:
Posted: August 8th, 2005 at 12:40 pm →
It seems a bit crude in coding, but I haven’t combed through it as thoroughly as I should have. Also, I assume this is for web-beginners, so….
I’m one more oriented towards a self-code MVC application framework :-p
Other than that, it looks pretty slick in execution.
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: August 8th, 2005 at 1:49 pm →
Thanks for the feedback Zach:
It probably is crude, and not-so-crude all in the same token. It might be a bit unconventional in the indenting, string-spacing, general script writing, and whatnot due to the fact that I started this project solo and I’m a rookie. Moreover, installation and some of its other shortcomings as mentioned at GreenBeastCMS.com lend to any crudeness I suppose. It may even be “messy” in its coding, perhaps. However, that said, it should be solid and very stable. It has proven itself as such so far, anyway. Very fast in its processing. And it does run without error in a strict PHP environment — thanks to Jona. I hadn’t supressed errors, but there were some issues in strict.
There is a bit of intentional obfuscation in the coding. That’s my doing. It’s not a preferred practice, but it makes it a bit more unique one could say :-/ I suppose that lends itself well to the crudeness. Part of the reason, as well, may be the way stuff is more modularized than what is normal due to our desire to make it a hot-swappable thing so to speak. Drag-and-drop interchangeability might be more apt.
As as it being for beginners. I have to say, no, not really. I wanted it to be easy to use for web designer’s clients to update their content using the Content Updater. This making it a tool for developers. But since you can apply mark-up in the Content Updater as well as text, and the fact that the File Editor works on anything, its as much for the hand-coder as it would be their client.
Case-in-point: I’m an avid hand-coder, normally using NotePad and Cute FTP to write my mark-up and script, and this thing was basically made for me. I wanted it for my own use more than anything. Something to deliver to the client with my works. I created AdagioSpa.com using this tool exclusively — aside from using FTP to place the empty files on the server and to set their permissions. So, I’d say it is suitable for the experienced as well as the beginner. In fact, including set-up, it may be suitable for the experienced more than for the not quite so. For example, for the person who says “what’s FTP and how do you set file permissions?” (though it is explained in the documentation), this tool may be above them. However, this is where the developer comes in, using the tool to build the site and deliver it to the client.
Hopefully, Zach, I have honestly represented the product on the site linked above, telling what it can and can’t do with candidness, and who its target user is. I want to make no false claims — I want people to know what they are getting even before they download it.
But do me a favor Zach, instead of poring over the code, just set it up as per the directions and try ‘er out. This is where I hope you will find it fast, reliable, and fairly simple to use. In other words, if folks can get over the simple but admittedly crude installation procedure, hopefully it lives up to the level at which I we bill it.
Zach Blume responds:
Posted: August 11th, 2005 at 8:30 pm →
Sorry, I am getting way too used to MVC based OO programming. I have to admit, when I set it up, it worked beautifully. Though the interface is not to my particular liking, I think it is solid, stable, and lives up to your description. I might get around to skinning it super-sexy :-p
Fabian responds:
Posted: August 14th, 2005 at 6:52 am →
I was reading the site and it works with a flat file database, what do you mean by that, is it just a txt or encrypted file with CMOD 777, and uses PHP to access, wouldnt that be slower than a mysql, asp.net etc database?
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: August 14th, 2005 at 10:57 am →
By flat file I mean it’s simply writing to a text file (*.txt), versus writing to a MySQL data table. As far as one being faster than the other, I’m not really sure. The flat file wirting seems faster, but I’m comparing how long it takes here with my WordPress Blog in my mind. Publishing with this application seems to take a while versus with the CMS which is virtually instaneous. That said, there may be other underlying factors that I’m not aware of. This application does a perform a larger number of processess so it may be akin to comparing apples to oranges.
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: October 10th, 2005 at 4:41 pm →
As of today, October 10th, 2005, GreenBeast CMS v.1.1 has been downloaded 101 times
Any feedback? How are you using it? Need some tips and tricks?
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: October 13th, 2005 at 6:38 am →
I just created a new download file for GreenBeast CMS users. The file, a Robots.txt file, can be accessed and downloaded from here.
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: November 7th, 2005 at 9:53 pm →
We have released the GreenBeast CMS RSS Newsmaker today. The thing rocks. Learn more »