Modules and functions
February 7th, 2007 by signexAs a designer I love cmsms, its simple, its easy to use for editors, its stable and pretty clean.
I found cmsms back when version 0.10 was introduced, now I loved it ever since but there is one thing that keeps bugging me. Cms Made Simple, by default, is pretty small but I for one don’t like that the search module is shipped with it, in my opinion not even the news system should be shipped within.
The install system (module manager) for modules is so easy that I don’t see a reason why modules like news and search would be shipped with it, same goes for allot “user defined tags” off course I mean the ones not used in stock templates.
When I build a small website I don’t need most of these functions, and if I did I would just import them with the module manager. Most people with speed issues delete all unnecessary modules and functions to increase speed. Why not have it that way by default, its only a matter of seconds to import a module if you need one. This way cmsms would keep getting known as a simple system and easy to expand if needed.
So for CMSMS 2.0 I would make the following changes to the module managing system.
Make some changes to the module manager and get 3 tabs like.
- One list of top 10 most used modules. Which could be news, search, FEU, FCKeditor, etc.
- Functions list, all tested and stable functions ready to be imported for user defined tags.
- All other modules the same way it is now.
This way there will be less unused files on your hosting account en get the most speed out of the system as possible.
Drop a comment if you think different about this.
regards,
Signex / Benjamin
February 7th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
I agree. I would add that it would be nice to have a simple “Update” system to automatically updates modules.
February 8th, 2007 at 4:49 am
A notify system would be nice to see for modules indeed, but i think thats allot of work to build it, and also for module developers. but I`m not that good with php to know certain
February 8th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Well, I don’t quite agree with the author. Let’s think what other systems have, that CMS does not? CMS is very simple and intuitive. The number of tabs and other stuff is minimal. Why ask developers do extra work on some top-super-loveable-ass_kicking-hard_rocking but yet useless stuff?
Why not pay more attention to other modules like Calendar, FAQ, News and many many other modules/tags that are present in the repository but are useless to the current release??
I still remember the simplicity of 0.7x about 2 years ago. From then the navigation has only gotten more complex. Not for me (I live with CMSMS), but for the users, who enter the web using the blue E icon.
Maybe I’ll get some disillusions with the 2.0 of CMSMS, but I’m still hoping to be able to simply install CMSMS and not to have to do all the dirty work configuring FAQ, Calendar and stuff…
Anyways, good luck for the developers and their benevolent dictator. We love you guys!
February 8th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Pishkus, this is not really what my post is about, the post is about whether modules and functions should be shipped with cmsms or without, when downloaded for a clean install. Modules are not only made by core developers, so its not always their project. Also stripping modules away from default installs would make it only cleaner and smaller which makes it easier to understand for new people.
But I can see your point though, but allot modules and tags are made by people who need a custom module and make one and release it, and never look back becuase they had what they needed, so its hard for developers too pay allot attention to that much modules, and keep them all updated and compatible
February 9th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I’d go for just a minimal core….people can easily add with the module manager!?!?!
Other CMS’s have harder to use module systems, doesn’t stop 2 or 3 versions of modules with the same functionality
being released does it? People can easily try a few different news modules…