Using Wordpress as a DMS/CMS

Using Wordpress as a DMS/CMS

We have prepared this tutorial to show you an approach and process you can use to create a data/content management system online. This tutorial is created for users with some basic computer knowledge. Non-technical management could use this to get an overview of the process involved with developing a CMS. 

There are four key teams/groups needed for a good CMS. First the developers of the site; second the content managers; third the technical team maintaining the site and fourth the users of the site. A good sustainable site needs all four. This is a fifth which are the content creators who may be within or outside the key groups.

Too often organizations rely entirely on the first to be responsible for everything related to the site. Unfortunately this generally results in a poorly designed site. To get a good CMS developed the team lead needs to involve all four groups from the start to go-live. 

Introduction

You would like to develop a data or content management system (DMS or CMS) but you do not want to build it from scratch with scripts and codes. In this tutorial we consider DMS and CMS to mean the same thing as it relates to the data or content of our knowledge portal (KP). The contents or data are the knowledge products created as part of the Supporting Ministry of Mines (SUMM) project. They include training videos, slide presentations, reports, research, etc. These are stored as digital files that users can download from the web portal.

There are good open source frameworks one can use. For our MERIT project in Mongolia we used the CKAN framework which is Python based. CKAN was specifically designed as a DMS. For our SUMM project in Ethiopia we decided to use the Wordpress (WP) framework because it is one of the world's most popular frameworks for CMS consequently there is a lot of community support. 

Wordpress is a free and open source content management system written in PHP and is paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Its features include a plugin architecture and a template system, referred to as themes within Wordpress. Wordpress acounts for about 40% of the entire Web and 62% of CMS-built websites.

Selecting WP as the framework for the SUMM knowledge portal (SUMMKP) will enhance the sustainability of the website. The technical team in Ethiopia will have access to numerous on-line tutorials on YouTube. There will aslo be broad community support around the world. The team can also access free and open source plugins in addition to commercial ones for site development. It would also make it easier to operate and maintain because WP is available on many cloud based hosting platforms via cPanel eliminating the need for the developer to manually update and patch the framework.

About Wordpress

Add paragraphs and links to reference material on WP

Draft of SUMMKP DMS Architecture

This section provides a brief description of development of the SUMMKP website architecture.

The objective of the Knowledge Portal

  • Create a knowledge portal for Ministry of Mines based on the Project works.
  • Share all project related documents and Research works, Plan and report documents.
    • Research works
    • Capacity building materials
    • Reports
      • Field  assessment, 
      • monthly report, 
      • bi-annual report  

Privilege and Access

Page Structure

Content Structure




How do we Start with WordPress?

New to WordPress

If you are new to WordPress a good start would be to try it out online using the WordPress.com website. You can create your own test website through WordPress.com. You can create a website or blog quickly with secured and managed WordPress hosting. Just log into the site at the url below and start your test website:


All you need to provide is your email addresss, username and a password to create an account.

You will be prompted for a name for your site. If the name you enter is not used by another then it will create a site with the following url: yourname.wordpress.com. If "yourname" is already in use then it would prompt you for a new un-used name. For example we have wordpress.com website:


Building your first WordPress website using WordPress.com is the simplest way to get familiar with the features and capabilities of WP as a framework for your CMS. Alternatively you can try and install WP on your own PC and run it via localhost. You can test out all the functions and features of your website locally. Once you are happy you can then try a cloud based hosting site.

One really great feature of WordPress is that it is included with may cloud based hosting sites. Once you have tried it via the WordPress.com site or locally on your PC and you are ready to create your website online then all you have to do is pick a host provider that supports WordPress on their location. Consequently you can get your domain, hosting and WordPress framework installed at the same in one purchase order.  In the next sections we will describe two ways you can run WordPress locally on your PC.

Using XAMPP as a local web server

XAMPP is a completely free, easy to install Apache distribution containing MariaDB (formerly MySQL), PHP and Perl. It is a free and open-source cross platform web server solution stack package developed by Apache Friends, consisting of the Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB database and interpreters for scripts written in the PHP and Perl programming languages. Wikipedia

You can download the stack package at: XAMPP Installers

XAMPP is usually installed in the /XAMPP folder under you C:/ drive in Windows. 

The following is  one of many tutorials you can use to help you with your installation:


Installing WordPress with XAMPP

After you have installed  and tested XAMPP as the localhost web server on your PC you can continue and install WordPress using the above link.

Once you have installed WP and have it running on your PC via the localhost you can start to use it to create an off-line version which can be used as the prototype of your site. 

Local by Flywheel

Local by Flywheel is a free local development environment designed to simplify the workflow of WordPress developers and designers. This is a newer development environment for users. Local is a commercial product but the free version is sufficient for users to install and experiment on their local PCs without having to learn the more technical aspects of the XAMPP environment. Local by Flywheel




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