What is a CMS?

CMS or Content Management System is a program that helps you modify, edit, publish and perform the overall management and maintenance can be performed from a central interface. CMS allows you to manage workflow in a collaborative environment.

Main Use
CMSs are mainly used for Websites involving shopping, blogging, news etc. They can also be used to provide content to certain applications. A CMS can serve as a central repository for storing files like document, movies, audio files, images, phone numbers, scientific data etc.

Simple and Complex CMS
Simple CMS systems have a handful of features while Enterprise (or complex) CMS offer more powerful functionality.

Elements of CMS
Any CMS consists of two parts:
1. CMA
2. CDA

CMA or Content Management Application, is the front end user interface where even a novice user can make basic changes (add, edit, delete) without the help of the web master. A novice user would be one who does not know HTML or any other form of mark up language.

CDA or Content Delivery Application, compiles this content and updates the front end.

Types of CMS

1. Web Content Management System
2. Component Content Management System
3. Enterprise Content Management System

1. WCMS or Web Content Management System manages the can be a stand alone or bundled application to create, store, manage and publish content on web pages. As you all know web content can include image, text, graphics, audio, video and code (as in applications), a web CMS displays this content and interacts with the user. WCMS may index and assemble content at run time. It can even deliver content to specific users/ visitors in a requested way for example in other languages. WCMS allows client control over HTML based content, files, documents and web hosting plans based on the system depth and requirements.

2. A CCMS or Component Content Management System manages content at the lowest and finest level (ie at component level) rather than at document level. Each component represents a single asset (eg: image, table, procedure etc). Components can be as large as a chapter or as small as a definition or a word. The CCMS must not only be able to perform its prime task of tracking  version of topics and graphics etc but also relationships between them. CCMs follows DITA XML standards.

3. ECMS or Enterprise Content Management System organizes documents, contacts, records etc related to commercial organizations. It structures the enterprise's information, manages locations, streamline access by eliminating bottlenecks and optimizes security and integrity.

Best Content Management Systems
1. Wordpress
2. Drupal
3. Joomla

Know more on CMS? Post your knowledge as a comment and we will analyse it and add it to our post.