Top Ten reasons to Use Coranto

[Jackanape]

OK, this isn't really a top ten list, but we're going to have to start flexing our promotional minds here in the next week, or so, so we need to start assembling the best ideas, and the best reasons to use Coranto over other CMSes---what does it do well, that others might not, etc?

Starting with this one, that inspired this topic.

[quote=Abbeyvet]There are ways of making the PHP people take note - like the fact the Coranto can easily, very easily, manage the content on a site that uses PHP very extensively. I stronly believe that that is a point that needs to be got accross to anyone looking at Coranto as a possible CMS.[/quote]

Please jump in at your leisure with thoughts and inspiration.

So far:

-Open Source = FREE
-Free support & extensive online documentation
-Manages PHP based sites with ease

[Feathers]

Does this cover just the core product, or do you include Addons?

If Addon functionality is included then my key function will always be:

*Enter content in advance of publication

as well as

*Drive mutiple 'sites' from a single installation

This last is an important aspect of Coranto over some of the 'paid for' offerings I've looked at.

[Abbeyvet]

I have NOT distinguished below between things possible with the core script and those which require addons because I think it is important to give a good overview of what is really possible. Probably an asterix beside those that do need an addon would be enough.

One thing that occured to me when doing this - perhaps we need to lose the word 'news' - as in Submit News, Modify News, newsid - and replace it with 'Content' or some such word. I do it anyway on the front end in any CMS style install I have that other people will use, because the word news confuses the hell out of them.


1. General

- Free and Open-source
- Easy to Install
- Well documented, active community for help and support
- Stable and tested on thousands of live sites
- Modular structure - core script plus addons
- Complete separation of style and content
- 'Hooks' to allow easy development of custom addons
- Automated backups
- Highly portable - easy to move to a new server
- No database required, but support for use of MySql
- Manage multiple sites from a single installation
- Small footprint on server

2. Content Management

- Multiple Categories
- Fine control of appearance using both styles and templates
- Can generate content in any format (HTML, PHP, RSS, etc)
- Totally customisable submission pages (per user, per category, whatever is required)
- Unlimited custom fields can be created to define content
- Profiles control which content, in which order and in what format will appear on published pages
- Content can be extracted and displayed based on any field
- Multiple options for publishing content (using profiles)
--- articles split over multiple pages
--- multiple articles per page
--- merge headlines/articles from multiple categories
--- content split by date, alphabet or any custom criteria
--- many more options
- Integrated File and image upload
- Supports integration of any WYSIWYG editor
- Can open editor from published pages to quickly to edit content ('Edit this page')
- Store content for future publication
- Schedule publication at a future date
- Expire content by date, by number of items
- Profiles can select content by age, by date, by number of related items etc
- Sort published content by age, alphabetically, numerically etc
- Stats on content
- Easy search facility for finding submitted content - search by any field


3. User & Workflow Management
- Supports multiple users with different access levels
- Administrator: Complete access to all functions
- Editor: Can add posts and edit/approve content submitted by standard users
- User: Can add content, either for immediate publication or pending editorial approval (customisable)
- Access can be controlled and refined per category, per submit page or even per form field
- Customisable context-sensitive help
- Messaging system, Admin notices
- Staging of content can be configured into system
- Easy roll back to previous dates


There is a lot more -- but that's all I can come up with right now.

[SrNupsen]

Wow - now that you say it, Coranto can do a lot of things! Great list.

[Jackanape]

One thing that occured to me when doing this - perhaps we need to lose the word 'news' - as in Submit News, Modify News, newsid - and replace it with 'Content' or some such word. I do it anyway on the front end in any CMS style install I have that other people will use, because the word news confuses the hell out of them.

An excellent point for 2.0...

I'm off for the night now, b ut will be back after work for a thorough readthrough...

[Abbeyvet]

Some more. Some may seem like stating the blindingly obvious - but it needs to be stated, because although it is obvious to us that you can very easily have, for example, multiple templates, it is not necessarily obvious to everyone.

1. General
- Easy and highly configurable archiving, by date, age or number of items.
- Can be integrated into an existing site

2. Content Management
- Preview content prior to publishing

4. Designer/Developer Features
- Style/Template syetem gives very fine control of page appearance
- Templates can be created in designer-friendly programmes such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, then added to Coranto
- CSS friendly - templates can be fully CSS contolled
- Multiple templates - as many or few as you like
- Templating is very flexible with total control over on-page code - building valid pages is easy
- Easily build customised menus which change as pages are added or removed
- Menus can be completely styled with CSS
- Pages, including Menus, can use conditionals to include or exclude content based on defined parameters
- Link validation for both internal and external links
- Build in conditionals system can control how or if content displayed
- Perl code can be used directly in styles to customise or pre-process pages before publishing
- Easy to set up a sandbox to test new features before making them live
- Content can be generated in XML format
- Can generate the same content in multiple formats - eg HTMP/PHP, Printer Friendly, RSS, Plain text etc

5. SEO Benefits
- Page titles, descriptions and keywords and other meta tags totally customisable on a per page, per category or any other basis
- Search Engine Friendly URLs - can build flat files with no variables or parameters in URL
- URL stucture can be entirely controlled - eg it is easy to have URLs like www.example.com/widgets/red-widgets/this-widget.php
- Simple on-the-fly content changes - including changing meta tags


It really does go on and on and on - amazing when you start writing it all down how much it can actually do, and they are only things I have done or know can be done, I am certain there is even more.

[Swordfish]

Abbeyvet, You've seen the testsite right? If not it resides here.

You have listed alot of reasons to why Coranto is a great CMS, but theese lists are really comprehensive and a bit to much to read through if you just happen to stroll into Coranto.org. The first impression of a website, the text and the way that the website displays for first time potential users is important and a great part of the promotion package. People need to be taken in when they reach this page. Do you have any suggestions to what the "ad" for coranto should read, and how the article about Coranto should be formed. The ad-text displayed now is from the top of my head and written quite fast. The list in the article is Dales...

Keep in mind that it really doesn't have to be a book, but a short article on what Coranto can do and how easy it is...maybe we can settle on something that the new page can be displayed with?

[Abbeyvet]

I wasn't writing them for the site - just as they came into my head for others to add to or amend.

I know you need 'headline' features, which can be picked from the above or something like the above. But they can easily (and I think should be) linked to a 'Features in Depth' page.

If you look at sites for the major CMS players, they all so this. People DO plough through them!!

But it needs to be refined, and especially have * or something appended where a feature is not a core one but can be acheived via addons.

It's late here and I am tired, but I will have a look at some 'blurb' writing tomorrow

Katherine

[Stoneage]

Swordfish wrote:

You have listed alot of reasons to why Coranto is a great CMS, but theese lists are really comprehensive and a bit to much to read through if you just happen to stroll into Coranto.org.

Abbeyvet wrote:

If you look at sites for the major CMS players, they all so this. People DO plough through them!!

I think the points that both of you make are relevant. There are people who will want the quick, bulleted list of feature "highlights", but there also people who have been through numerous CMS products who want to know the "full story". Perhaps a quick list for the first screen, with a link to "learn more" that discloses a more complete list of features.

Deborah

[Jackanape]

First, you hook 'em, THEN you reel 'em in with the details...

works every time!