PhpWebSite

phpWebSite is a web content management system provided by Electronic Student Services at Appalachian State University. It is free software, released under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).
History
PhpWebSite began with the release of version 0.7.0 on January 29, 2001 as a fork of Phpnuke.
PhpWebSite 0.8.x implemented broad changes to Phpnuke, including the ability to install modules.
A complete rewrite of the phpWebSite began in March 2002. The goals were to remove all Phpnuke code, increase modularity, and allow multiple installs to run off a single hub of code. The developers released the rewrite as phpWebsite 0.9.0 stable on February 2, 2003.
0.10.0 was released on November 24, 2005. It contained the same core as 0.9.x, but new default modules, themes, features and bug fixes. The final release in this series was 0.10.2, which was not compatible with PHP 5. An unreleased version .11 fixed compatibility issues, but development on this series has ceased.
PhpWebSite 1.x (codename:Fallout) began development in 2003 with the core and core modules rewritten again for new functionality and ease-of-use issues. The first edition 1.0.0 has been available since November 2006. The current version is 1.10.0, released in Dec 2014.
Features of phpWebSite
PhpWebSite is scripted in PHP and utilizes PEAR libraries. Versions 0.7.x to 0.10.x require a MySQL database, 1.x.x added support for PostgreSQL. PhpWebSite runs on Apache HTTP Server.
PhpWebSite is a modular CMS focused on serving the Appalachian State University staff. Designed to be a customizable, modular package; each component can be installed, updated, or modified easily. Users can select themes that comply with the Web Accessibility Initiative for their website.
Although PhpWebSite modules cover functions like blogging, photo galleries, and bulletin boards, they often are not as feature-rich as dedicated web programs such as Word Press, Gallery Project, or phpBB. ASU Electronic Student Services (ESS) focuses their efforts on the core library files leaving the content modules suffer in complexity.
Major Components
phpWebSite provides components in these general categories:
Content Creation and Management Tools
These features enable administrators and users to create, display, and maintain online-accessible content including text, documents, files, images, links, and more.
Content Organization Tools and Navigation Aids
These features enable administrators and users to organize, structure, and present content in a manageable way.
Communication Tools
These features enable administrators and users to communicate with each other (and the outside world) by means of numerous media, including internal messaging, email, data interchange, and more.
Configuration Tools and Administration Tools
These features enable administrators (and users who have been given the appropriate permissions) to configure and administer all aspects of a phpWebSite site.
phpWebsite utilizes a control panel approach to manage content and administer the system. Permissions are granular meaning general content contributors have no access to the administrative functions.
There is some work to be done prior to installing, but phpWebsite does checks for you to determine if your version of PHP meets the minimum requirements and whether certain features are enabled/disabled. Once you get past that initial screen, installing is nearly automatic. phpWebsite requires a backend database, most commonly used is MySQL.
Development tools
These features enable administrators (and users who have been given the appropriate permissions) to develop modules for phpWebSite.
In addition, phpWebSite allows each user to choose from several different pre-defined visual styles/themes/skins. These themes are implemented using CSS and template files. Additional themes can be created by the phpWebSite administrator for branding or customizing the look of their website. This requires familiarity with CSS and templates. There are a number of themes to choose from and these can be previewed online. A large proportion of the themes are free to download and use. Commercial themes exist for purchase and commercial theme design services are also available.
Third party tools
A large number of third party modules exist for phpWebSite. These tools extend the capabilities of phpWebSite and because it uses an object-oriented framework the modules work together to build a customized CMS. These modules include tools across all major component categories and are constantly being updated and extended by the developer community.

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