XML/XSLT Content Management System

[JackWolfgang]

I had an idea this evening, and I wanted to run it by some techy types before I tried to do it.

I recently wrote my first XSLT, an XML Stylesheet Language Transform. What XSLT does is transforms XML into something else, for example, different format of XML, XHTML, HTML, plain text, etc. The XSLT I wrote turns an XML set of ministries (names, addresses, phone numbers, and web sites) into an HTML fragment. Using PHP, this is incorporated into another page.

My idea was an XML/XSLT based content system (and this may not be an original idea, I think I saw someone here saying they had done it). The content authors would write the content in XML with some simple tags that I define. I would write a template for the web site that would handle logos, navigation, and footers; any pages that would be static like contact pages; the Cascading Style Sheets; and the XSLT to convert the XML to XHTML. Then the content authors would upload their XML to the site, and the address for the page would be http://www.example.org/content1.xml

OK, rip the idea to shreds. Give me thoughts, concerns, and worries. Assume our content authors can probably handle a word processing program, but are not programmers/web developers.

[ckvkkeek]

I would think that you would need to provide a front end program that has places for the user to enter text and that program writes the xml for them.

[flutem3]

Re: XML/XSLT Content Management System...Sorry, I can't help a bit. I don't know what you are talking about. Therefore, I cannot tear it to shreds either. :D It seems as if you want others to be able to put information on the website without messing it up. Is that correct?

Carol

[JackWolfgang]

I would think that you would need to provide a front end program that has places for the user to enter text and that program writes the xml for them.

At which point, are you not better off going with an off-the-shelf content management system?

Re: XML/XSLT Content Management System...Sorry, I can't help a bit. I don't know what you are talking about. Therefore, I cannot tear it to shreds either. :D It seems as if you want others to be able to put information on the website without messing it up. Is that correct?

Exactly. Be able to modify content, but not formatting of navigation pieces and the general feel of the web site.

[ckvkkeek]

I just think XML is way to complicated (or at least can become way to complicated) for the average user.

And the more CMS's available the better. Many are just plain bad.

[ksollen]

Hey Jack,
XML/XSLT for content management isn't a horrible idea. It's pretty common for a cms to use these technologies, but not for the consumer to be in direct contact with the XML file itself. I have however had few projects which required such interaction, and for the most part, the response has been positive. The trick is to set up your XML file with easy to read, descriptive tags with lots of comments. XML can be very simple to follow if done right.

Here would be a quick and dirty example of simple xml for a menu:

<menu> <menuitem title="Page Name" source="Page.htm" />
<menuitem title="Page Name" source="Page.htm"> <menuitem title="Page Name" source="Page.htm" />
<menuitem title="Page Name" source="Page.htm" />
</menuitem>
<menuitem title="Page Name" source="Page.htm" />
</menu>

You could then output this as an unordered list using XSLT
<ul> <li><a href="Page.htm">Page Name</a></li>
<li><a href="Page.htm">Page Name</a> <ul> <li><a href="Page.htm">Page Name</a></li>
<li><a href="Page.htm">Page Name</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="Page.htm">Page Name</a></li>
</ul>

[JackWolfgang]

Hey Jack,
XML/XSLT for content management isn't a horrible idea. It's pretty common for a cms to use these technologies, but not for the consumer to be in direct contact with the XML file itself. I have however had few projects which required such interaction, and for the most part, the response has been positive. The trick is to set up your XML file with easy to read, descriptive tags with lots of comments. XML can be very simple to follow if done right.

That's what I was thinking. Perhaps just tags for paragraphs, tags for lists, tags for links and tags for images. For example:

<para>
Now is the time for all
<link url="http://www.whoisjesus-really.com/">good men</link>
to come to the aid of their country.
</para>
<list type="numbered">
<item>One</item>
<item>Two</item>
<item>Three</item>
<item>Four</item>
</list>
<image url="http://www.example.com/images/image.jpg" align="center" />


What do you think? Or would I be better off with another CMS?