[WEB4LIB] Creating local content for web

[Michael A Mayo]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Drew, Bill" <drewwe at MORRISVILLE.EDU>
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Creating local content for web
> I am
> looking for a free or cheap database program that can be used to
eventually
> create such content.  I am finding that Access is too complicated and
> requires too much in the way of programming skills.

Unfortunately, the use of dynamic content for the web has only recently
become common.  Content managment systems are still fairly primitive.
Putting up dynamic content is nowhere near as easy as starting up a web
server and making an HTML file.

Access is pretty close to the best available in ease-of-use.  The main
alternative is FileMaker.  Using FM, you can produce dynamic pages with a
standard themeable look without any programming.  However, the resulting
pages will have a fairly primitive layout and the look will not fit in with
your exisitng web site.  This kind of thing is more suited to publishing an
in-house database to the web than it is to producing dynamic content for a
website.

Using FM, you can also make up your own dynamic pages using a very simple
programming language (CDML).  CDML is fairly easy to learn.  It's similar to
PHP in that the programming is embedded in the HTML.  Also, you must run the
FMPro web server.

While making dynamic content with FM/CDML is probably somewhat easier than
doing it with Access/VB, it's not that much easier.  If you want to produce
dynamic content, you will either have to learn a programming language, hire
someone who knows a programming language, or wait until there is a simple
content managment system available suited to small sites.  Don't hold your
breath. =)


>I am after something
> that can be used now to create static pages that we will then move to the
> webserver.

    There are plenty of content management systems that will automatically
produce static files.  However, I don't believe any of them are simple to
use or require little/no programming knowledge.  Sadly, I don't believe what
you are looking for exists (yet).  Maybe in another 2-3 years...

                   -Mike