marcelc

BUMP! Just want to inform that this project is still live! and a new update will come very soon. Pretty busy in the last few weeks i apologize.

@ocorreidodiogo: I do thought about that as well and working on making it happen, but as of now, this is what I have and it's better that I publish it first before it rot inside my localhost. Updates will be frequent for the time to come. I'll PM you a link for the invite.

@mike: Yay! I'm going to release an minor update too tomorrow maybe

Warning: This is going to be another long post. Read the quote below, if its not you then you can save the trouble for reading this post This CMS haven't been publish publicly before and I've been thinking wether I want to publish it or not. After consulting with Digitalsquid for a while , I finally decide to publish it. On top of that, I also believe that sharing is the best way to learn (as what Google has thought me) Introduction Background Before I jump into the technical stuff, let me give you a little background about the creation of Ciel Engine. There are many powerful CMS out there like Wordpress and Joomla that are able to do more than what Ciel Engine can currently do, then why a new CMS? First of all, I am new to web design and development and eager to learn more about this interesting subject. Ciel Engine is a way for me to broaden my knowledge about web standards and the design and management process of a website. Beyond that, I have a personal frustration upon using those CMS, specifically Wordpress. It is a basic knowledge that even though those CMS are free and open-source, the developer behind it still makes money through their free CMS in various ways. Therefore, they definitely want to keep their users to themselves. To do this, they create a specific environment where user, designer and developer are introduce to a new set of function, concept and structure, which are unique to itself. Another way to describe it is, learning to use a new CMS is like learning how to use a new software. We might know the basic skill of graphic design for example, but when learning a software like photoshop, we need to invest a chunk of our time to learn how to operate the software itself, before we are able to use our graphic design skill through photoshop. But CMS are different, they are codes, and learning a CMS is like learning a new language, even though it is not as hard as learning a language obviously. I used Wordpress for a while before, but began to learn that the structure of Wordpress is not that flexible and even though it does, a complex codes are needed. A layout created in pure HTML and CSS cannot be easily converted to Wordpress. All those awesome JS scripts I found online can’t be easily used on Wordpress because Wordpress work with plugins specifically created for them. Creating a sidebar is also complicated, a header and footer is always needed even though many website start to move away from them and many other specific rules that may seems easy for users but complicated for developers who want to build custom website. An example is this parallax scrolling site I found not long ago. It is so easy to create this site with HTML, CSS and JS. But when I want to make it dynamic using, let say Wordpress, it get super complicated. I can't find any plugins that meet my need and even though I do, I need to buy it. The structure that the CMS demand from me is also too complex and turns coding a simple parallax site complicated. Why can't I just make a dynamic site with the classic HTML, CSS and JS? This frustration reach my limit when I need to build a custom gallery for a client. Gallery plugin that I need is just not there, and it would take another chunk of my time to learn how to create plugins for Wordpress and I just can’t afford that time because my client is waiting. Why can’t I just stick to what I know, basic HTML, CSS, JS and PHP and build a site with these knowledge without having to learn some specific knowledge that can only be used on a specific environment? This is when Ciel Engine began. The Issue Open Source CMS that I found online work under a specific environment that requires a specific set of structure, themes, plugins and other things that make our life hard. The Solution Creating a CMS that serves as a mediator between the database and the developer(you) that doesn't require structure, plugins and themes. A CMS that exist to assist you on using skills that you already have. The Goal I can create sites with the classic HTML, CSS, JS and a little bit of PHP and easily make it dynamic. Technical Side How do Ciel Engine do it? Ciel Engine provide developers with few PHP functions that will help you snatch data that you need from the database. For example, you are coding your site with HTML, CSS and JS, and suddenly you need a data from the database, with a single line of PHP code, that data will be provided to you. This will make integration with JS scripts easier too. This is how other CMS do it. Yes, it is suppose to be confusing What Ciel Engine actually is Ciel Engine itself is only a admin folder that sit inside your site along with your index, about and other documents. The admin folder will allow you to access your admin control panel which will help you insert data to the database. Example of a document that stream content as a blog <?php include "config.php"; ?>[/background][/font][/color] <html> <head> </head> <body> <?php $a = 1; $b = 1; $c = content($a,$; while($data = mysql_fetch_array($c)) { $date = date_create($data['date']); ?> <a href="content-post.php?id=<?php echo $data['id'];?>"><h2><?php echo $data['title']; ?></h2></a> <p>by <?php echo $data['author']; ?></p> <p><?php echo date_format($date, 'd/m/y'); ?></p> <?php echo substr($data['post'],0,200); ?> <p><a href="blog-post.php?id=<?php echo $data['id'];?>">Read More</a></p> <?php } ?> <?php contentprev($a,$b,"blog","previous"); contentpagination($a,$b,"blog"); contentnext("blog","next"); ?> </body> </html> The Admin Control Panel is also simple and straight-forward. I've used Ciel for my client and my client is the reason why I build this CMS. They love the simplicity of the Admin CP and how straight-forward it is. I do give them How To guide for the Admin CP, but they reject it saying: it's simple and straightforward, I don't think I will need it. I feel happy What about themes? The theme is the site itself. This CMS is targeted to developer that want to create site for their clients. Not to someone who want to create his own blog like what they can do with Tumblr and Blogspot. Clients focus on the content and not the technical side of their website, therefore, a feature where user can change themes like what other CMS provided can't be found here. What about plugins? When you open Joomla's or Wordpress's site, you will find: Open Source Content Management System with thousands of themes and plugins created by our community. However, Wordpress plugins only work with Wordpress and vice versa. Ciel Engine doesn't have its own specific plugins. Instead, Ciel Engine use all Javascript, CSS and PHP and other web language scripts that you can find online. For example, you recently find Flip.js. Yes, you can easily make it dynamic with Ciel Engine. How cool is that? Progress The CMS Ciel Engine is in its beta. Download link is available and Ciel Engine can already be use and capable on creating blog, gallery and a simple internet portal (I've used it for my portfolio). Ciel Engine is an ongoing project, it is not perfect and there will be many error and bugs upon using Ciel Engine. It also lack some features that I think are essential. However, this project is live and I will keep on working on it and release updates What I'm working on User permission htaccess Haven’t properly use draft status Better Text Editor(Possibly make my own?) Article Excerpt Edit from home Global Header Logs 404 Error Page Notification What I want you to do I'm here for feedbacks on the CMS, not the beta site. So please don't critique the beta site, I'm working on a new design for it. Beta Site I've created a beta site for this software. It has some unique features though. I believe that Ciel Engine has an extraordinary power which will grow through time. I want people who love and deeply interested in web and serious about it to use this CMS. Therefore, the site is Invite only. Yes the site is made with Ciel Engine. It's also a way for me to prove and show what Ciel Engine is capable of. As of now, I personally issue all invites but soon, you can do the same too. My hope is that Ciel Engine can become a powerful CMS with a strong community behind it. Your Part 1. If you like what you have read so far and seriously interested to try Ciel Engine and be apart of the community, visit marcelc.com/beta and drop a post here so I can invite you 2. Try, Download and Use Ciel Engine 3. Ask me questions, it's okay to ask question here but I will be happy if you ask question on the beta site. 4. Use the beta site. I went through the troubles creating the features for the community, so please use it 5. Suggest features and reports bugs and errors here or at the beta site 6. Follow the progress at marcelc.com/blog.php Thank You to -Peeps on the chatbox -Glowbridge (I keep looking on your tender.li introduction topic upon writing this ) -Digital Squid -Jheg -Mikechipshop -Renaissance-Design -Steveking

So i found this text editor today: http://nicedit.com/index.php Upon installing, I have a problem. When the package come, this is the structure of the script. Script -Example Folder -The Web Page So the web page access the script from one level higher. But I want to put a script in a JS folder and have this structure The Web Page -JS Folder -Script But then, error occurred. Any solution?

Like what RD said, Apple products have quality. By spec, they are the same with other cheaper Windows machine and might even be worse. But the experience that Apple packed with their products is incomparable. When you unpacked your Apple machine, you will be stunned on how they craft all of the details: the package it self, the machine and the software inside. It's just simply beautiful and that's experience is why many people stick with Apple machine. To develop sites though, I find it more difficult with OSX. OSX has a limited environment and not as free as Windows. You can't easily find source code. But then, because of this experience, I don't mind to go through these struggle. If you are not searching for a laptop as your main machine, then I do say by Mac book and buy a Windows PC for your main machine. But otherwise, Windows laptop will be your best choice.

To use them together is quite tricky I confess. It gets really complicated when there are bugs and errors. I say, try out CMS like Wordpress or Joomla and you can easily create sites with your knowledge while being guided by their Documentation. With these CMS, you will mess around with HTML and CSS but won't go too deep with JS and PHP. On how to work on it together is to meet up somewhere and work. If you have to work online, then divide the work with your friend and then combine them later when you both are done

@steveking: will update you bout it soon

@steveking: yea, going to play with the look a bit. As for the cms, it's something I made because wordpress is too complicated for me (to create a sidebar, I need to create a function for it and to use plugins I need to search for wordpress plugin first and install it through the admin control panel and etc). So I made a cms that focus on developer during the creation process but focus on user during site management. I'll probably create a post or site about it soon

@redned99: ah true. will start working on it soon. Tx for the input man I'll update you if there's something new. And maybe i want you to take a look at my cms later.

1. Ill try experiment with other colors 2. What do you mean by RHS? 3. Coloured borders might be because i haven't disable img border-style. (in chrome, the borders are gone). For the spaces, i'm thinking of using masonry JS. 4. I will work on that. 5. Maybe it's my host. They're having some problem lately. The dog logo is just some random logo to fill the space until i came up with a better logo. Basically i like dogs, thats all haha. Tx a lot for the input

trade links with friends? will that result a quality link?

I've recently update my web page: http://marcelc.com The objective of this site is to showcase my portfolio and also as a web design and development blog where I can share my knowledge with others who share the same passion. This website is build upon a CMS that I made myself. So please check the blog page (soon portfolio page) and give some feedback This site is not done yet so feedbacks are really welcome

i like the concept and the simplicity. However, i think you should play more with the layout, especially services page. The information in services page is needed, but only presenting a chunk of text seems to be boring. For the navigation, maybe you can use the background color of each page instead of white because as of now, it is not obvious and quite confusing to figure out which is which. and i thought i can click the arrow lol

Simple, CSS's background property. A little review, this is how you define background in css background: #color url(image) repeat attachment position; Example: background: #ff0000 url(../imcool.png) repeat-x fixed top left; What you want to do is to create your head section and repeat it horizontally. For the adjustable section, you will define a color for it. You can choose whether or not you want to fixed the background. Hope this helps.