[Tutor] Python CMS advice wanted

[Scott SA]

On 11/27/07, jim stockford (jim at well.com) wrote:

>IMO:
>my experience with cms systems is that there's a big
>learning curve. you might have more fun (and be more
>productive and maybe more creative) if you use the
>available appropriate python modules and cobble
>together your own site.

Woah, I whole-heartedly disagree with this. Sorry!

>    maintenance, especially by some one else, would
>be an area to worry about: each cms system has its
>own community of experts, a few of which are always
>available to help. your custom code would present
>new people a learning curve.

This is why I disagree: maintenance. 

Oh yeah, how about: security!

Along with expediency, quality and a bunch of other things like maybe the OP would like a life too (i.e. not be a slave to supporting his own code).

Frankly, the OP (Richard) does not really need the 'full-meal' of a CMS. He's looking for a templating system (cheetah, myghty, kid) and a mechanism to organize code into a web application of sorts.

While there are some behemouth CMS options (Zope/Plone) there are some lighter ones (turbogears) and even ones that are not as much CMS but frameworks (django, pylons, even quixote).

Yes, some of the frameworks/CMS have small communities (quixote) but others (django, tubogears) are quite active. Still, each _do_ have a community and if th OP chooses one that has a critical mass (all of the above), he will find ample help to get over the humps & bumps.

I'm presently working with Django and am thoroughly enjoying it. While it isn't perfect, nothing is, it is very well documented and has a vigorous community. I have worked with Zope and Quixote (ridiculous to the sublime), Django is a nice blend of features with an intelligent API for my needs. Your mileage may vary.

>    expansion and extensibility would probably be as
>problematic regardless of your choice: you can
>expand/extend your code depending on available
>modules and your imagination/skill. you can expand/
>extend a packaged cms system depending on how
>it presents an API and/or other means and limited
>by what the people coding, managing, and releasing
>the cms package choose to add (there'll sooner or
>later be bloat in everything, you want your bloat or
>some one else's?).

Do you think a person with emerging skills is going to create clean, elegant code that optimizes Python's strengths? No aspersions toward's Richard's skills, just going by his own remark: "I have a rudimentary knowledge of Python"

If the OP had stated some really specific and very unique requirements, there may be justification but telling someone to 'roll their own'. It is like saying there are side-effects to the latest Flu shot so you better go create your own. 

I don't mean to be critical of you; taking the time to express your constructive opinion is a valuable act. However, in this case I don't believe it serves in the best interest in the OP's requirements.

There are some truths to what I believe you were trying to say. Some CMS/Frameworks like Zope are to be avoided, IMHO, unless they satisfy some specific requirements (the Zope sites I have are a bear to extend for reasons outside the scope of this thread). They are bloated or just non-starters, but thankfully they are not the only options.

To close, I strongly suggest the original poster Richard check out Django, TurboGears and Pylons. I don't have much exp. with the latter two, but there is a reason they are generally popular. While those reasons don't meet with my req. they may meet with his.

It is _always_ easier to engineer/re-engineer from a _good_ base of knowledge than it is to start fresh... though an open mind is equally important.

I hope this helps,

Scott

>On Nov 27, 2007, at 6:52 AM, Richard Querin wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've got a site that is currently a static site. While not 
>> unmanageable at the moment (it's still pretty young), we've been 
>> entertaining thoughts of converting it to a CMS system. I'm looking 
>> for some good suggestions based on some simple criteria:
>>
>>
>> I'm a complete newbie when it comes to CMS systems so I'm not sure 
>> whether or not it might be better just to go with something like an 
>> install of Wordpress instead.
>>
>> Just looking for some suggestions. The current site btw is 
>> http://screencasters.heathenx.org
>>
>> RQ
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