How a Content Management System Works

If you look at screenshot overleaf, you will see all the different parts that combine to make up a content management system today.

A basic content management system works like this:

1. 1. You select a template from the templates that are available by default with your content management system. If you prefer, you can spend a little money and hire a professional web designer/developer to create a custom template, typically with a logo at the top, and standard navigation options across the top, down the left-hand side, and/or at the foot of the page incorporating all the insert tags required to display information from the database.

2. 2. When the information is submitted, it usually goes through a process of review by a designated administrator who may accept it, send it back for revision, or reject it. The information is available for viewing from the database only if the administrator or designated manager approves the information.

3. 3. A text database stores the information. When a user requests information, the data script makes a request to the database for the information. The information in combination with the template forms the display page you see in your browser. Think mail merge in your favorite word processing program. The scripting language in use determines the URL page extension; in PHP, the extension is .php. It can also be .cfm for Adobe ColdFusion, .asp for Microsoft Active Server Pages, or htm/html for UNIX Linux.

4. 4. The content management system generates indexes allowing it to keep track of added, updated, accessed, and deleted information. It also keeps track of who performed and approved these actions.

5. 5. Most content management systems offer document archives, built-in search engines, permission controls, e-commerce, and workflow control.