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Editable Content

There are different ways to make a web site, or parts of it, editable by a client themselves. This can be done either by using a database to store the content, often known as using a content management system (CMS), or by providing a facility so that pages can be edited using an online editor in the browser. Most of the sites we develop use these options to some extent depending on the requirements of the client and the situation.

Database (CMS)

Some or all of the content is stored in a database and this is then dynamically embedded into the pages seamlessly on the server so it will work with any browser type or version. This page is being displayed in exactly that way and this makes it easy to add and edit the content.

Our preferred choice is to use php scripts with a mySQL database as this is the most widely used cross platform combination. We also build private pages for our clients to easily enter and edit the data. While theoretically the content for an entire site can be displayed in this way there is a cost overhead so we recommend using a mixture of fixed and dynamic areas as necessary.

Browser Editing

All or part of a web site can be setup to enable editing with a WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) online editor. This works in Internet Explorer and can be used by anyone without having knowledge of html code as it is just like using a Word Processor. The pages can be viewed as normal in any browser type and version.

There are many options for how to set this up ranging from full to part page editing. In general we find that most prefer to have access to only edit the main parts of each page so that there is no risk of messing up the menu, headers/footers and scripts for effects or dynamic elements.

Practical application

We consider carefully each clients requirements for each page of their web site and based on this we will recommend what approach is used for each page. In practice we have found that the best solution is usually a combination of these approaches where editable elements are required.