Xpress-CMS – New Beginning

This is new project assigned to me by myself. Like this name? I like it because I loved my Nokia Xpress Music Mobile. Yesterday I lost it. Now you know why I named it Xpress. I am part time website designer. Most of the website I design is normal static page sites which requires constant editing of contents. Actually I accept projects keeping in mind I’m not a full time Web Developer. Normally it takes much time to design the catchy dynamic pages with lot of scripts in it, at least for me.

Initially I used to design the sites with just HTML and CSS. I was very comfortable with it and happy to do it. There came the villain. Clients used to call me for every additions and modification in the content. Although it is simple and easy, I felt it as useless and waste of time to edit the html files again and again. To avoid this annoying I started making the websites with Open Source Content Management Systems. In fact I hate to use others work, have to do it some times when there is no other way. It also consumes some time to get the knowledge of the target CMS.

Recently I felt, why I have to use the others work, when I am capable of doing my own. I can list out numerous advantages on it. I am aware it consumes more time than using and learning others available work. I am going to count on satisfaction after completion.

This is one reason. I got another. I can call that as inspiration. I am using Windows Live Writer for uploading contents to my blogs. I feel editing and uploading contents this way is lot more easier than doing through administration pages comes with CMS. So if I design application of that sort and give it to clients I can avoid the annoying. But this is long term objective of this project. Here are the objectives/requirements for the initial version of Xpress CMS.

- Simple and Understandable Administrative Panel

- User Authentication.

- Theme/Template Selection

- Light Weight. Must occupy lesser space.

- XML-RPC implementation (for writer application)

I planned to do this project using PHP and MySQL, frontrunners in open source development. Going to use whatever latest technologies strikes my mind, not forgetting the objectives.

I am managing the code with Google Codes. If you want to contribute or take part in this project, you are always welcome. I initiated this, but I don’t want it to be all mine. Contributors will get their respective credits. If you participate, it is not mine, it is ours.

Keep in touch with this blog to know about the progress of this project.