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Just Starting but not Stupid

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May 06.2011

I have been a VB developer for several (15) years, but have never created a web site. I would now like to create a pro level site that consists of the following:

Several top level categories
Each Top Level can have 1 or more child categories
Once you reach a destination a document or page will be presented which will include text, pictures, and (I hope) adds.

These documents will be prepared by several different authors and the site will be updated at least once a day. I would like to be able to simply drop the finished pages, once submitted by the author, into a database or file structure and have some type of auto update procedure that will add one or many new document or pages each update cycle. In my mind I see this database as the controlling member and establishing the top and child categories. Can that be done? As you can tell, I am so new to this idea that I don’t even know if the culture calls these documents or pages or widgets or what.

What design tools would those of you in the know recommend for this type of project. Can I back end this project with a SQL Server database? Is there a way to have a growing selection of adds, each with an inbedded hyperlink, and be able to quickly select which adds are placed on the new pages? What would be the simplest layout tools to give to the document authors?

Sorry for the long first post, but I know I need a lot of help here in the beginning, and this looks like the best place to get it.

OK, maybe a little stupid.

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2 Comments(s) ↴

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@dps225May 06.2011 — Sounds like you're in the market for a Content Management System (CMS). What you described so far sounds very much like a Blog - regularly updated content, posted by multiple authors.

There are literally dozens of CMSs out there already built and ready for you to use. You just have to find a host and pick one. You might start with Wordpress, which is PHP-based. It does not support a SQL-server backend, it relies on MySQL instead. But it would definitely support your other objectives and at very little cost which, if you're just getting your feet wet, is probably a good thing.

Other popular CMSs include Drupal and Joomla (also PHP/MySQL-based). Surely there are CMSs built for the Windows crowd, I'm just not personally familiar with them.

So I'd recommend reading up on CMS systems and what they can do. The more popular ones have their own community forums, which can be a great resource for the uninitiated. Then I'd find a web host or two that already provides an installation of one or more of the CMSs you want to try and give them a whirl to see how it works. Let us know what you find!
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@lordspaceMay 06.2011 — "Just Starting but not Stupid" I like that ?

I guess you are going to use php + MySQL ?

If your goal is to learn something while doing it I'd say start with a nice php book otherwise you you could start with Wordpress and create a plugin that adds the missing functionality you need.
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