As one of the leading open-source content management systems, Drupal is written in PHP and used in the back-end for almost every website on the Internet. The software has become extremely popular due to its availability, easy installation and usage, customization and search engine-friendliness. It is a system that powers millions of websites and applications while being supported by a large community of experts from around the world.

For web development, professionals require specific perimeters when selecting a content management system. These include:

• Cost-effectiveness
• Flexibility
• Customization
• Dynamic web manipulation
• Search engine-friendliness
• Communication with support

One of the best aspects of Drupal is the cost. The software does not charge licensing fees since it is open source. Therefore, for web developers this is a major attraction to the platform. They can develop incredible websites or applications without any cost which trickles down to the customer.

Also, Drupal allows its users to develop and manage a variety of content types such as audio, video, polls, user management, blog, text, podcasts and revision controls. Therefore, users have the flexibility to create basically whatever they want in a robust environment.

In addition to the ability to develop a variety of content, customization of the platform is almost endless. One of the best customizable features is the ability to create modules to streamline the information flow thus making it easier on developers and other users.

Once a website has been designed, simple module modifications will allow the user to change any aspect they see fit. This confirms the robustness and vibrant nature of the software while giving the users complete control over every aspect of the design process.

Furthermore, most web developers require search engine friendliness. Luckily Drupal provides exactly that and allows for development to ensure websites have a high search engine ranking. Once the website is created, it can easily be managed through a user-friendly interface designed for those with basic programming knowledge.

Finally, the platform provides easy access to support by asking help from the many Drupal experts. The experts are forum communities that are frequented by expert developers and other users who can assist with the question.

Drupal is a fully-supported, search-engine friendly, customizable, robust and flexible content management system that is the perfect solution for web developers. As the community continues to grow and produce enhancements to the software, the technology will improve and could eventually become the leading platform in the world.

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1. The Future of Drupal Development
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3. The Power of Drupal Explored

Original: Using Drupal CMS for Web Development

Content management systems were developed to make publishing content on a website easy through streamlined automation. However, as content management systems become more complicated, users are realizing that these systems are capable of more than just posting web content. In an effort to cater to customer needs, content programs are changing in new ways thus creating new trends.

The Four Developing Trends

There are four developing trends in the content management system industry that are furthering along software advances. These include:

• Merge of Themes with Extensions
• Interoperability
• RDFa
• Market Fracturing

Merge of Themes with Extensions

Although the merge of themes with extensions has been slowing developing for many years, the industry is at the point where the combination makes applications run much more smoothly. Design is melting with functionality resulting in there being less of a chance of a content management system becoming too disjointed during development and in the eyes of the end-user.

Interoperability

As cloud-based computing and semantic architectures become more widely used, interoperability is becoming more feasible. Users demand that websites interact and are compatible with one another. Internet users want to be able to log in with accounts created on other sites and thus access data from other sites within a specific web page. This creates an actual web of content versus a series of tunnels.

RDFa

Another trend is the creation of programs that automate exactly how data is being structured. Drupal recently launched RDFa into their primary source code so any site running Drupal 7 will be able to take advantage of the flexibility of the new code. Other content management systems are create extensions that automate data structuring. More businesses will take advantage of semantic crawlers and easier organization.

Market Fracturing

Finally, as themes and extensions become one, talented web designers will begin building their own content management systems. Designers will need to be knowledgeable in design and function. Therefore, once designers realize the amount of potential behind the combination of cloud and semantic architectures, the market will become fractured.

The noticeable trend amongst content management systems is the merging of all aspects to truly create a world wide web. Improving code and automating specific functions will certainly further develop this trend in future platforms. Content management systems are continuously developing projects that help to expand the Internet while further connecting its users to one another.

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1. Content is Critical – An Overview of Content Management Systems
2. Three Ways Content Management Systems Are Used to Increase Productivity
3. Using Plugins with Content Management Systems

Original: Trends in Content Management Systems

Accomplishing the goals of online businesses is becoming easier each day due to content management system software like Drupal which is designed and written utilizing PHP programming. Content management systems are typically easy to navigate, interactive and offer a huge support community since it is open-source. These advantages are consistent with the Drupal system which offers so much more.

Drupal is one of the most popular content management systems because it is a powerful, efficient, cost-effective, scalable solution to assist with the management and growth of an Internet presence. There are currently thousands or developers working tirelessly to release the newest and greatest add-on to Drupal. With such a large following, those that utilize Drupal are never left without support and all future upgrades to the software are free.

Many offshore web development services understand the value of affordability and customization with regards to web development; two areas corporations fail to recognize. This is the primary reason why Drupal development is a cost-effective solution for those that utilize its wonderful functions. Drupal developers and programmers are now assisting offshore clients with best practices and providing the best system for their needs.

There are a number of features that Drupal provides to assist businesses with performing efficiently. Professional Drupal developers are experienced with creating the current features required for businesses in various industries and helping to fulfill their future goals and objectives. Some of the most common functions of Drupal that will assist with future development include:

• Templating
• Polls
• Threaded comments
• Version controls
• Friendly URL’s
• Modules
• Online help
• Personalization
• Open source model
• Collaborative book
• Search
• Role-based permission system

One of the most attractive aspects of the Drupal content management system is the ability to organize your content utilizing menus, categories and a variety of views. This indicates that multiple levels of menus are possible as well as a sub navigation menu which is available from the Primary menu system. Additionally, using the “Views” module, users will be able to display a list of all content on the website.

Although WordPress is the largest content management system to date, Drupal is not far behind. The software continues to be upgraded with new and innovative features which is resulting a higher usage rate for personal and business websites. With a continuously growing community and addition of innovative functions, Drupal may someday surpass WordPress to become the new leading content management system.

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3. Joomla vs. Drupal

Original: The Future of Drupal Development

In 2011, many unemployed individuals are looking to open-source content management system development as a source for employment. The information technology industry is slowly recuperating from the global economic recession. Unfortunately, many companies are hesitant to invest in new projects, technology and staff. However, on the Internet, there are many opportunities to develop and implement content management systems like Joomla, WordPress and Drupal.

Open source content management systems typically have the advantage of being user-friendly. However, to create that advantage, programmers must have a highly skilled technical resource. Industry professionals have seen a 40 percent increase in demand for open source content management system work like Drupal. The good news for those with Drupal technical training is the demand is there but the supply is lacking.

There are multiple roles to implementing a content management system platform which include:

• Programmer
• Front end designers/themers
• System administrators
• Site builders

Programmers create the code that powers content management systems. Most use programming languages like Ruby, Java and PHP to create components, plug-ins and modules for the content platform. Front end designers and themers center their efforts on the aesthetic features of the site. They use tools like CSS, JavaScript and HTML to improve the look and feel of the platform.

System administrators put their effort into infrastructure and platform maintenance. Typical administrators have web server skills and knowledge of the platform. Finally, site builders are experienced with the features of the system as well as the architecture. The main focus of site builders is the site configuration.

Further developing skills in these fields or any of the aforementioned programming languages will not only help you in many information technology fields, but also with the growing open source content management system industry. It is feasible to develop these skills through training and certificate programs in six months to a year. There are plenty of online courses that fulfill this need.

Another option is to focus on independent study which is of fairly low cost. Online tutorials, books and conferences that offer intensive training can be effective. All you need is time, a small amount of money and extreme discipline.

The growing open source content management system field is an excellent way to make a part-time (through freelancing) or full-time paycheck once the necessary knowledge is obtained. These types of jobs could significantly decrease the unemployment rate in the coming years.

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1. Open Source CMS Review – Top Three CMS
2. Top 15 Open Source CMS Systems
3. A Closer Look at the Open-Source CMS

Original: Increasing Demand for Open Source CMS Abilities in 2011

Information technology experts for the United States House of Representatives decided to move their 520 websites to a Drupal open-source web hosting platform. Drupal was selected because it is the preferred web hosting type for House of Representative websites. Drupal is open-source software with high compatibility to many social networking and Web 2.0 applications. Many other Government organizations are utilizing Drupal, including the White House.

The House of Representatives currently hosts 520 websites for its leadership, officials, administrative services, members and committees. These sites are hosted on a mixture of proprietary and open-source content management systems. House information technology professionals are working in conjunction with other experts to ensure the transfer of files is successful. These experts include, Ingalls Information Security, Acquia Inc. and Phase2 Technology.

The team of experts developed, confirmed and delivered the Drupal 7 platform to be used by the House of Representatives. On January 5^th, the Drupal implementation went live with a small portion of websites. Others will be rolled out in a timely fashion. The goal of the platform is to standardize web presence utilizing Drupal.

The House of Representatives Chief Administrative Officer is searching for preferred vendors to help each House member produce a website. The primary goal of this solicitation is to create a list of prequalified vendors. Other goals include:

• Notifying vendors of the Drupal platform transition
• Acquiring feedback regarding proposed web service agreements
• Connecting qualified vendors to House offices in need of web services

Once this list is compiled, each House of Representative member will be given the choice to select a vendor to assist them with the development of a website. This type of list tends to be humungous so each member or committee will have plenty of options to choose from.

When the Government began searching for a platform, they decided on Drupal because the software could meet their requirements of hosting hundreds of different websites full of content and with individual features. Drupal allows for the ability to implement websites efficiently.

Since other federal departments have made the switch to Drupal-based platforms, it is inevitable the entire Government will eventually switch. Drupal provides many features that are attractive to the United States Government. If successful, many Americans will witness the success and perhaps switch to Drupal for their own person or business use. This is another example of a content management system consolidating information for easy access and use.

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1. WhiteHouse.gov To Use Drupal
2. Are You Doing it With Drupal?
3. The Power of Drupal Explored

Original: Sections of the Government Moving to Drupal

Content management systems, also known as CMS, are powerful and robust software solutions that allow you to easily create, manage, organize, and promote websites. Professional grade e-commerce sites, personal blogs, and business portfolios can quickly be set up and marketed utilizing pre-made templates that simplify site design and put supreme creativity at the hands of even the most novice webmaster or aspiring online entrepreneur.

In years past, website owners either needed extensive web development skills and programming knowledge, or the funds to invest in outsourcing these tasks to a professional developer or an Internet technology team. Fortunately, with the development of content management systems like WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal, even the most inexperienced website owner can enjoy the following three productivity boosting attributes.

Diverse Development & Design

Content management systems are open source server-side software, which means they are constantly updated and improved by an open community of web developers that routinely enhance the functionality and capabilities of the CMS. This community of developers is constantly expanding, with each new member being a possible creator of a new theme or plugin.

Themes, also known as templates, are premade designs that can be instantly applied to every page on a website, without changing the content or backend administration settings of the site. The diverse development community and subsequent ongoing creation of new templates allows website owners to quickly and easily change the look and feel of the site, with minimal effort and risk. By greatly reducing the amount of time that it takes to build and fully design a website, content management systems effectively eliminate the usual temporal restrictions of site development.

Ongoing Organization

After facilitating the creation of the website, the content management system can then be used to continually maintain ongoing organization, by giving the site owner the ability to quickly and easily create site categories, product catalogs, and other administrative interfaces within the control panel. With a content management system you can quickly access old posts, as well as edit them, and move them to different areas of the site. You can also get a better overall picture of how the site will look when it’s finished by using the preview feature that is included within the publishing module of nearly every major content management system.

Entrepreneurial Expansion

The same open source development community that is primarily responsible for creating new templates and themes for content management systems, also regularly contributes to the ever-expanding plugin library. Content management system plugins allow you to instantly change and improve the functionality of the CMS administrative interface by adding new modules and features. By utilizing a CMS that has a large repository of plugins available at the moment, you can ensure that the capabilities of your website and administrative interface are not limited in any way. Installing plugins within a content management system is typically a simple process that can be completed in under 2 minutes with a couple of clicks of the mouse.

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Original: Three Ways Content Management Systems Are Used to Increase Productivity

While Expression Engine is not nearly as popular as other content management systems like Joomla WordPress, and Drupal, it is quickly gaining popularity as more people become aware of its extensive benefits. Expression Engine’s user interface is incredibly user friendly and is ideal for both novice webmasters and advanced web developers alike.

After examining the user interface for more than a coupe of minutes, virtually anyone with the smalls amount of technical experience should be able to express themselves freely through the Expression Engine control panel. The following will review the overall functionality of Expression Engine, in comparison to some of its more popular competitors.

Managing Multiple Sites with Expression Engine

Expression Engine has many revolutionary and unique new features that webmasters and developers will love. For example, the software supports the management of several web sites simultaneously through a centralized control interface. This is a huge time saver and productivity booster, especially considering that most of the other CMS on the market do not support multi-site management out of the box. The software makes it easy to manage your network of sites using features like the global find and replace, which lets you perform a find and replace on all of your web sites instantaneously. Never before has there been a content management system that simplifies the administration of multiple sites like Expression Engine.

Developer’s Features in Expression Engine

Developers love Expression Engine because it provides unparalleled flexibility when designing new web pages, due to the highly compatible templating system that the software is based on. Thus, Expression Engine is an ideal solution for professional web developers that need a platform to express their art form through. If you’re tired of the restrictions that other CMS place on your development capabilities, you may want to consider the flexibility and simplicity of Expression Engine, which is being expanded upon every day. Since Expression Engine is an open source software, the team f developers that work to improve it is expanding every day, along with the feature list of the software and its overall functionality.

Is Expression Engine Free?

Expression Engine is one of the few content management systems that has a free and paid version. The free version provides enough power to manage and create web sites, and can be compared to conventional content management systems. The free version of the software can only be used on a couple of web sites, while the commercial version of the software (which costs about $100) can be used on an unlimited amount of web site, and there are no usage restrictions. Professional webmasters and web developers should definitely consider the added advantages of using the paid license of Expression Engine, rather than a free version or a conventional CMS, which bears significant functionality limitations. Considering that Expression Engine is one of the only CMS on the market that is not free, it is easy to see why so many new features are added with each update.

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Original: Review of the Expression Engine CMS

Content management systems are integral tools needed for the management and building of professional web sites. Without a good CMS, most web site owners would not be capable of setting up their site and maintaining it on a daily basis, as that would require a great deal of technical knowledge and persistence. Fortunately, there are developers out there that understand the frustration of not having the skills necessary to create and operate sites, and as a result the internet has witnessed the invention and advent of several notable open source content management systems.

Open source CMS are different from conventional CMS because they can be expanded upon by any developer with the knowledge and willpower to do so. Rather than being limited by the core features of the software, webmasters can use open source software to enhance their web site management capabilities, and even build new content management systems around the core system. If you would like to take advantage of such a software then you may want to consider the advantages of the following top three open source content management systems.

WordPress

WordPress is by far the most popular and powerful CMS available today, especially with the release of the revolutionary WordPress 3.0 that surfaced just a few months ago. WordPress has a larger plugin library than any other CMS, which means you don’t have to start from scratch just because the software is an open source platform. In fact, there are currently thousands of plugins available for WordPress that improve nearly every aspect of site management and creation, including but not limited to search engine optimization, site design, and site navigation. If you are looking for a reliable open source software that is easy to use and renowned for it user-friendly interface, then you should definitely consider the benefits of WordPress, the number one open source content management system.

Joomla

Joomla is similar to WordPress in that it has a large library of plugins and optional modules available that enhance the functionality of the software. However, Joomla is not as user-friendly as other CMS because it is primarily geared towards professional developers that need a robust development platform through which they can design high-tech web sites. Unfortunately, Joomla is not made for amateur webmasters and is a bit more restrictive than WordPress, which is why it has earned the second spot in the open source CMS review list.

Drupal

Drupal is one of the best open source CMS available, primarily because of its incredible capability to replicate the functionality of all other CMS, within a slightly more complex interface of course. Unfortunately, this functionality cannot be realized by the average webmaster, simply because it is such a unique CMS that has its own development language. Experienced web developers may find that they like Drupal better than the above two CSM, as it is possible to create pages that are beyond the standard templating structure of a conventional content management system.

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Original: Open Source CMS Review – Top Three CMS

One of the more popular CMS solutions is Drupal. Other solutions are Joomla and WordPress. All CMS programs give you the opportunity to choose the format and template of your website. Most CMS solutions have the same features when it comes to design functions. However, Drupal seems to simplify the process of employing themes with your site, more so than your average CMS. One of the best things about Drupal is that the design of your website has been centralized and your entire site can be controlled and manipulated using a central database. The process of using Drupal is for the most part simple, to fully take advantage of the design features offered by Drupal there are a few key notes that must be taken into consideration.

Choosing the Right Theme

One of the first things involved with designing a web site is choosing a them that would properly fit with the aesthetics of your website. Themes can be found all over the web and are offered by a variety of third party websites that specialize in web design. Simply searching engines, such as Google, for web design themes and templates can return hundreds or even thousands of results. When choosing your theme it is important to note whether the one you have selected is compatible with the version of Drupal you are using. If after browsing through the available themes and templates you still cannot decide which would be best, enlisting the services of a web designer may be in order.

Hiring a Web Developer

Web designers are readily available and can assist in fabricating a custom design for you site. Designers can be found that will work at reasonable prices. Making sure you enlist the help of a reputable designer is paramount. You do not want to enlist the help of someone with little to no experience in the field. Hiring a designer who is also highly acquainted with Drupal’s functions and capabilities is also important. Making sure that the designer you contract to your cause is willing to make changes to the final product is very important. If you are paying for a service then obviously you will want it done right and not just done.

Integrating your Theme

Now that you have developed the theme that is right for your site you will need to install it to your site and get it on the web. The first thing that must be done is to go over all documents related to the development of your theme as they may provide pertinent information to the installation of your theme. After becoming properly acquainted with the installation process it is time to upload your theme to the correct location. This location is usually: “/sites/all/ThemeName”.

All that is left to do at this point is log into your site under an administrative account to finish the process. Accessing the administrative functions of your site is as easy as typing a web address into the address bar of your browser. To access the administrative functions of your site you will need to type “yoursitesname.com/admin” into the URL bar of your internet browser. Once you have accessed the administrative interface you will need to locate the proper location to add your theme. Locating the proper location for doing this is easy and is usually labeled as “Site Building Area.”

Once you have accessed the building area you will then want to click on “Themes” to upload your theme. Once you have done this you will be able to see a list of your uploaded themes. Now that you have found your themes it is just a matter of choosing the one that you have fabricated, setting it as your default and saving your site. Once all this has been done all that is left to do is click on “Save Configuration” to finalize the process.

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Original: Using CMS Creation Technology

Content management systems have become an integral part of a webmaster’s daily duties, simplifying the process of managing and operating a website within a centralized user-friendly interface. Before content management systems website owners had to have training in HTML, PHP and CSS in order to create, organize and upload web pages manually.

Fortunately, with the advent of CMS like WordPress and Drupal, webmasters can now create and manage stunning websites with little or no web development experience. Moreover, most web hosting plans include Fantastico, an extremely useful application that usually comes free in web hosting accounts powered by the cPanel. Designed to run on Unix-like platforms, its purpose is to facilitate the simple installation of a wide range of add-on programs totally free and in a matter of minutes.

Web hosting account from WebHostingHub.com, for example, comes with cPanel and Fantastico De Luxe and therefore, includes all of the popular website software such as WordPress, B2Evolution, Geeklog, Nucleus, Joomla, Drupal, Mambo, Moodle, Cube Cart, OS Commerce, Zen Cart and many more [Hub's cPanel demo]. WebHostingHub.com is one of the best rated personal web hosting provider across many reputable hosting directories and reviews sites. Make sure you have taken that into account when searching for web hosting service for your Drupal or WordPress web site.

Nevertheless, the two aforementioned content management systems are the best in the industry, but which is the crowd favorite?

WordPress

In terms of popularity, WordPress is leaps and bounds above all competitors. Originally designed as a blogging platform, WordPress has grown into an extremely useful content management system over the past few years. The strong point of WordPress is the abundance of plugins that have been designed by independent developers. Literally every aspect of site creation, organization and search engine optimization can be dealt with using WordPress plugins. These plugins are basically additions to the CMS, which enhance the functionality of the user interface.

With hundreds of WordPress plugins available, and new ones being created each day, it is easy to see why WordPress is easily the crowd favorite. Many people find it difficult to find the right plugins to simplify a specific task. Fortunately there is a large WordPress community that can offer advice on which plugins to use and how to use the WordPress content management system properly.

Drupal

Drupal is a unique advanced content management system that gives the user complete control over the development of a site. Unlike other CMS which utilize WYSIWYG editors and simplified interfaces, Drupal is made specifically for web developers. In fact, it is said that Drupal is actually more of a development platform than a simple CMS. Even though Drupal is not very user-friendly, it is perfect for professional web developers that need full control over scripting and advanced site design. One of the strong points of Drupal is the massive user community full of professional web developers that are constantly sharing advice and tips on how to use Drupal. When used correctly, Drupal can create the best websites on the internet, and due to its advanced capabilities there are very few limitations.

Conclusion

Both content management systems have their own pros and cons, however WordPress is generally seen as being the best choice for novice webmaster. More advanced web developers should consider Drupal, as it offers freedom and control not seen in any other CMS. Many webmasters use both Drupal and WordPress, depending upon their needs for a particular website. The limitations of both content management systems depend entirely upon the user’s experience and resources. With the right plugins WordPress can beat just about any CMS in existence. However, when utilized by the right developer Drupal can create sites that WordPress cannot even manage! Ultimately, the decision is left to the webmaster, their experience level, and their needs.

For the best WordPress or Drupal web hosting providers check one of the web’s popular web hosting directories – WebHostingRating.com. They have detailed info on all major web hosting providers accompanied by unedited web hosting reviews and ratings by real customers. Also make sure you’ve checked WebHostingGeeks.com – an independent web hosting reviews site with web hosting offers under $10 a month and 30 day money back guarantee.

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Original: The Best CMS – WordPress vs. Drupal