CMS 6 of 24: CompactCMS, Caravel CMS, Pixie

CompactCMS

CompactCMS might just be the tenth CMS you considered using for your website. If that’s true, ask yourself why you haven’t found the right Content Management System just yet. If flexibility and efficiency come to mind: read on! CompactCMS is not your usual “fully loaded”, “handle all fuss” and “too many features” CMS. Instead, it pretty much leaves all the designing and programming up to you, but makes editing the content easy without getting in your way. CompactCMS supports your way of working.

Some core features of CompactCMS:

* Administration: one page handles it all, fully AJAX loaded
* Modifying content: a truly no fuss, efficient WYSIWYG editor
* Template system: design it once, use it all the time
* You’re in control: use your favourite editor for delicate programming
* Fully SEO-proof: friendly urls, dynamic site map and structured page lay-out
* Completely free of charge for personal use

The aim of CompactCMS is to help designers and programmers to not stand in their way while developing a website, but provide their end-users with a reliable and easy to use Content Management System.

Caravel CMS

1. No costly software to buy and maintain
2. Edit your site any time, anywhere
3. Rapid site prototyping: don’t like it? Change it, move it, rename it–with no hassles.
4. WYSIWYG HTML Editor
5. Graphical CSS Editor, with manual override
6. Multi-platform site editing
7. Support for multiple site editors
8. No complex local site tree to set up and maintain
9. Build complex forms without knowing HTML
10. Dynamic groups leverage your enterprise directory to simplify security
11. Open Source community development model
12. Web-based file system with metadata and user/group security
13. Enterprise-grade security for pages, blocks and files
14. Drag and drop layout editing
15. Drag and drop template editing
16. Graphical Site Tree
17. Trash folder saves deleted blocks
18. Block clipboard lets you move blocks between pages
19. On-the-fly RTF to HTML conversion
20. Archive and Publish in a single step
21. Built-in blogging and RSS channel support
22. Built-in support for Audio, Video and Flash content
23. Members-only content
24. Redirect on login
25. Automatic thumbnailing/file preview for graphics
26. Explorer-like file browser
27. Support for multiple block styles
28. Automatic Slide Shows and Photo Albums
29. View folder contents as links, buttons, drop-downs, files, shortened files, download lists
30. Bulk generate thousands of sites at once off corporate data
31. Dynamic site generator–just authenticate
32. E-Commerce tools
33. Event sign-up tools
34. Simplified building of web database applications
35. Dynamic and published modes let you control how your site changes take effect.
36. Randomized content (i.e. pictures, articles, tips, testimonials)
37. Natural language site search
38. Automated maintenance of site navigation
39. Build custom navigation with graphical tools.
40. Greater design flexibility than most CMS’s
41. Enterprise or ISP-style deployments
42. Seamless Apache integration
43. Intermingle custom and content-managed pages in a single site.
44. Content subscription from other Caravel sites.
45. Default site inheritance from the nearest default site.
46. Object-oriented inheritance of templates and security
47. Hundreds of sites off a single code-base
48. Automatic dates (month, day, year) times
49. Support for unlimited rows, columns.
50. Custom time zones
51. Ability to restrict features on the HTML editor
52. Custom 404 error pages.
53. Ability to create restricted roles for beginners
54. SSL support for authenticated users
55. LDAP authentication
56. Ability to turn applications on and off
57. End-user uploads
58. Automated shopping cart setup
59. Count-down timer
60. Simple hit counter
61. Simple opinion poll
62. RSS channel promotion
63. Remote-control blocks
64. Fixed or variable width sites
65. Set column or row widths by percent or pixels
66. Automated routing of file uploads by extension
67. Filter Folder content by meta-data
68. Paste from Microsoft Word
69. Post form data to HTML files with metadata
70. Add comments to any block
71. Bible gateway search feature
72. Google site search feature
73. Integration with AWStats
74. Integration with Mailman listservs
75. Export, import and archive individual blocks (ie. complex forms, events and e-commerce items
76. Export, import and archive templates
77. Support for multiple Caravel server installations on a single server
78. Support for multiple time zones across a single Caravel server
79. Weather feature
80. LDAP Directory search
81. LDAP Directory contact info feature
82. Integrated account management
83. API for adding new content block applications/functionality (portlets)
84. Navigation that maintains itself automatically.
85. Display remote content in iFrames
86. Publish, email and archive press releases in a single step.

Pixie

Pixie is not out to compete with any other site management tool. Our main goal is to keep Pixie so simple that even your Grandma could use it. But keeping Pixie simple doesn’t stop it from having plenty of powerful, useful features. So lets start with our favourite three:
The Top Three
The Installer

Most website management tools will install the same package for everyone. Pixie takes a new approach and allows you to select the type of site you are after. A blog?, A site for your band? Maybe one to run your Business? We think it’s your site - so you choose what best suits you. As Pixie matures so will the list of possibilities…

Web Standards

Pixie uses the latest web standards so whatever site you build, it’s accessible to all your visitors and is search engine friendly. Pixie is especially fond of Microformats. It’s not just your visitors who benefit though. We’re working hard to make the site administration area easy and accessible too.

Design

Pixie itself has been designed to be simple. Pixie’s interface has been refined over a number of versions to be user friendly. On the visitor side… you will love the fact that all you need to know is CSS to customise your site. If that sounds too complicated you can choose from the ever increasing amount of free themes.