How much mid-course adjustments can you afford to make?
Ph.P
Considerations •
Make-up of Development Developm ent Team
• • • •
Single or Multiple members Functional roles Familiarity with CMS / Framework
Timeline
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Characteristics •
Open Source CMS
• • •
Basic set of functionalities
•
Themes to customise look & feel
Extensions required to enhance app Standard look & feel with fixed positioning of design elements
Ph.P
Characteristics •
Open Source CMS works best when:
• • •
Project requirements relatively straight forward Existing extensions can do the job Custom themes can conform to CMS’s basic structure
• “Square Peg in a Square World” Ph.P
But... •
Things start to fall apart when:
• • • •
“I need function Y which is not in Extension Z” “Can add category to this listing?” “The design is too square-ish.” “Can don’t have this thing here?”
• Which means... Ph.P
What they really mean •
Things start to fall apart when:
•
You’ll need to mod Extension Z to include Function Y (or new design element).
•
You’ll need to mod the core system to include the new function.
•
You’ll need to mod the design which may be intertwined with the core system
Circularr World” • “Square Peg in a Circula Ph.P
Options Available •
Modify the codes
• •
Submit Bug Fix / Feature Request to extension / core system developers
• •
Issues with future upgrades
Long wait...
Create your own extensions
• •
DIY or Outsource Shorter wait & more control, but some restrictions still apply Ph.P
Time to Mod / Hack = $$$$ Ph.P
Characteristics •
Open Source Framework
• •
Basic set of functionalities
•
Standard look & feel (scaffold) or customise almost anything
•
Conforms to your designs and requirements
Full control over how the site is put together (freeform & far more flexible)
Ph.P
Characteristics
• Open Source Framework •
Handles all the primary functions (eg. connecting to database, parsing data, processing forms)
•
Spend more time concentrating on the business-specific problem, rather than on the "plumbing" code behind it.
•
Limit choices during development, so it increases productivity, especially in large and complex systems.
Ph.P
Characteristics •
Open Source Framework
•
Patterns
• • • • •
Model-View-Controller Factory
Object Oriented Don’t Repeat Repe at Yourself ourself Convention over Configuration
Ph.P
Characteristics •
Open Source Framework works best when:
•
Project requirements is complex & need maximum flexibility
• • •
Flexible design and fully customised front-end Team-friendly & minimal documentation Focus on User Interface / Experience
Ph.P
But... •
The down-side of Frameworks:
• • •
Lower QC over end-product Man-hours for updates & upgrades Can be inflexible if not planned properly, resulting in total rewrite
Ph.P
Conclusion • • • •
Evaluate each project’s needs Know your tools Build your foundation foundation & library librar y of reusable codes Plan properly p roperly,, but change chan ge is inevitable
