PHPNuke and designing sites

You should be able to customize any templates to fit your designs, but yes, in general, when using a cms, you have to conform at least in part to how it's outputting the content.

Also, you don't need to have all the bits and bobs in the final version -- they can all be turned off.

try envolution from http://envolution.com it is a fork of postnuke with a much more customizable template system.

take a look at thier site it doesnt look too bad.

Also, http://www.gammasoft.co.uk is very customizable. He has a hosted site that looks nothing like a CMS and it uses IonPanel.

Quote: Originally posted by Suzanne
you have to conform at least in part to how it's outputting the content.

hehe, that's true for the most part. I have a client has a site utilizing the PHP-Nuke core. But it is now severely mangled. And the site will no longer work with PHP-Nuke compatable themes.

*grin* well that should have read in small print "unless you're Mark Hensler and can customize the CMS, not just the templates..."

Thanks for all the input on this.

I suppose that it is just all new to me and it seems (at the moment) much faster to open up the old standby, Dreamweaver, rather than sit down and learn how to modify modules and make them work.

Hey Mark, where can i get a copy of your brain?!!

As soon as I can find the original copy, I'll let you know.

Yes, using DW is much easier than messing with templates. vB utilizes templates, and it has a learning curve. But once you find which template goes where, it's fairly easy to work with. But like you said, it is restrains in your ability to design 'outside the box'.

Yeah postnuke does have it's limitations with your control over the design of a template.

I did a few gaming sites a while back and all with postnuke, I found the CMS very easy to work with and quite stable but like they say you can tell a nuke site from the layout straight away.

I hope for the future that CMS will think more of new template layouts rather than loads of new themes for the same layout.
It's on my wish list anyway.

im not the biggest fan of either of the programs
the programs limit your design, and although have some cool features and allow a lot of staff members to add stuff online it leaves little room for creativity

i have used it once, but most sites that use it look so similar,. annoying really

but hey, its only my opinion

Liam :batman:

I haven't used PHPNuke myself but I do agree on the *sameness* of its output. Sonia, you nailed it when you pointed out that many of your projects do not require all the functionality of PHPNuke - why would you take such elaborate measures for a little static 5 page brochure, for example.

Which one are you talking about taff? I didn't do any of the php nuke sites in my portfolio if that is what you are referring to. My partner did those.

Tried the Envolution CMS after someone earlier mentioning it and I must agree it's the best by far that I have tired of the CMS around, bit worried about it's similarity to postnuke and their forums being identicall to PHPBB.

However it does let you play about with the layout far more and if the need arise that I have to use a CMS site for a client then this would be the one I would probably consider.