Forum Moderators: phranque
I run a local support group in my town. Currently, we use Yahoo!Groups as an activity calendar and event reminder.
I also send out a monthly newsletter detailing the activities for the month. Right now, members email me with their activities, I format and compose the newsletter. Then I copy and paste each activity into the calendar at Yahoo!Groups and set the reminders.
This wasn't a big deal when the group was small, but it's grown quite a bit and this task is taking more time than I have.
I started off wanting to develop a submission form so that group members would have to include all the info about their activity before sending it to me (frequently they leave stuff out).
Then it occurred to me that it would be even better if they could fill out the form and it would automatically put everything in the calendar.
I should also say, up front, that I'm not interested in converting our website to php, I just want to fit the new features into the existing website.
Here's what I want to add to the website:
1. Member application form (new people joining)
2. Member renewal form (old members returning)
3. Event submission form
4. Calendar
I want 2-4 to live in the existing "Members Only" protected directory on the website.
I need the calendar to be able to email reminders to users, and ideally, generate a single email listing all of the upcoming activities for the month. This would free me from having to write the newsletter at all.
If it can't do the monthly compilation, then I need the submission form to email me the event info, as well as place it in the calendar.
I've looked at 30+ CMS packages, most of which seem to be severe overkill for what I need. I don't need a blog, or a forum. I could use review features as people recommend local dentists, etc, but I don't need it.
Any suggestions for a script, group of scripts, or a CMS that will do what I need, without too much other stuff that I don't need? I want to dump Yahoo!Groups entirely.
The site is on shared hosting, Apache server, Linux, PHPMyAdmin and MySql.
Thanks!
If you do not want a full PHP site conversion you are going anyway to be pretty close
# 1&2&3 you can use a regular HTML/CGI form but if you want the form content to feed a DB then we are again speaking about PHP
Calendar: there are many calendars that you can get free of charge at a site such as “HotScripts” usually it installs easily and you do not need much PHP knowledge to install
CMS
I incorporated in one of my CMS's a good system from SPAW it is free, works and looks fine
It will incorporate fine if you do not need new content to feed a database if that would be the case then you need a better PHP knowledge
I have written a few things about incorporating it on their site, unfortunately the forum is not very active so you learn by reading!
And am planning to make it PHP5 OK which it does not yet
Sorry I will not answer to further questions; I will be away for two weeks :)
When I will be back if you need help with integrating the CMS on your site
Email me and I will try to help you
Henry
