what is CMS?

[rondell]

hi, Iam new to the webmaster world
I was reading and was interesting in someone explaning to me what is CMS and how does it work in building content pages?
I have a couple of websites that needs content pages
Any help will be good

[mipapage]

Hey rondell,

CMS = Content Management System

For me it means a system that records, holds and displays content. You can add/edit content, display it in various formats (for example html vs. pdf vs. rss) and usually manage the content of a website with a CMS.

A fairly simple definition, but a good start (IMO!), as the CMS' that are available these days do way more than just manage content.

Some definitions, or better, some of the feature lists of more popular CMS' go way beyond management of content, getting into actual site building, adding of modules like polls, newsletter sign-ups etc. (for example Drupal). These apps, IMO, are more like site builders with a CMS as a component.

[topr8]

sorry to say that a CMS doesn't make content for you!

it is a method of entering data/content into a database and then showing that data as webpages.

... you still have to write the content.

[henry0]

mipapage,
You are making my day!
I am tired of reading “I need a CMS” and then the answer (for ex) "try Mambo"
Mambo and others offer a system that manages YOUR content; on the top such system (as Mambo) do offer to built your site in order to use the provided CMS

CMS does not mean site creation but site content management.

[mipapage]

You are making my day!

That's cool! As I was writing that, I was wondering if perhaps that was my own little off-the-mark-opinion... If we agree on this then we must be right ;-)