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How to enable client to easily update site content?
Old 10-24-2008, 05:16 PM How to enable client to easily update site content?
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Hello. I'm new to this forum and still a bit new to web design/development.

I'm looking for advice on one or more ways that will allow a client to easily update text content on a website I've created for them and really don't have a clue on were to start or what methods I should be investigating.

In this case the site in question is for a bed and breakfast inn and I would like the owner/innkeeper to be able to update their room pricing whenever they like, by themselves. The biggest problem is that the owner/innkeeper is new to using computers and any solution needs to therefore be extremely simply. Not even sure this is possible.

I suppose you could call me a bit of a noob with regard to web design/development. I'm a graphic designer who is just getting into web design/development. I'm skilled and comfortable with HTML, DHTML, XHTML, and CSS. I like to write my own code. I'm able to work with and understand JavaScript, but not quite comfortable yet writing JavaScript code from scratch. And I'm just starting to learn PHP and other languages that deal with the server side of things.

Any help or advice that would get me moving in the right direction(s) would be greatly appriciated.

If my question isn't clear please let me know and I will try and elaborate on and clarify it.
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Old 10-24-2008, 05:34 PM Re: How to enable client to easily update site content?
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BTW: Sorry if this question has been asked before. I'm am working my way through past forum posts to see if answers to such a question have been posted before.
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Old 10-24-2008, 06:20 PM Re: How to enable client to easily update site content?
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The easiest thing is probably to use a content management system. Your client will need to at least get on the web and login to the CMS. I'd recommend WordPress and I'm guessing quite a few people here would back me. You'd need to turn your design into a WordPress theme, but it sounds like you have the skills. It could take a few days to feel comfortable with how WordPress organizes theme files, but it's not hard.

However there might even be simpler solutions depending on how quick you could get up to speed with PHP and a database.

I'm guessing the room price something consistent across the site. Maybe there's a few different prices, but I would think it's no more than a handful that would change. You could develop a simple form that displays the current prices and allows someone to update those prices. The form would need password protection so only your client could access the page. The prices would be stored in a databases and on submitting the form those prices would be updated in the database.

Wherever site is displaying a room price your code would need to have php reading the appropriate value from the database to display it.

None of what I just described is difficult, but if you're just getting started with php/mysql (mysql is the likely database, though you could use others) there's going to be a learning curve naturally.

The form might end up being the simplest solution for your client, especially if it's only the room prices they'll ever update. WordPress is overkill for the one change and your client would end up needing to make the same change on every page where the room price is displayed. It might be quicker for you to turn your design into a WordPress theme, though maybe not that much quicker.

A few people here have recommended using sqlite as a database. I've yet to use it myself, though I will be spending part of the weekend learning how for a project I'll be working on next week. It looks like it might simplify what you'd need to know about the database a little and given you'd only need to store a full value it probably makes more sense to use the lite database.

The form I described really is pretty simple. The issue will be how soon you need to have the site set up and how soon you can get up to speed on the technologies. It's probably a good first project for you to learn too since it will cover the basics, but still be relative simple to program.
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Old 10-24-2008, 07:30 PM Re: How to enable client to easily update site content?
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Thank you for your reply vangogh! It was very helpful.

I do have the time to learn setting up a database and how to use PHP. The site in question is already up and running, and the client is happy with it. They are also happy coming to me to make the occasional changes, but we both think it would be nice if they could make changes themselves. Plus, I know a client I'm completing other work for is going to request this web development service/feature soon, so I better learn to do it now.

Here's hoping I'm smart enough to figure everything out. If I have more questions I will be sure to post them. *wink*

~~~

If anyone else has an opinion or advice... do please post a reply!
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Old 10-24-2008, 07:36 PM Re: How to enable client to easily update site content?
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Glad to help. If the site is up and this is simply something to add to it then learning php/mysql is your best bet. It sounds like you want to learn both. There's lots of tutorials online, though you might learn quicker with a book. There are a number that will teach you both in the same book.

You can read with this project in mind and build it as you learn.

And definitely feel free to ask more questions here if you encounter any problems.
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