Agreed. Anything can be considered 'content'. You might as well call it a DMS (Data Management System).

I have written (helped write) a CMS for a company that hosts and manages multiple websites through a WYSIWYG editor for the content, and using pre-packaged templates for the design and layout of the site. Really geared for small to medium sized businesses to get them on the web.

To get onto the thread about templating systems. I was quite proud of my templating system :), and even talked to you (perrin) about it when you were writing your Choosing a Templating System article. You heard me mention something about it on the mod_perl list and asked me why I had written my own templating system. This was a few years ago, and I have learned the ways of HTML::Template since (my module was actually quite similar to HTML::Template having loops and includes and such, although not as fast and cleanly implemented).

Even though I have many modules that I have written in the past that I no longer use, and even dread looking at, I am still glad that I wrote them instead of just using the CPAN equivalent. It really taught me a lot to see how I attacked a problem and then later on see how others solved the same problem.

These days I try not to reinvent the wheel, but when I was starting out, writing these tools from scratch was an invaluable learning experience. So, what I am suggesting here is that everyone should take the time to write a templating module... Just don't release it on CPAN 'cause we've got enough there already :)

- Cees

I feel guilty twice, not only I built a CMS, but I also made a templating system; it seems to be a common sin here :)

Besides that, the first CMS has been the most exciting project I've ever done. I'm still convinced that my approach was different from the ones listed by perrin in his enlightening article for perl.com. Since then I changed work place, but I continue to develop a slightly different version in my spare time. I think that these kind of projects is very helpful to learn and give many satisfactions. My current dream is to develop a CMS for Panini Group, possibly with help from bronto and larsen, maybe using Mason.

The thing that I will miss most is the talk from perrin at TPC7; I think that his comparison of "Object-Relational Mapping Tools for Perl" can give good directions when building CMSs. perrin, will you write another article for perl.com? :))

Ciao, Valerio

update: Thank you very much perrin! Now I must convince the other ones: TheDamian, MJD, merlyn, acme and BigAl :))

I do intend to write up an article version of this year's talk. Of course first I'd better finish tweaking my presentation slides...