The "CMS" in ImpressCMS stands for Community Management System, not "Content Management System" which many might think. ImpressCMS is a system that runs on a PHP and MySQL framework that is designed for not only facilitating the easy editing of a website’s content, but also manage an online community. It is a "fork" from XOOPS, meaning that ImpressCMS started with the XOOPS code but launched into it’s own individual project, as many open source projects do.Consequently, many XOOPS (eXtensible Object Oriented Portal System) modules will also run on ImpressCMS or can easily be modified to. ImpressCMS utilizes "modules" that add extra functionality to the core system such as creating contact forms, posting news, having online forums, etc. The base system offers a long list of features, some of whichare its relational databases, personalization, user and group management ability, modules administration, themed-based skinnable interface, detailed permissions and personalization.
Founded in 2007, ImpressCMS quickly began gaining recognition as a community/content management system, thanks to the developer’s attention to features, functions, security and usability. These attributes have earned ImpressCMS several awards:
- Third place in the PackT Publishing’s Most Promising Open Source CMS in 2008
- First Place for the same award in 2009
- A 2008 finalist in SourceForge Community Choice Award
However, the developers of ImpressCMS were not content to sit back and coast. Rather, they have continued to make improvements and over thepast several months there have been a series of updates released, each one making ImpressCMS even more user-friendly and offering more featuressure to delight web developers everywhere. ImpressCMS focuses on being:
- Open Source
- Open Development
- Open Philosophy
- Open Community
Itis this focus that makes it a favorite of web developers everywhere. Tofully appreciate the advancements of ImpressCMS, here is an overview ofthe more recent releases.
ImpressCMS 1.2
Impress CMS was released in December of 2009, just 14 months after CMS1.1, and contained an assortment of changes that make programming easier for website developers. The changes consisted of more enhancement features and better functionality. Some of the most important changes made to Impress CMS were:
- Rewritten Image mangager with online editing
- Customizable profile module aimed at social networks
- Inclusion of a content module
- Pseudo-cron system
- AJAX Redirect-no more redirect pages
- HTMLPurifier configuration in admin backend
- Themes for Admin area
- Each user group can have separate home pages
- Text-sanitizer plugins
- The Installer has a new look thanks to AJAX
- AdSense management in Admin area
- Centralized ratings and Mimetype management
ImpressCMS 1.2.2
TheImpress CMS 1.2.2 was introduced in March of 2010 in recognition of some issues that were reported by users of Impress 1.2. If you are usingImpressCMS 1.2 and have had some problems, then take a few moments to get the upgrade. The download package can be found at SourceForge whereyou can choose between a new installation of ImpressCMS (or XOOPS) or get an upgrade from an earlier release-based on your needs. Some the Impress CMS 1.2.2 changes included:
- Control Panel
- Core Functionalities
- Design and templates
- Installation Process
- Registration Process
- Upgrade Process
If you like to stay current with new technologies, then you will be delighted to know that along with the improvements to ImpressCMS, ImpressCMS is also working towards supporting the more stable versions of PHP 5.3 which will soon include a variety of programming and design features. And if you prefer onject-oriented code structur, then you will also be pleased with ImpressCMS.
Page Progressive has been implementing both XOOPS and ImpressCMS websites now for years and we feel that it is a wonderful platform due to it’s versatility, tight-knit community and attention to security and performance.If you have not yet tried out ImpressCMS, now might be a great time to check it out 😉