How
does Contemplate compare to other website management tools?
Many software developers have offered solutions for
separating website content from code. We like Contemplate because
it can work seamlessly with just about any development tool
or technology. However, its functionality is focused on separating
content from code, not on editing content or writing code. If
you're dealing with any of the following problems, Contemplate
can help:
Repeating content or design updates in multiple
files
If you have to repeat an edit to a menu or footer
more than once, your current website does not adequately
share its content and design elements. Contemplate lets you
set up sitewide templates, used by multiple pages, so you
can edit all pages from a single source; and it lets you
embed the same content on different pages if needed, without
actually repeating that content.
Sifting through HTML in order to find your PHP code
If you have PHP code embedded among your HTML, it can be
needlessly difficult to make functionality changes. Contemplate
lets you store your code in a separate file and merge it
with your content using an embed tag. This allows you to
edit your HTML and your functionality independently of each
other.
Sifting through PHP in order to find your HTML code
If you have PHP code that processes data and outputs it
with HTML formatting, it can be needlessly difficult to make
design changes. Contemplate
lets you store your HTML in a separate file and merge it
with your data using loop and merge functionality. This allows
you to edit your HTML and your functionality independently
of each other.
Learning nonstandard
syntax or an unfamiliar approach to programming
Contemplate doesn't dictate any programming approach or
methodology—it leaves that completely up to the programmer,
who can use normal PHP code. Contemplate only provides a
convenience, moving design and content into separate files and letting
a programmer focus on functionality.
Here's
how Contemplate compares to other web development tools you might
be considering:
Templating systems
e.g., Smarty, Savant
Contemplate's functionality is more focused than most other
systems, so it tends to have a shorter learning curve.
And since its content and templates work as standalone
HTML files, it's less of a commitment to build a site
using Contemplate. Another templating system would only
be better if you need a particular feature that Contemplate
doesn't offer.
Development frameworks
e.g., Zend, PEAR
You can think of Contemplate as a framework that's focused on the task of
combining content, front-end code and back-end code, while offering
great flexibility on how you build those individual elements.
This means class-based frameworks that provide other functionality
generally work well in conjunction with Contemplate. For
example, you might write a script that loads a Zend class to
perform a file upload. You could then use Contemplate to combine
your script with a front-end page layout and HTML content.
Content management systems
e.g., Wordpress, Drupal
Besides delivering pages to end users, a CMS offers administrators an interface
for editing content, managing website navigation and uploading
website files. This makes the CMS a comprehensive site management
tool; it also makes it difficult to add custom functionality
or move your design and content to a different system.
Contemplate does not offer content editing or site management
functionality, but its sister product, the Meditate™
Web Content Editor, adds a content editing interface that is completely
separate from assembly and delivery, ensuring maximum flexibility
and independence for your site.
Here
are a few additional advantages to using Contemplate and Meditate
compared to a typical CMS:
Use your favorite tools: Content and templates
are standard HTML and can be edited in any text or HTML editor.
You're not limited to editing content in a browser-based form
or in a proprietary application.
Edit content in human-sized pieces: Contemplate
doesn't force you to split content into paragraph-sized or
smaller pieces, so content editors can do their work naturally
without the burden of an arbitrary delineation between pieces.
Create any layout you like: Contemplate
is not based on predefined layouts such as "press release,"
"news," etc. You can use any HTML file as a Contemplate
template and embed as many pieces of content as you need.
Re-use the same content in multiple pages:
A "page" is a non-exclusive collection of content
pieces, so you can easily display content on multiple pages
without duplication.
Deploy on a variety of servers: Contemplate
is compatible with any web server that can run PHP,
and no database is required.