Content Management System (CMS acronym) is a set of programs (web and otherwise) used to organize and facilitate the collaborative creation of documents and other content.

The usefulness of these systems would not be limited to the management of web sites (especially if large and frequently updated), but just that their use is currently the most profitable and widespread.

In short, a CMS allows you to populate your website and manage content, trying to minimize the computer skills that are required of you. 

The CMS web

One of the most useful applications of the CMS systems we have is the management of the portals, where they are used as flexible and multi-publishing tool. The CMS is usually oriented to the management of texts (news, articles, etc..), images, discussion lists, forums, downloadable material, and sometimes give the possibility to handle multiple versions of the same site (e.g. HTML or WAP).

The CMS allows you to define users, groups and rights, in order to allow the distribution of work among more people. For example, you can define a class of users authorized only to the inclusion of news, while you may hold the writing of articles to another group, and restrict all others to a single consultation.

Technically, the CMS is a server-side, divided into two parts: the back end, or the administration section, which deals with organizing and supervising of the production of content, and the front end; the section of the application where the user is in contact and uses it to achieve physical changes, updates and insertions. 

The benefits of CMS

A CMS allows you to build and maintain a dynamic website whatever the size, without writing a single line of HTML and without knowledge of server-side programming languages (like PHP) or designing a special database. The appearance can be customized by choosing a style sheet specially designed for a particular CMS.

There is a specialized CMS that is specially designed for a specific type of content (on-line encyclopedia, a blog, a forum etc...) and generic CMS, which tend to be more flexible to allow the publication of various types of content.

Using open source software allows the ability to access the source code of the product enabling you to customize the software according to your needs.