ektron CMS

[Tom Printy]

Hello,

Has anyone ever used or built a template using the CMS ektron. I am trying to find out how to take a html/css design and lay this ontop of ektron.

Thanks
-Tom

[m...@darrenholland.com]

ektron is .NET. You are looking to create a master page in Visual Studio. 

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[Tom Printy]

ok are there any howtos or guidelines out there? Ektron's online
documentation is horrible.

[Dean Pannell]

Oh no! It's got standard online documentation?
Good luck, Tom!

PS -- Maybe it gets better once you load it up in Visual Studio. VS
is kind of a "magic" working environment.

[cjahnke]

They have a developers manual: http://documentation.ektron.com/cms400/v76/DevelopersManual.pdf

 

I have only used Ektron once helping out a charity and I didn't like it very much.  I use DotNetNuke if I want a .Net CMS.  They have made a lot of improvements to it and there are a lot of skins and modules, tools for building modules, and other support out there for it. 

 

Visual Studio is a great developer tool, but I usually use Expression Web or Dreamweaver for creating the master pages.  Expression Web was Micorost's attempt to compete with Dreamweaver, but they just decided to discontinue developing it and will be rolling it into VS.  It's kind of a shame because it is actually a good product. 

I bring them in to VS only if I need to. 

[Tom Printy]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback.  Using visual studio to create the page templates feel like overkill. Of course I am an open source guy so maybe I am missing something here.

The client I am working with has a full Ektron implementation installed and I am attempting to come up with reason why we don't want to migrate their corporate site into Ektron. They haven't told me it is a requirement they just want justification why not to. It seems every time I read about Ektron I see "it sucks" or "I didn't like it very much".  So I wonder why people are even using it.

I know the creative people I will be working with tend to do some really crazy things. Most of these I can handle in Drupal pretty simply. I have never written one stanza of .Net and not sure I am ready to go down that rabbit hole.

So if I absolutely need to go with Ektron what tools do I need?  How do I access the environment?  Anyone want to help me code the site?

Thanks
-T

[Dean Pannell]

For what it's worth, Tom, the future of .Net looks murky as Hell.
Microsoft keeps changing the road map, and that can't be a very comforting thing
for .Net developers.

[Tom Printy]

Dean,

I can't stop people from making bad decisions. I can only advise against it.  :)

-T

[Dean Pannell]

Agreed.
You were asking for arguments. The shifting landscape is a reason to
question continued commitment to the platform. Maybe not compelling,
maybe the straw that broke the camel's back. One reason for using a
platform is current skills and familiarity. If the value of those
things is diluted, so is the reason.

Dean

[cjahnke]

http://www.ektron.com/Resources_And_Tools/Webinars/Screencasts/Developer_/_I_T_/Getting_Started__Developing_with_Ektron/

 

here is a 30 minute webinar... it might be a good start .

[cjahnke]

Microsoft keeps changing the roadmap, but the underiling technology is all  by.Net technology.  I think it make sense to use the same underlying technology for PCs, tablets, and phone technologies.

 

Their lates suite of products 2012 version have some really neat features and can be really powerful.  One of the nice things Microsoft is doing is using Powershell, a .Net scripting language to manage all of their server and networking technology, so if you are an admin you have one tool to learn and you can do some really cool things with it.

 

SharePoint is selling off the hook for Microsoft and they are pushing a lot of technology to cloud.  This is creating a lot of demand for anyone with these skills.

Six figure salaries and contractor rates from $75-$100+ per hour are very common.

I don't know what the future will be, but right now it is a great time to be a .Net programmer.