A Well-Deserved Update and Apology
It’s been nearly a year since I last spoke of Consummo, so I’d like to get rid of any doubts. Consummo is still an active project of mine. Over the past year, work and life in general took prescedence over Consummo and I’d like to apologize for that. I’ve decided to cut down on the amount of hours I work and focus more on Consummo.
Now then, let’s discuss Consummo a bit more in detail. As with any application, Consummo has grown much bigger and more in-depth than ever intended. I originally designed Consummo to simply replace existing forum software, but I’ve come to realize it should be able to do so much more. Since Consummo means to sum up or make perfect, it is only fitting that Consummo offers complete functionality. What do I mean by that? Well, imagine yourself as a web designer or website owner. What functionality might you want? I hope to provide that and more.
What can I do with Consummo?
The goal is to allow you to do everything you need to do in order to quickly create a professional-looking website. You will be able to create forums, blogs, and static pages. That isn’t that big of a deal though. The important part is all three features will use the same layout system. You will be able to set a different layout for each feature, or each section of a feature. For example, all forms could use a one-column layout while content pages use a three-column layout. Or, if you are a more advanced user, you could have one page use a one-column layout and another use a two-column layout. The options are endless. You will be able to customize your website however you want. You won’t be restricted by different applications or layout engines and you won’t have to learn PHP to have a PHP-powered website (although it won’t hurt). If that’s not enough for you, it’s all open-source so you will be able to do with it as you like. As a bonus, I’ve tried to write the PHP simple enough so a beginner can jump in and edit it without getting completely lost.
How easy is it to use as an administrator?
If you’ve been the administrator of another website, you won’t have too much trouble adjusting to Consummo’s interface. The majority of administrator tools are available in-line with the content. Some examples include editing and removing content (pages, blog posts, users, etc). Advanced administrator tools are accessible in the administration area (plugins, templates, etc).
The interface (both front-end and back-end) is being built as simple as possible. Be sure not to mistake simple as boring. The interface is simple in that it is easy to understand and navigate. The HTML is simple enough to understand, yet complex enough to handle most any situation. For example, a three-column layout with content at the top in the source, and center in the browser. Not only that, but Consummo also allows you to edit the Print View of each layout (visitors don’t need to click a ‘print this page’ link either).
Is it easy to customize Consummo?
Absolutely. If you know CSS, you can do nearly anything. If you don’t, there will be tools available to customize it to a certain degree (colors, fonts, padding, margins, etc) as well as a theme manager with several pre-installed themes.
When can I see it in action?
Very soon. I do have a version online, but it’s shy and isn’t ready for an audience. I’m sure you can make its acquaintance if you’re good with Google though. Be warned that it’s still extremely rough around the edges and I’m just focusing on the basics at the moment. I will be sure to post a link when it is ready for testing.
When can I test out the administration area?
The administration area won’t be available for a while. I prefer to create the application first and worry about being able to administrate it later. Besides, I can do everything I need to do via PHP and MySQL 
Tags: Administration Area, Consummo, functionality, Print View, Theme Manager