Web site maintainence via a browser interface - Using CF it's easy to build an application that allows anyone to update a web site quickly and easily from anywhere in the world...

The Contributor App Workshop is divided into six parts. The workshop is designed to be worked thru from start to finish.

Before you get started, download the resource file for this workshop here - A DIY Contributor App Kit!

From Day 1 the CCC team has been spread all over the world. This situation dictated a not uncommon need - the creation of a way to allow anyone in the team to update the site quickly and easily via a web browser.

Browser based administration of a web site is extremely efficient, even addictive in its immediacy, and allows anyone - even people with little knowledge of HTML or the web to update and maintain portions of a web site.

Behind the CCC site is a large browser administration area of around 300 pages. When we need to add component info, faq's, issues, tutorials, manage club profiles, send newsletters, manage site security, monitor performance and more - we go to our live administration area.

What does a browser based admin area look like? Simple forms and options to control a web site.

Creating a browser based admin does require effort and planning to build initially, but once up and running it's a case of 'build once, use many!' And even better, once you built one admin application you can re-use the code on another web site job as typically contributor requirements are very similar.

If you haven't visited http://www.efuse.com you should. eFuse is a NetObjects site run by Daniel Will-Harris. It's a tremendous resource for all Fusion users, young and old, big and small!

We wanted to include information on 'what's new @ eFuse' in our new FuseWire section. We first checked with Daniel and being the great guy he is he said 'no problemo!'. Great!

We didn't want to bother Daniel with requests for updated information every week (he gets a LOT of email already!) and since he is a very accomplished writer and designer we figured he would probably want to have a big say in the eFuse content on display.

An ideal solution? You guessed it, why not build a CF Administration area at CCC for Daniel so that he could update the eFuse information that is displayed in FuseWire whenever it suits him! And why not turn the project into a Cold Fusion workshop!

Looking back thru CF stuff we'd built in the past we came across an application that allowed clients to update News stories on their own web site - A perfect CF app to hack!

Within 30 minutes the eFuse headlines application, including the secured administration area, was live and functional - a great example of the speed of CF development!

This CF Workshop covers the construction of the eFuse Headlines contributor application and the downloadable resource kit includes all the goodies to easily make your own contributor app. We hope you find it useful, and don't forget to visit eFuse!

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