How to Build Websites With XOOPS

A content management system like XOOPS helps you easily create Web pages.

XOOPS is a content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage dynamic websites. This free open-source application, which can be used for both personal and business purposes, is a versatile CMS that can be used to create simple, static sites or dynamic corporate portals. XOOPS features an easy-to-use interface that allows you to customize your installation. This tutorial assumes that XOOPS has already been installed on a compatible Web host.

Instructions

1. Log in to the XOOPS installation. By default, the XOOPS main page will have a box in the upper right-hand corner where you can log in. Input your administrator user name and password, which were created during the installation process, into these user name and password boxes and click "OK." This should bring you to your user profile page.

2. Enter the "Administration" menu. Immediately after you log in, your profile page will be displayed and show all of your profile information, including your rank (which should read "Webmaster"). On the left-hand side of this profile page is a "User Menu" option. Click on the "Administration Menu" option under "User Menu" to be brought to the XOOPS administration page.

3. Install a template if you'd like to use a template other than the default template. XOOPS uses premade layouts called templates to style XOOPS-served Web pages. Free and premium templates are available from various XOOPS resource sites, including the official XOOPS page (see Resouce section). To install a template, first download it from a template site. Then choose the "Templates" option from the XOOPS "Administration" menu and use the form to upload the new template.

4. Create blocks. XOOPS uses sections called blocks to create and define new areas of content. Click on the "Blocks" icon in the "Administration" menu. This will bring you to the "Blocks Administration" page, which contains a list of previously created blocks.

   Scroll down past the existing list until you get to the "Add a New Block" form. Enter your content in the "Content" box. By default, anything entered in the "Content" area will be formatted as HTML, although you can also choose the "PHP" or "Auto Format Content" types. You can also choose the location of the block (block type), order of the block (weight) and visibility

5. View your website. Once your content has been entered, navigate back to the XOOPS installation. Your XOOPS page should now contain the new content that you've added.

Tips & Warnings

• XOOPS comes with three built-in user groups: Webmasters, Registered Users and Anonymous Users. The "Groups" feature on XOOPS will allow you to customize groups of users. This is helpful if you plan on using your XOOPS site to manage a group that has different levels of membership. For example, a club XOOPS site can have content available for everyone to see, while club leaders get to see additional information that others don't. You can add or edit groups by selecting the "Groups" option in the "Administration" menu and going to "Edit Groups."

References

• SiteGround: How To Create a XOOPS Website
• WarPigW2: Xoops Tutorials

Resources

• Xoops CMS