Umbraco v2.1.6 Lab Review
Date Published: June 8, 2007
Originally Published On: http://www.codango.com/aspnet/fnc/lab/review/1003/
Synopsis
If you have experience with content management systems (CMS), you probably know how bloated with extra features they can be. However, Umbraco (http://www.umbraco.org/) brings back the basics and returns the focus to the content. If you are looking for article comments, forums or any of that fluff; you won’t find it here. Most users will find Umbraco a perfect fit to run both personal and business sites, and developers will find that Umbraco packs a lot of possibilities in a small package. Undoubtedly, users of both the geek and the average realm will love Umbraco for its ability to expand on demand while keeping it simple.Introduction
Chances are, if you’ve manually updated a site before, your battle wounds are still healing… and Umbraco can be your Neosporin. Even thinking about the old days of site maintenance brings back horrid flash backs for me, but hopefully you have a site that is powered by a CMS or you’re looking to make the switch. The problem is that there are countless CMS out there and narrowing them down is just as painful as manual site updates. Most CMS offer the ability to create and edit content as well as manage roles and Umbraco is no different. However, Umbraco also has training, conferences, and even MVP awards. Will these features and Umbraco’s emphasis on simplicity set it apart from the crowd? Read on, curious site owner…Installation and Setup (Rated 7.4 out of 10)
Powered by ASP.NET (c#), Umbraco needs at least ASP.NET 1.1 framework, MS SQL Server 2000/2005 or Microsoft Desktop Engine. Initially, I was disappointed, as Umbraco doesn’t come with any installation instructions. On the flip side, they have a wiki and even a user-provided video that shows you how to install Umbraco in Windows XP with IIS. If you know your way around ASP.NET and MS SQL Server, the transition between XP to your platform should be a cake walk.
Even without included instructions, the pre-installation work was a breeze. First thing required for the pre-install was your standard database, and I had to edit a configuration file to include the database server, name, user and password. After that it was the upload waiting game and although it didn’t take long – it wasn’t nearly as fun as my all-time favorite game; Hungry Hungry Hippos. The upload finished and all that left was to install Umbraco. The installation was done through a web browser making this process one of the easiest with Umbraco.
Next, chaos ensued in the form of an error about a missing node. Logging into the admin panel, Umbraco was now a ghost town, tumbleweed n’ all. The echo was deafening… where did everything go? Luckily when taking a gander at the forums earlier, I read about a sample website package being available. For the sake of my mental stability I quickly downloaded the package and added it to the site. Instantly I was back to civilization and finally able to dig into Umbracos features.
Features (Rated 7.4 out of 10)
Finding a CMS loaded with features isn’t hard but finding a CMS loaded with features that you’ll actually use is. Umbraco offers a breath of fresh air showing us that sometimes simpler is better. From the sample package, front-end users won’t find anything other than a website. This means they won’t be able to sign up and log in, converse on a forum or leave comments. In fact, users can only browse the site’s content. Oddly enough, in a world where bells and whistles are more common than burgers and fries, this touch of simplicity was a nice change.Aside from offering a pleasantly simple experience for users, Umbraco allows administrators to create multiple sites that can be run from a single or different domain. Each site enables an administrator to set permission levels that either allow anyone to view the site or have it password protected. Creating and editing documents is a breeze with the rich text editor. There are two ways a page can be removed from your site; either by deleting or un-publishing it. Un-publishing will render the page invisible and only accessible to users on the back-end.
Saved documents aren’t published by default so you’ll have to publish them manually by either right clicking and selecting the publish option or hitting the save & publish button. This isn’t a bad thing as it acts like a draft, allowing you to finalize, and then publish. Like most solid CMS, Umbraco has the ability to manage the meta data with each page.
The page roll back feature kicks more butt than a young Chuck Norris. This handy gadget allows you to revert any page back to an earlier date. So when little Timmy decides to make his own changes to Daddy’s site – you can quickly restore order. Administrators can easily manage and create users on the fly and set permission levels immediately. Oddly, once a user is created it can’t be deleted, only disabled.
If Umbraco’s features were a chocolate sundae, then the ability to tweak the entire layout through your web browser would be the sprinkles. Developers will love the ability to create and edit existing data types, macros, and XSLT’s through their browser as well… thus proving my theory that the developers at Umbraco intercepted our letters to Santa. Joking aside, developers will be enthused to know that Umbraco makes life easy for both tech-savvy people and users who just want to run their own site.
Features (Rated 7.4 out of 10)
Finding a CMS loaded with features isn’t hard but finding a CMS loaded with features that you’ll actually use is. Umbraco offers a breath of fresh air showing us that sometimes simpler is better. From the sample package, front-end users won’t find anything other than a website. This means they won’t be able to sign up and log in, converse on a forum or leave comments. In fact, users can only browse the site’s content. Oddly enough, in a world where bells and whistles are more common than burgers and fries, this touch of simplicity was a nice change.Aside from offering a pleasantly simple experience for users, Umbraco allows administrators to create multiple sites that can be run from a single or different domain. Each site enables an administrator to set permission levels that either allow anyone to view the site or have it password protected. Creating and editing documents is a breeze with the rich text editor. There are two ways a page can be removed from your site; either by deleting or un-publishing it. Un-publishing will render the page invisible and only accessible to users on the back-end.
Saved documents aren’t published by default so you’ll have to publish them manually by either right clicking and selecting the publish option or hitting the save & publish button. This isn’t a bad thing as it acts like a draft, allowing you to finalize, and then publish. Like most solid CMS, Umbraco has the ability to manage the meta data with each page.
The page roll back feature kicks more butt than a young Chuck Norris. This handy gadget allows you to revert any page back to an earlier date. So when little Timmy decides to make his own changes to Daddy’s site – you can quickly restore order. Administrators can easily manage and create users on the fly and set permission levels immediately. Oddly, once a user is created it can’t be deleted, only disabled.
If Umbraco’s features were a chocolate sundae, then the ability to tweak the entire layout through your web browser would be the sprinkles. Developers will love the ability to create and edit existing data types, macros, and XSLT’s through their browser as well… thus proving my theory that the developers at Umbraco intercepted our letters to Santa. Joking aside, developers will be enthused to know that Umbraco makes life easy for both tech-savvy people and users who just want to run their own site.
User Interface (Rated 8.9 out of 10)
Umbraco has an appealing but simple interface for both front and back end users. Once you import the sample website, the front end UI is ready to go. The default template for front-end users featured a very Web 2.0-ish style that included expected gradients and a glossy look. Going deeper into the site, you’ll find breadcrumb style navigation and sub-menus on the left side. This, unlike my girlfriend with a map, provides for easy navigation.The administrative side of the UI is very slick and streamlined, although it is a bit monotone. Umbraco calls this the ‘console interface’. Like your favorite club sandwich, the admin UI is divided into four parts: top bar, tree view, dashboard, and section; each part operating different things.
The ‘top bar’ is where you can create and search through web pages and documents, get help on Umbraco’s website, and log out. Powered by JavaScript, the tree view allows you to expand and collapse websites and everything therein. You can also right click on anything in the tree view and a menu will appear that gives you many possibilities. The ‘dashboard’ is where all the magic happens: it allows you to create and edit content, layout, and meta data. I won’t go into details about the ‘section’ area just yet, but it allows you to toy with the inner workings of your site.
Umbraco has an appealing but simple interface for both front and back end users. Once you import the sample website, the front end UI is ready to go. The default template for front-end users featured a very Web 2.0-ish style that included expected gradients and a glossy look. Going deeper into the site, you’ll find breadcrumb style navigation and sub-menus on the left side. This, unlike my girlfriend with a map, provides for easy navigation.
The administrative side of the UI is very slick and streamlined, although it is a bit monotone. Umbraco calls this the ‘console interface’. Like your favorite club sandwich, the admin UI is divided into four parts: top bar, tree view, dashboard, and section; each part operating different things.
The ‘top bar’ is where you can create and search through web pages and documents, get help on Umbraco’s website, and log out. Powered by JavaScript, the tree view allows you to expand and collapse websites and everything therein. You can also right click on anything in the tree view and a menu will appear that gives you many possibilities. The ‘dashboard’ is where all the magic happens: it allows you to create and edit content, layout, and meta data. I won’t go into details about the ‘section’ area just yet, but it allows you to toy with the inner workings of your site.
Integration & Customization (Rated 7.0 out of 10)
To really customize your site, tinkering with the internals is usually a good place to start. This is where Umbraco Rocks the Casbah. Umbraco lets you attack customization a few ways. Through the console interface, novices can customize their site templates; under the ‘section’, advanced users can edit XSLT’s, XML and a lot more!Like any great buffet, Umbraco gives you the power to create something uniquely your own. Starting with the style sheets, you can edit the main template or create sub-sections. Utilizing the web based interface, you can create and edit header styles and or templates. Creating templates requires an understanding of Umbraco’s methods and proficient knowledge in CSS. Editing templates requires just as much knowledge in CSS but all methods are provided, so changing the layout is easier. You can also create different templates for different pages. For example, the sample site provides templates for the front, main, news item, news, and text page.
You can also configure how Umbraco handles different media and document types. Document types are much like templates but allow you to configure how they interact with the user rather than how they look. If you really need to get your hands dirty, you can download the source code from their site… the only problem was that the link actually didn’t work when we attempted to access it. This was an opportunity for Umbraco to raise the bar, but sadly they just knocked it over.
Security (Rated 9.5 out of 10)
Security usually starts at the seed of an application, and it’s hard to consider that Umbraco would suffer. Good thing it doesn’t. Being immune to SQL Injections you can bet your information will be safe – or at least you won’t wake up to find your website has been violated by a hacker. Like most web applications, some folders had to be CHMOD for the installation and for the site to run properly. Sensitive database information is also encrypted; so if a backup of your database somehow gets in the wrong hands – rest assured that it’s not as devastating as your first breakup.Support (Rated 9.7 out of 10)
You ever have one of those days that a web application breaks for some unknown reason and your head hurts from banging it on the desk? You’re not alone. The developers of Umbraco eliminated the need for this kind of self-abuse by providing both free and paid options for support. If you need some guidance, you can always grab the 72 pg. tell-all Umbraco manual. If you still can’t find what you need, Umbraco is backed by one of the most die-hard communities that this web junkie’s ever seen.My first problem involved something called ‘graphic headlines’. When I created the headlines, only a broken image would appear. Puzzled, I set off to see if the solution was on the forums. Fearing forum nazi’s might harass me about not searching back a few pages – I prepared my extra thick skin. However, I was pleasantly surprised when multiple people responded professionally and in a matter of hours. I may not have found the solution to my problem, but several other viable suggestions were made.
The second question pertained to finding new sites created by administrators. I had no idea how to access them once they were created, so I set off to find the solution. What I found out was pretty spectacular. Umbraco allows you run sites under one domain by utilizing sub domains. This means you don’t have to install Umbraco on each sub domain. Again simplicity rules the day.
A paid subscription allows you to contact support by phone, email and instant messenger. Paid support is only available from 10:00 to 3:00 GMT, Monday through Friday, and tickets are only available in packages. Five tickets will cost you around 50 cents USD and each ticket gets you 30 minutes of support. In my opinion, the support cost is very reasonable – considering it’s cheaper than a stick of gum.
In Summary
Like most good things in life, with Umbraco, you have to be ready to put in the work to get the reward. It may take some time to get Umbraco functioning but the payoff could be more satisfying than your grandmother’s apple pie. If you need something that will provide the basics and the opportunity to expand into an advanced site – Umbraco might be the best item on your menu. Umbraco has just enough mouthwatering features to pull you in, and the integration, customization and support will keep you hooked. Developers will find that having the ability to easily change the style sheets and templates through their browsers is a tasty treat. Standard users will find that the support, both free and paid is quite satisfying. Umbraco is secure from both SQL injections and provides great database security. Like your favorite steak, the UI is great to look at but even better for digging in.The bottom line is that Umbraco’s lack of side dishes might leave some hungry. However, there is enough on its plate to make Umbraco the “blue plate special” of CMS, satisfying the most famished webmaster. Now, if all the food references didn’t make it obvious, its time for me to grab a sandwich…while I do, give Umbraco a shot and your web “taste buds” will thank you.
