Document Library

Concise and complete how to guide for working with Syntax's General module to generate and customize lists of Records. Summarizes best practices for setting up modules and points of customization during development.

In versions of SyntaxCMS since 1.1.1, there is an exploitable vulnerability in the testing scripts for installations with PHP 4.3.0 and higher, register_globals on, and allow_furl_open set to true. There is an exploit in the wild, so update your systems immediately.

You can update to the latest CVS version or apply the patch files included here. To apply the patch files, download the attached file and run:

tar -xzvf 513_file_fopen_vuln_patch.tgz

cd fopen_vuln_patch

patch path_to_your_public_root/admin/testing/index.php index.php.patch

patch path_to_your_public_root/admin/testing/tests/0004_init_urls.php 0004_init_urls.php.patch

patch path_to_your_public_root/admin/testing/tests/0030_init_syntax.php 0030_init_syntax.php.patch

cp .htaccess path_to_your_public_root/admin/testing/tests/

...where path_to_your_public_root is the path to your Apache-readable directory where SyntaxCMS's public root is installed.

Documentation for the APIs used to maniuplate data in SyntaxCMS. For building new applications and extending existing ones, these are the APIs you will use.

Class documentation for the main classes used in the SyntaxCMS application built atop the SyntaxCMS API.

"Thinking like" a new system is usually one of the hardest hurdles to overcome when adjusting to a new application. This article discusses the conceptual components of a SyntaxCMS site. Learning the names and functions of these components not only makes reading the documentation easier, it helps you begin to think in terms of SyntaxCMS applications.

The listWidget class takes much drudgery out of generating lists, particularly SELECT list form widgets.

Developing with SyntaxCMS does not require any special knowledge, of course, but developing is made much easier when you understand the error handling and debugging systems being used by SyntaxCMS.

Creating a module in SyntaxCMS is quite a simple process. Currently there are no restrictions to the internal logic, class architecture, etc. of your module; however, you will find it advantageous to use the core modules as a guide — and use the SyntaxCMS content classes as a foundation. This loose system is designed to maximize ease of porting 3rd party software and existing SyntaxCMS tools.

The DocumentInfo class helps you provide automatically-generated download info based on file types and sizes. It works for local and remote files.

The DynTables class automates the creation of sortable tables from SyntaxCMS data. It's a presentation-level helper class.

Earth Force, an environmental education non-profit organization, uses Syntax CMS coupled with XCart. Their implementation features pages for local offices, whose staff are able to control their own content. This site shows the flexibility of the SyntaxCMS module system, as all the content comes from site sections and a single article datatype, flexibly positioned and presented depending on the article's type.

Class and method-level documentation of the CMS-level SyntaxCMS classes for tye 1.2.1 release. They provide functionality for handling requests (both browser and internal), creating site nativation, and many other functions.

Class and method-level documentation for the data access API that SyntaxCMS uses. These are the classes that developers creating new modules or modifying template behavior will deal with most of the time.

When thinking about the architecture of a SyntaxCMS site, remember that just because someone may want a list of documents or events, it doesn't mean that ginning up a module and plunking it on the main navigation is the right answer.

Fortunately a much better option exists. You'll still have to create a custom section template, but it will be a logical, functional, and non-hidden section.

This article discusses how to think about the benefits and drawbacks of this method as well as orienting you on how to accomplish it.

The SEEP Network is an organization of more than 50 North American private and voluntary organizations that support micro and small business and microfinance institutions in the developing world. Its mission is to advance the practice of micro and small enterprise development among its members, their international partners, and other practitioners.