PROSPECTIVE CMS FEATURE ANALYSIS
Google Summer of Code 2007
Corey Shaffer
Organization : WordPress
Mentor : Brian Layman
Project : Helping create a better content management structure for a popular online utility
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this document is to present a further analysis of the prospective CMS features to
be prototyped and added into the next WordPress development cycle. Each feature will be fully
critiqued and described with final recommendations given as to whether or not they will be
prototyped and added to WordPress.
KEYWORDS
Drupal, taxonomy display, breadcrumbs, Joomla! Administator, Backpackit.com calendar,
Blogger.com, archiving scheme, polling module.
1. INTRODUCTION
There were several CMS features that were noted in the “Analysis of Current Content
Management Systems” document that seemed to offer great enhancement to their respective CMS
applications. However, these items need to undergo a deeper and more critical analysis to
determine if they would truly be solid additions to WordPress. Each critiqued feature will undergo a
cost versus benefit analysis, with the results leading to a final recommendation as to whether or not
the feature should be prototyped and added to WordPress.
a. Measures to be Evaluated in the Cost Versus Benefit Analysis
The cost versus benefit analysis will examine a few different factors regarding each
prospective feature.
 What area of the classification scheme does the feature fall under?
 How difficult is the feature to implement in PHP?
 How long would the feature take to prototype?
 What type of gain should be expected from the feature being implemented?
 Is the feature recognizable or easily overlooked?
 Does the feature increase the ease and usability of WordPress?
2. ANALYSIS OF BREADCRUMB DISPLAY AS FEATURED IN DRUPAL
2a. Introduction
The breadcrumb display featured in Drupal applies to several different facets of the
classification scheme described the CMS Analysis document. Most specifically it applies to the
ease and efficiency of use category. It is an extremely simple feature, yet it is a great addition to
any application. It offers users an easy reversal of their actions in a subtle, organized manner.
2b. How Would it Benefit WordPress and its Users?
The breadcrumb display would greatly enhance the ability for users to easily reverse their
actions within a WordPress-driven utility. There is no current method or feature implemented in
WordPress that allows users to retrace their steps in an easy and timely manner.
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2c. Is Implementing the Feature Feasible?
From initial searches of Google, a breadcrumb display does not seem to be overly difficult
to implement in PHP.
2d. Does Cost Outweigh Benefit?
Given the features being examined for possible implementation into WordPress, the
benefit of a breadcrumb display definitely outweighs the amount of time it would take to prototype
and develop the feature. It increases the usability of the application and makes it much more
efficient in the process.
2e. Recommendation
The breadcrumb display as featured in Drupal would be a worthwhile addition to improve
the CMS functionality of WordPress. It will be protoyped to be added into the next development
cycle of the application.
3. ANALYSIS OF JOOMLA! ADMINISTRATOR AS FEATURED IN JOOMLA!
3a. Introduction
The Joomla! Administrator tool featured in Joomla! is a state-of-the-art reporting tool that is
both visually and technically impressive. It offers excellent quick click content summarization and
presents reporting statistics on all of the major content assets supported by the site. The
administrator is divided into two sections and is enclosed in a neat, user-friendly interface that
promotes ease and efficiency of use. The one negative associated with the tool is that it seems to
be presented in a way that is geared more towards a technology-savvy user. If it were to be
implemented into WordPress, the appearance of the interface could be similar, but the asset
summaries would need to be toned down a little bit to be more general user friendly.
3b. How Would it Benefit WordPress and its Users?
A tool similar to the Joomla! Administrator would greatly enhance the reporting and
content summarization of WordPress. WordPress currently has quite solid reporting metrics
including visual graphs in the feed stats and blog stats sections of the WordPress blog dashboard.
A WordPress Reporter could be included as a tag in the dashboard and could lead you to a full
reporting and content summarization page. This tool would serve as a central repository
containing all reporting and summarization metrics pertaining to WordPress. It would give users a
“one-stop shop” for any informational statistics pertaining to their blog.
3c. Is Implementing the Feature Feasible?
A tool similar to the Joomla! Administrator would take a large amount of time to design,
prototype and develop. It would also take some rigorous study of PHP design principles to
implement it to a correctly functioning state.
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3d. Does Cost Outweigh Benefit?
Implementing a model of the Joomla! Administrator would take a large amount of time and
research to be done correctly. However, it would give WordPress a world-class statistic reporting
tool that would greatly evolve WordPress as a CMS.
3e. Recommendation
The Joomla! Administrator is a worthwhile endeavor that will help to greatly increase the
CMS capabilities presented to users of WordPress. The benefit of the tool outweighs the cost and
thus should be included in the next development cycle of WordPress.
4. ANALYSIS OF CALENDAR TOOL AS FEATURED ON BACKPACKIT.COM
4a. Introduction
The interactive calendar tool featured on Backpackit.com appears to be very useful for its
users. A calendar tool such as this could be used to organize and manage content in a CMS.
Having a large calendar with a color-coded scheme could serve as a perfect method for
streamlining certain information to the user of a system. With bright colors and large fonts, the
calendar provides a wonderful visual and is very easy to use. Using this method as a prime source
to relay information to users would work very well when targeting the non-technical demographic.
A general person who is not extremely proficient when using technology would absolutely love a
feature like this. It could be used to track the versioning and publishing dates of content.
Whenever content is updated or newly published, small text could appear in the calendar serving
as a reminder for when content was published. It also has nice features such as automatic e-mail
reminder and quick event adds, which allow for a degree of customizability to the calendar.
4b. How Would it Benefit WordPress and its Users?
The calendar tool would provide WordPress with a colorful means for reporting. It could be
added as a feature in the prototype of the Joomla! Administrator for WordPress. The calendar
would be a nice feature that’s aim would be to please the average internet user, someone who
does not live and breathe technology for a living. It could be customized by the user, serving dually
as a means to organize and manage their content through a “desktop” calendar on their computer.
4c. Is Implementing the Feature Feasible?
The calendar feature could be difficult to prototype since it requires a lot of precise spacing
and placing of objects within it. Although this is a difficult task, a proficient PHP programmer would
most likely be able to code the calendar and have it working correctly.
4d. Does Cost Outweigh Benefit?
Although the idea of having a large colorful interactive calendar is nice, the time it would
take to implement and have functioning correctly would not be worth the hassle. The reporting
features of the tool could easily be included in the Joomla! Administrator tool. After a careful study
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of the build of WordPress, the average user of the application needs to have some form of
knowledge on how to navigate the interface and arrive at the information they wish to obtain.
Knowing this, the fact that the calendar tool aims toward the non-technical demographic becomes
somewhat of a moot point. This leaves the benefit of the calendar not up to par with the other
recommended features.
4e. Recommendation
The calendar tool is an interesting idea, but the gain resulting from implementing it is not
great enough to prototype for WordPress at this time. The idea, however, should be noted and
saved for possible inclusion at a later date.
5. ANALYSIS OF ARCHIVING SCHEME AS FEATURED ON BLOGGER.COM
5a. Introduction
Blogger.com features an intuitive archiving scheme that is simple to use, yet very
organized and effective in its design. Increasing the ease and efficiency of use of the application,
the archiving scheme allows users to open and close tabs from years to each month. Having a
scheme design in such a way allows for faster retrieval and searching of content.
5b. How Would it Benefit WordPress and its Users?
Implementing an archive scheme similar to Blogger.com would not be a new edition to
WordPress, rather it would serve as an upgrade over the current method of archiving. The
Blogger.com archiving scheme is a bit more effective in that it allows users to drill to years and
months to find content. It does not open new windows or refresh the screen; rather you stay where
you are located until you click on a content heading. Currently, WordPress provides archives in the
form of months and once you click on a month, content for that month is opened and scrolling is
required until the desired piece of content is found. The new archiving scheme would reduce the
time needed to find content and would improve the usability of the WordPress application.
5c. Is Implementing the Feature Feasible?
The archiving scheme should not be overly difficult to implement. It is extremely feasible
that it can be implemented in the next development cycle.
5d. Does Cost Outweigh Benefit?
The benefit of the updated archiving scheme would be much greater than the time it would
take to implement the feature. The new method or archiving would greatly increase the ease and
efficiency of use of the WordPress application.
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5e. Recommendation
The Blogger.com archiving scheme is definitely going to be prototyped to be implemented
in the next development cycle for WordPress. It will improve WordPress both as a CMS and as a
user-friendly application.
6. ANALYSIS OF POLLING MODULE
6a. Introduction
The idea of a polling module comes from CMS study and Drupal’s discussion of the topic,
however, this feature will not be designed after any specific model found online. The polling
module will be developed from scratch in an attempt to provide WordPress with a world-class
polling system.
6b. How Would it Benefit WordPress and its Users?
A polling module would add another form of content creation to WordPress’s already
extensive capabilities. It would allow users to create customized polls to display with different
content within their blog. Users could receive feedback on topics they wish to record data on and
could do so in a neat, organized manner.
6c. Is Implementing the Feature Feasible?
Implementing a polling module is an easier task than the Joomla! Administrator feature so
it should be possible to prototype and implement. However, the design of the feature will need to
be done carefully to ensure that it will be user-friendly, yet powerful.
6d. Does Cost Outweigh Benefit?
Adding a world-class polling module to WordPress’s library far outweighs the development
time needed to implement this feature. It would give users a new degree of customizability to their
blog and would improve the content creation capabilities supported by WordPress.
6e. Recommendation
A polling module would be a great addition to WordPress and will improve the application
on a variety of levels. It should be prototyped and included into the next development cycle of
WordPress.
7. CONCLUSION
After an intensive study of different CMS applications and sites, three CMS features have
been recommended for inclusion in the next development cycle for WordPress. Each feature
needed to pass the cost versus benefit analysis to ensure that they are worthwhile additions to
WordPress. The breadcrumb display of Drupal, the Joomla! Administrator, the Blogger.com
archiving scheme, and the polling module will all undergo design and prototyping to be included
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into WordPress. They will not be simply copied and added, rather the idea each tool promotes will
be taken and designed to fit WordPress’s look and feel.
7A. Where to go from here?
The recommended features will undergo preliminary design with a rigorous requirements
specification completed for each feature. After the design phase, each feature will be prototyped in
PHP pseudocode and fully commented to adhere to WordPress’s coding standards.
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