[support] How techy must one be to use CCK?

[Shai Gluskin]

Krister,

First, a slight correction. In version 5.x you do not need CCK to
create a custom content type.

Here is the URL to add a content type:

/admin/content/types/add

It's true that the custom type created is simply a "story" with a
different name. All the fields are the same. However, there is still a
lot you can do. The ability to create new content types makes the
Views module even more powerful and easy to use. You can also custom
name the labels for the new content types. And I'm sure there are
still even more uses for new content types that have the stock fields.

Everything I've described above is easy for a complete non-programmer.

As for adding CCK fields to a content-type -- how easy for a non-programmer?

It depends on how fussy you are about the formatting and template
integration of the output.

It also depends on which fields you are adding and how you use them.

Check out this site: http://dogsgrowlove.com, the content was added
using a custom content type using CCK embed media fields with no
custom PHP at all. Setting this up, though no PHP fussing was needed,
did require some tweaking of settings. The settings are avilable via a
GUI, yes, but it can still be a bit tricky to be able to set the
settings correctly.

If you aren't happy with how your CCK fields are outputting -- one
solution is to install Contemplate,
(http://drupal.org/project/contemplate) which is a really cool module.
The more PHP you know and the more you know about how Drupal templates
work, the more you'll be able to get out of this module. My skills are
that I'm basically a content person who studies php, css, pokes under
Drupal's hood etc. "on the side." So, for instance, I'm pretty darn
good at cutting and pasting other people's PHP snippets and getting
them in the right place and making slight changes to them to fit the
situation.

Hope this gives you some sense of it.

Shai

On 10/2/07, Krister Ekstrom <krister at kristersplace.ws> wrote:
> Hi there.
> Ok, the subject line may sound a little ... overdoing, or what one
> should say, but let me explain:
> As i understand it, CCK is a very powerful and flexible module/set of
> modules. As i understand it, you can create your own content types with
> your own fields and/or use the provided field modules of which there
> seem to be a whole lot. What i want to know is if it's possible for a
> non-programmer like me to use CCK with any success. Another reason why i
> ask this question is that i'm helping a friend to set up a web site and
> it's possible she will also want to use CCK and she, just like me is a
> non-programmer.
> As always, thankful for any answers.
> /Krister
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