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Introduction to Module Development

CMS Made Simple is designed to be extended through modules. Whether you need a contact form, a photo gallery, an e-commerce system, or a custom admin tool — modules are how you build it.

This chapter introduces the core concepts you need to understand before writing your first module. You'll learn what modules are, how they differ from other extensibility mechanisms in CMSMS, and what capabilities they unlock.

In This Chapter

• What is a Module? — Understand the role of modules in the CMSMS architecture, and how they compare to Plugins and User Defined Tags.

Who Should Read This

This chapter is for PHP developers who are new to CMS Made Simple module development. You should have:

• A working knowledge of PHP and object-oriented programming, including classes, inheritance, and magic methods.
• A basic understanding of relational databases, particularly MySQL.
• Familiarity with how to work with CMSMS as a site administrator — creating pages, managing templates, and navigating the admin panel.
• A basic understanding of the Smarty template engine.

Learn by Building

If you prefer a hands-on approach, jump straight into the Tutorial: Building a Holidays Module. It walks you through creating a complete working module from scratch — database tables, admin CRUD, frontend display, and more. There's also a Starter Pack you can download and install immediately to see the finished result.

If you're already comfortable with the prerequisites above, continue to What is a Module? to get started.