“I’ve test-driven over a hundred CMS applications over the years and used a half dozen in production for clients at various times. Even the best of those pale in comparison to Dialogs.”

— Jeniffer J., developer partner

Dialogs on Facebook.
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Technical details about Dialogs - how it works and how it's used.

If you are a developer, or have a highly technical understanding about how websites work, this is the information you’ve been looking for.

Dialogs streamlines the development of interactive websites by providing built-in, configurable components that form the basis of most contemporary sites: site settings, HTML/CSS templates, and content-containing Lists. Dialogs functionality can be extended by customization of templates (via PHP, javascript programming, and advanced SQL statements), page includes, and even modification to core Dialogs classes and functions, if desired. Dialogs is not a front-end website coding tool like Dreamweaver. Designers use tools like Dreamweaver to construct the HTML/CSS coding that later is skinned into Dialogs as page and list templates.

Here are some practical specifics about Dialogs:

  • Dialogs is a backend web application development framework based on PHP and MySQL.
  • It is installed on a web server via browser from a simple installation script.
  • Dialogs separates content from design. Content is entered into and maintained in Dialogs Lists. Design (HTML/CSS/JS) is "skinned" into Dialogs Templates.
  • All Dialogs configuration and customization may be conducted via a browser-based Control Panel.
  • Page Templates and Automation scripts may also be maintained via FTP supporting the use of popular IDEs like Eclipse or Coda and keeping the hard-core, "I prefer VI or eMACS, thank you" code monkeys happy.
  • It is built with three primary classes (with additional classes and functions) in an object-oriented programming style: class.db abstracts a variety of MySQL database interactions, class.user manages authentication and an item-level ACL, and class.page controls page rendering.
  • Dialogs securely prevents non-administrative users from injecting PHP or javascript code.
  • It is delivered with source code that is thoroughly documented.
  • It features an n-tiered permissions system to limit users to specific content.
  • It leverages revision "roll-back" on virtually all database content to restore content to any previous state as needed.
  • Dialogs can be installed with a variety of plug-ins and additional development tools like the WYSIWYG plugin TinyMCE for text areas.
  • It features a unique, List-based content structure that facilitates use of the same content in different contexts.
  • Powerful debugging tools are built in.
  • Development support is extensive, including self-help for the experienced developer and fee-based professional assistance from Dialogs Professional Services.
  • It includes built-in components indispensable for building contemporary websites and web applications:
    • user management (group assignment, login/lost password management, customizable user profile, etc.)
    • forms management (dynamic back-end forms based on developer-configured fields, back-end database fields automatically configured based on custom designed front-end forms, etc.)
    • security (password-protected content, item-level permissions, encrypted content)
    • dynamic navigation (automatically reflects moves adds or changes to content)
    • time-based content activation (turns content "on" and "off" at pre-set dates)
    • paging (manages the presentation of information spread across multiple pages)
    • outbound email (triggered by posted forms or daily processes, configured with mail-merge type templates)
    • blogs and forums (moderated or unmoderated, user comments)
    • RSS feeds (for any Dialogs content)
    • eCommerce integration (basic products/cart setup, UPS/FedEx lookups, checkout integration with Braintree and google checkout)
    • a report generator (configure saved reports for any List, view on-screen or .csv export)

Who develops in Dialogs?

Dialogs is THE back-end development framework for web professionals. Simple brochure websites may be deployed in Dialogs with simple configuration of installed components. If you can use Dreamweaver and can edit simple HTML directly, you can configure Dialogs.

Cutting edge websites will require skilled front-end coders and often PHP and javascript developers to extend base Dialogs functionality with simple script additions. Experienced developers will be able to rapidly understand how Dialogs works, how to leverage its power, and how to readily extend functionality when needed. Technical web developers with PHP and javascript expertise have built quite complex web applications leveraging Dialogs.