I use a lot of CMS software such as joomla, drupal and wordpress (though technically blog software). Many times I find that they are really way too much for what is needed, but I use them because of certain mods or plugins I can use.

Here is a client site www.batchplantaccessories.com that we are using drupal with, however really it's just too much. Which pieces of coffeecup software can I use to create something similiar to this including the slide shows on each side. I already own html editor and shopping cart creator, anything else I might need?

thanks as always

A simple slideshow can be done using Firestarter. CoffeeCup also has a chat program.

thank you, I'll take a look at it when I get a free moment


Morga

Form builder
Site Mapper

If you don't mind my asking... are you using CMS so that your client/other people can edit the site?

If not, there are far better ways to build a website. Anything you can find on CMS is adaptable to a typical website. You just have to "do the search".

I have to say that recently I have been moving away from cms sites. Originally I thought it would be great for the site commissioner to update his/her own site, but the reality is that none of them want to do that! I also concluded (as you seem to be doing yourself) that the cms was offering far more (in most cases) than the client would ever be needing and that it was all far more difficult for me to actually get my hands inside the code to make changes.

As Highcountry says (do you have a name?) unless you really need to let others do any editing, a regular web site with a few plugins is probably more than adequate. So as suggested so far, maybe the photogallery, the ad producer, the form builder, the website search, access manager (if you want protected areas for a site)... just look at the list here http://www.coffeecup.com/software/ to see what might be most appropriate for the type of site and your potential audience.

I much prefer working with a regular site to a cms one to be honest as I have so much more control over the look and feel. Messing about with skinning cms gives me nightmares, particularly when I run it through all the different browsers only to discover that some of my code has been stripped out!

I wish I could get my clients to get rid of using cms. It seems like everyone I deal with wants you to create the site then leave and let them take over. grrrrr.

If they only knew how well I can dance.

Eric... they don't know what they're missing!

I'm sure they will learn soon enough.

I think you guys are getting confused about a CMS and a code package with a CMS built in - i agree things like mambo and joomla and wordpress and the likes are way more complicated than they need to be and hard to skin properly - its the package that makes it difficult though - not the fact that it has CMS capabilities..

I build my own CMS systems for clients - and they love it - especially the part about not having to pay me to do minor updates

Because i build my own i have full control from the ground up - i can choose with the customer exactly how much they can edit - and provide a SIMPLE system for doing that...

I can also customise it for any particular client to store/edit data relevant to them - eg a booking system for a locksmith or holiday home, scorecards for the swimming club, the next games draw for the netball club... the possibilities are endless if you just learn to code to spec

Its not the CMS thats the problem - its the code package they choose to provide that Build a good CMS and all the problems go away