Inside EllisLab's content management system.
You may well have heard of EllisLab for its other product, CodeIgniter. Both CodeIgniter and ExpressionEngine have their roots in an earlier blogging application known as pMachine Pro, and are open source. CodeIgniter is the core of ExpressionEngine, and whereas the former is available freely for developers, the full version of ExpressionEngine is a premium service. Expression Engine Core is a free to download version with fewer features, which can only be used by non-profit ventures and personal websites.
ExpressionEngine was launched on the 08 February 2004. Its intuitive interface has seen EE being dubbed as 'a designer's CMS', owing to the lack of required markup. This makes ExpressionEngine a suitable choice for non-technical people, reluctant to get their hands too dirty with HTML, PHP and CSS. The full paid-for version comes with a number of included modules and web publishing features. It is a dream for typographers wishing to convert MS Word characters into HTML and CSS with full typographic formatting tools available.
Why Choose ExpressionEngine
- Modular: comprehensive themes and extensions available in addition to its already extensive suite;
- Intuitive: a sound option for users new to content management systems and non-technically minded users;
- Support: dedicated support teams plus community conferences and support forums;
- Excellent For Enterprise Level Websites: comprehensive security features, spam deterrent and censorship features available;
- Wide range of eCommerce Options: includes modules for payment gateways and customer billing;
- Social Media Integration: wealth of add-ons for social sharing buttons, Twitter integration, URL shortening, blogs and forums;
- SEO Friendly: includes built-in search term log, search engine friendly URLs and filtering tools;
- Supports Responsive Web Design: includes built-in responsive layouts and full page modelling.
ExpressionEngine's ease of use and flexibility makes it one of the most popular CMSs. There is a wealth of themes and plugins to choose from, either from EllisLab or via third party websites. Its intuitive user interface makes for a good content management system either for absolute beginners or anyone afraid of getting their hands dirty with source code. Though the subscription fee may deter users, there is a trade off in the form of three month's free support for new users. Further support is available from £29.13 per month (correct at time of writing) with unlimited requests and an unlimited number of sites covered.
Whether you wish to build a simple or complex site, ExpressionEngine is a good all-rounder. If you wish to add eCommerce facilities, EE has a number of suitable plugins, either from EllisLab or from third parties. Examples of which include Expresso Store - deemed the leading eCommerce platform for ExpressionEngine.
As you would expect with any content management system nowadays, there is a wealth of social media and search engine friendly tools available. One third party tool for social networking includes Socialee. This handles Facebook and OpenID logins, plus it offers integration with leading social networking sites including Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. Though ExpressionEngine comes with SEO tools, it is well represented by a number of third party plugins such as SEO Lite.
ExpressionEngine
- Latest Stable Version: 2.9.0
- Popularity: 7th
- Number of Sites: 61,736 (10 June 2014)
- Used By: OpenDNS, Barack Obama (US President, 2008 - ), A List Apart, Mumford and Sons.