There is no universal language of Content Management Systems. This is an overview that will help you translate from one CMS to another.

How can you customize the look and feel of a CMS system?

Fundamentally, is there a way to “skin” your site by providing control over the look and presentation of the material in the CMS?  Two terms are typically used here - theme and template.

• Drupal - theme
• Joomla - template
• Plone - template and skin
• WordPress - theme

What are the basic building blocks of content?

Without content - words - there is no need for content management systems.  Most also handle media, but these are the basic building blocks of content for these CMS systems:

• Drupal - node
• Joomla - article
• Plone - document
• WordPress - post and page

Can you extend the functionality of the CMS System?

Most commercial CMS systems try and include everything and anything that any potential customer might ever want and this translates into high overhead and high cost.  Most open source systems are lean and create opportunities for you or for the community to develop tools that add onto the base product.

• Drupal - modules
• Joomla - extensions, modules and components and it is hard to differentiate between these even for experienced users. Check out this Joomla extensions tutorial for more ideas.
• Plone - add-on
• WordPress - plugin

What goes on the Sidebars?

The sidebar is a staple of Internet systems to allow you to have navigation in addition to the content of the page.

• Drupal - blocks
• Joomla - modules
• Plone - portlet (slots in earlier versions)
• WordPress - widgets

A visual example of Joomla Jargon

Since a picture says a thousand words, check out this visual view of Joomla’s jargon.   With five types of extensions, Joomla has one of the harder sets of jargon to explain.

Related posts:

1. CMS Selection Criteria
2. Deciding on Drupal versus WordPress
3. Speed Up Your Drupal Installation
4. 5 Drupal Settings for New Installs
5. Microsoft Word and your blogs