Hot off the presses, Ektron has just released the first comprehensive guide covering the Ektron CMS400.NET web content management platform, the “Ektron Developer's Guide: Building an Ektron Powered Website” from Wiley Publishing. 

UPDATE: the "Ektron Developers Guide" is also now available for Kindle.

Since I sit down the hall from all three of the book's authors, I took the opportunity to buttonhole them and ask some questions about the "Ektron Developers Guide." The trio are:  

Bill Rogers - Ektron CEO who, with his brother Ed, founded Ektron in 1998.  I was actually one of the original customers for Ektron's first product, eWebEditPro, an early precursor of what would become CMS400.NET, and visited Bill and Ed in 1999 at a tiny office suite in Milford, NH to buy a copy of that software... but that's a story for another day.

Bill Cava - Ektron's Chief Evangelist and aficionado of internet technology; web content management; and software development.  One of Bill's primary roles is as advocate for and Ektron champion of the Ektron Developer Community.

Aniel Sud -  Ektron CMS Architect, technical evangelist and the man who envisions new features such as Ektron's PageBuilder technology and then brings them to reality. Aniel spends as much time on the road with speaking engagements and customer visits as the two Bills.  In fact, it's unusual to find all three in the office at the same time, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity...

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Fred Bals: Tell me about the genesis of the "Ektron's Developers Guide"  Why did Ektron decide to commit the time and resources of the CEO and two senior executives to produce a book?

Bill Rogers: The ultimate goal of this book is to give .NET developers a complete reference guide that they can use as a resource to support their work in successfully creating an Ektron web project. The Ektron solution, which started out as a relatively simple WYSIWYG web authoring and  publishing tool, is much more than that in 2011. As we've added social software, mobile, marketing optimization and other Web 2.0 tools to our core content management system, it became clear that Ektron developers needed an authoritative guide on how to plan and implement a CMS that can help achieve an organization's overall goals; whether those goals are lowering costs, increasing efficiencies and productivity or better serving their customers.

Bill Cava: We started planning and outlining the book in early 2009, so it's been a long-term effort, but I think the results are worth it.  It's also important to note that the "Developers Guide" isn't just for developers who are already familiar with Ektron. We were careful not to make the assumption that the reader had any prior knowledge of the platform. And if you haven't gotten your feet wet with a CMS project in the .NET environment before, this will be a good guide to both the challenges you're going to face and solutions you can implement.

Aniel Sud: But whether you want to start learning the Ektron Web Content Management platform or already have some experience with Ektron and want to hone your skills, we think you'll find something of value in the "Developers Guide." 

Fred Bals: Tell me what I can find in the book.

Bill Cava (laughs): You'll find a lot, Fred!  The "Developers Guide" is over 600 pages.  Briefly, we begin with an introduction to Ektron, the company, our philosophy and the Ektron Framework. Chapter 2 moves into the Ektron web project methodology, from Discovery, to developing a Project Plan, through Implementation and Q&A. We walk developers through the process of  setting up, configuring, developing, testing, and deploying a site using established best practices and helpful tips.

Aniel Sud: Each chapter focuses on the implementation of a specific aspect of the site and offers an overview of the technology. Step-by-step instructions walk developers through the process of putting specific functionality into practice. And again by book’s end, you'll have acquired a solid understanding of the internal workings of the Ektron Framework as well as having built a comprehensive example website.

Fred Bals: I really like the idea of building your own Ektron website while reading the book.

Bill Cava: One of our major goals was that upon completing "Building an Ektron-Powered Website," .NET developers will have a complete and functional coded site that can be used as a template for their future projects.  So, not only do you have reference guide, at day's end you'll have a website you can use and tailor to your own needs.  

Aniel Sud: The sample site is also a great way for us to discuss core web content management concepts in context.  It's much easier to explain to a developer why some specific aspect of our methodology is important when they can see that methodology in action.  For example, we devote a full chapter to the sample site's Home Page, as the Home Page is almost always one of the most heavily visited pages of any given website. We look at adding rotating graphics; adding navigation; providing rich interaction with visitors through JQuery and Ektron Smart Forms; Web Services creation and consumption; developing a SiteSearch strategy; creating a sitemap and breadcrumbs; how to put a visitor registration feature into place; creating a calendar for the Home Page and more.

Bill Rogers: Fred, I also wanted to mention that in later chapters of the book we discuss - again, with real examples - how a website can be used to create marketing campaigns, generate leads and target your content to your audience with tools such as multivariate testing and web analytics. Chapters 10 and 11 of the “Ektron Developer's Guide" then go on to detail how you can use your Ektron-powered site to support customers and develop a social community by implementing such features as forums, blogs and wikis and extending the community conversation through activity streams.

Bill Cava: And we also devote two full chapters on creating an Ektron eCommerce storefront; a full tutorial on creating an online product catalog; setting up reports and order management; and then constructing your storefront and building a gateway to a payment provider.

Fred Bals: And where can I find the "Ektron's Developers Guide"?

Bill Cava: The book is available both at brick-and-mortar stores as well as online.  You can buy it directly from Wiley or through Amazon.

Bill Rogers: And we'd really appreciate feedback.  An Ektron core value is our belief in the power of community.  The Ektron community of employees, developers, partners and customers is what has made the company successful.  Ultimately the value of the "Ektron's Developers Guide" will be measured by its value to the Ektron developer community. So, please take a moment to give the book a review on its Amazon page after you've had the opportunity to read and work with it. Or leave a comment on one of our blogs. Just as with the Ektron platform itself, our guide will always be going through a cycle of improvement, based on the feedback we receive.

Fred Bals: Thanks for your time, gentlemen.