What a template is (and what it is not)
One of the most common questions I get is “Why is template (x) not working with CMS (y)?”. The answer is simple: The website templates contain no CMS-specific code so they will not work with any CMS by default. They contain no scripts, only pure XHTML and CSS code that make up a basic design filled with sample content. To get CMS functionality you need to add the proper CMS functions to get the template to connect with your choice of CMS. Another option is to find ported templates or themes that have already been customized to work with the CMS you want to use. Like the WordPress themes which I have customized to work with WordPress specifically.
Porting is done in different ways for different systems, and since I do not have experience of more than a few content management systems I am not able to do ports on requests. I recommend sending such requests to the user/developer communities for the CMS you want to use, there are often people who are happy to take on such requests. If you want to make a CMS-specific port yourself you should look for documentation on the website of your CMS, like the Codex for WordPress, or learn from templates and themes that are already available.
If you want to start with a simple and easy-to-learn CMS, then you should check out sNews CMS. It usually only takes a few minutes to turn a website template into a dynamic CMS-based site. There is also good documentation to read on the website, as well as a forum where you can find many tips and tricks. And not to forget, the beautiful templates already customized to work with the system.
This article was written by Andreas Viklund
Web designer, writer and the creative engine behind this website. Author of most of the free website templates, along with some of the WordPress themes.