Core CMS v0.3.0: Themes, Roles, and a Polished Admin Experience

I'm thrilled to announce the release of Core CMS v0.3.0. This update represents a major leap forward in usability, customization, and security. While v0.2.0 laid the foundation for content creation, v0.3.0 turns the system into a fully managed platform ready for diverse teams and designs.

Here is what's new in this release.

🎨 The Theme System

One of the most requested features is now live. You are no longer stuck with a single hardcoded look.

• Theme Manager: Switch between visual designs instantly from the Admin Dashboard.
• Dark Mode: We've included a "Dark Mode" theme out of the box to demonstrate the system's flexibility.
• Developer Friendly: Creating a new theme is as simple as adding a folder to /themes. Check out the new Theme Builder Guide in the docs.

👥 User Roles & Security

As teams grow, security becomes paramount. We have implemented a strict Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system.

• Administrators: Have full control (Settings, Plugins, Users).
• Editors: Can manage content and media but cannot touch system configurations.
• Subscribers: Read-only access (ready for future membership features).
• User Management: Admins can now Add, Edit, and Delete users directly from the dashboard.

⚙️ Site Identity & Customization

You shouldn't need to write PHP just to change your logo.

• Site Identity: Update your Site Title, Logo, and Footer Text directly in Site Settings.
• Label Editor: Want to change "Read More" to "Discover"? You can now override UI text strings via the admin panel—perfect for branding or simple localization.
• Scroll to Top: A configurable "Back to Top" button to improve navigation on long pages.

🖼️ Media & Editor Upgrades

Content creation gets smoother and more accessible.

• Media Metadata: You can now add Alt Text, Titles, and Descriptions to your images for better SEO and accessibility.
• Editor.js Image Tool: Drag and drop images directly into your posts using the block editor.
• Menu Enhancements: Reorder menu links manually and link to internal pages by ID (so links don't break if you rename a slug).

📊 A Modern Dashboard

We've refreshed the Admin Dashboard. The old text links are gone, replaced by a responsive Quick Actions Grid that makes navigating the backend faster and more touch-friendly.

🚀 What's Next?

With the core experience now robust and customizable, we are officially moving to Phase 5. The next major update will introduce the Event Planner Plugin, transforming Core CMS into a specialized tool for managing events and bookings.

View the Changelog | Download v0.3.0

Introducing Core CMS: A Lightweight, Modular Foundation for the AI Era

I am excited to announce that I have officially made my latest project, Core CMS, public on GitHub.

For a long time, I've felt that modern Content Management Systems have become too heavy. They often come packed with features you never use, frameworks that require a steep learning curve, and bloat that slows down the "heartbeat" of your website.

I wanted to build something different. Something that returns to the roots of clean, procedural PHP, but architected for the future of AI integration.

🌟 The Philosophy: "The Star in the Core"

The concept behind Core CMS is simple: The Core should be the Brain.

If we treat a CMS like a human body:

• The Core is the Central Nervous System. It handles the logic, routing, and security. It keeps the lights on.
• The Database is the Memory (Hippocampus).
• Plugins are Learned Skills. Just as learning to play the piano doesn't change your DNA, adding an Event Planner shouldn't hack your core files.

This separation of concerns ensures that the system remains fast, secure, and incredibly stable, no matter how many "skills" (plugins) you teach it.

🛠️ Under the Hood

Core CMS is built with a "No Framework" approach to ensure maximum performance and understanding:

• PHP 8.3+: Utilizing the latest features for speed and type safety.
• MySQL (MariaDB): Robust data storage using secure PDO Prepared Statements.
• Block-Based Editing: Integrated Editor.js for a modern writing experience that saves clean JSON data (perfect for AI parsing) instead of messy HTML blobs.
• Zero Bloat: No heavy frontend frameworks. Just clean HTML5 and CSS3.

🚀 What's Built So Far?

We have just completed Phase 4 (Expansion), meaning the system is now a fully functional CMS:

• ✅ Secure Authentication: Login, Logout, and Session management.
• ✅ Content Management: Create, Edit, and Delete Posts and Pages.
• ✅ Taxonomy: Organize content with hierarchical Categories and Tags.
• ✅ Media Library: Upload and manage images securely.
• ✅ User Profiles: Manage accounts and avatars.
• ✅ Dynamic Menus: Control your site navigation directly from the Admin Dashboard.

🔮 What's Next?

The roadmap is ambitious. Now that the foundation is solid, we are moving into Phase 5, where we will build the Event Planner Plugin—a specialized module for managing bookings and vendors.

Beyond that, Core CMS is designed to be AI-Native. Future phases include:

• Admin Copilot: An AI assistant to help draft content and summarize data.
• Frontend Agents: Chatbots that can query the database to answer visitor questions.

🔗 Check it Out

The repository is now open source. I invite you to explore the code, read the documentation, and see how a modern, lightweight CMS is built from scratch.

View Core CMS on GitHub

See the Live Demo