"Yet Another Boring" CMS – Fast Forward (YAB CMS) is the content management system upon which proprietary portals and custom applications are built. It is open source, runs on CakePHP 5 and PHP 8, and remains deliberately lean. The architecture is designed so that extensions are created where they are needed—not as an uncontrolled plugin layer.
The system is used productively and continuously developed. The investment in the open-source project simultaneously serves as the foundation for proprietary client projects: anyone familiar with the base can extend it without starting from scratch on every assignment.
Content Model (EAV)
Article types define the structure, attributes define the fields, and values define the content. This allows products, pages, projects, or custom types to be mapped without schema changes. The editor supports WYSIWYG, media fields, and predefined selection values. Articles can be filtered by domain, locale, and type, and can be marked as promoted.
Multi-Domain and Multilingualism
Each domain can have its own theme and locales. Menus, categories, and settings are managed per domain and language. Upon first access, the system recognizes the host, creates the database, and sets up the domain—zero-config with SQLite as a starting point, interchangeable with MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL.
Roles and Access
TinyAuth controls access. Predefined roles (admin, manager, public) cover standard use cases. Public routes (login, registration, promoted articles) are explicitly permitted. Forms provide immediate feedback on mandatory fields.
REST API and Import/Export
Most entities are accessible via a JSON REST API under /api. Authentication is handled via a token endpoint. Import and export support CSV, XLSX, XML, and JSON—for articles, settings, and other objects.
Technical Foundation
- CakePHP 5 and PHP 8.2+
- AdminLTE for the backend
- EAV content model without schema changes
- Multi-domain and multi-locale
- Role-based permissions (TinyAuth)
- REST API and token authentication
- Import/export in multiple formats
- Bot protection middleware against common scanner paths
The code is hosted on GitHub and can be integrated as a plugin into existing CakePHP applications. Ongoing development takes place within the same stack used for client projects.