Drupal or from-scratch web app development?

I am looking to develop a multi-user web application that supports the following key features开发者_如何学运维:

fill out forms with demographic data on individuals

define and administer surveys & polls

generate nice reports with graphs)

user rights administration and generic login stuff

My dilemma is whether to use a CMS (Drupal?) or develop from scratch.

Putting the time and cost issues aside for a minute, which are an obvious CMS strength, what are the weaknesses and potential risks using a CMS? my gut tells me that a CMS will be very easy and quick to start with, but when the features list begins to grow - I will pay the bill with having to delve into unfamiliar DB structure and code, try to tweak existing modules or write my own from scratch.

Is it really better, over the long run, to use a CMS?

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There are two basic types of CMSes:

• focused on features
• focused on flexibility

The first type - focused on features - usually offer lot of modules or extensions to expand the basic functionality. You can build your web site very quickly using ready-to-use third party modules. There's a disadvantage of this way - it isn't so easy to bend or customize these modules. Usually you need to rewrite them.

Drupal. WordPress and Joomla are good examples of the first type of CMSes.

The second type - focused on flexibility - somewhere called Content Management Frameworks - don't offer so much prefabricated modules, but offer much more tools and ways to make your structure and relationships between elements fit your needs. It takes more time to learn this kind of CMS or to build your fist web site, but you can easily customize anything you need.

Some examples of the second type CMSes: SilverStripe, Symphony CMS, appRain, MODx, ezPublish.

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appRain is one of the best customizable option where you will get both option of CMS and also complex coding by it's framework.

Development process is also easy. New version 4.0.4 is on they way to be released.