The Sitefinity CMS project is a C# .proj file and its associated file structure that contains physical project implementation and configuration files. Sitefinity CMS stores website content in the database, whereas module definitions, which determine content structure, can be stored either on the file system, or in the database. Developers can opt to store projects in the source control system of their choice. The topic Collaborative development and source control overview provides more details.
For many projects, development can be accomplished using the Sitefinity CMS backend alone. The backend allows developers to configure built-in components and create new ones. For example, the Module Builder and Layout editor support creation of modules and templates from the backend. When customization beyond that offered out of the box is required, developers can use an IDE of their choice, such as Microsoft Visual Studio. Sites like github.com contain code examples to download and reuse. Configuring with the backend and customizing with Visual Studio describes these options in more detail.
Regardless of how developers choose to configure and implement site components, it is important for them to communicate with content creators about the configuration and customizations they make. For example, suppose developers add a module to store product descriptions, a corresponding widget, and two widget templates — one for clothing and one for shoes. Content creators need to know how to use them correctly.
