This is probably the most diverse type of script there is, ranging from a simple online WYSIWYG editor to a database driven CMS to full fledged "portal" scripts.
What you should use depends on what the purpose is.
Below is a site where you can test the admin and front end panels of any open source CMS system that runs on PHP and MySQL:
http://opensourcecms.com/
Movable type (perl) is a fantastic tool for making a CMS BTW.