Thread

Hi there,

A client I am working with has specifically requested that we use ExpressionEngine for their project.

I downloaded the core version and had a quick play, and I must say, I am impressed so far.

Instead of spending hours and hours learning ExpressionEngine inside out, I was wondering if any of you in the know could help answer a few of my questions so I can jump start the process and decide of ExpressionEngine is the right choice for us.

1) So far, I’m only able to see how to add and edit blog entries. Is there an ability to add say a section to my website and edit it’s content? Is it easy to implement? I know you can add a template and edit the HTML, I have seen this, I am more talking about adding and editing a section within a WYSIWYG editor.

2) Are the modules easy to modify? For example, this website requires a news feed AND a blog. The only way I could think of editing the current blog to work this way was to use tagging. Would it be easy to create two feeds as it were?

I actually have a lot more questions, but I will see if anyone can answer those two to begin with.

Thank you.

So far, I’m only able to see how to add and edit blog entries.

Well, they may be called weblog entries, but you can really use them for all kinds of content. There is a “Pages” module for static content as well. There is no WYSIWYG editor by default, but installing one is definitely possible. The wiki is a good starting point.

Are the modules easy to modify?

You have access to the source code, and may definitely modify it to suit your needs. This is generally not necessary, though, instead using plugins or extensions.

Would it be easy to create two feeds as it were?

You are not limited in the number of feeds you can generate.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

I’ve literally just found where you can create multiple weblogs, I was coming back here to edit my post and saw yours.

I will instead just need to create a module that will compile the two blogs into one list for the home page as this is a requirement of the client.

I have just found the Pages module within the search. Thank you for pointing that out to me, it doesn’t come with the Core version.

My next question, is it easy to add content editing to the control panel? Let me try and explain this further.

Trying to be vague on purpose, I will be creating a page that lists items, and you can click on them to get more information and some more functionality. I will be making this as a module. It will require its own special CMS-ness to edit the relevant information.

So, is it easy to ‘create a new section’ in the contorl panel for the module?

I will instead just need to create a module that will compile the two blogs into one list for the home page as this is a requirement of the client.

I don’t think you’ll need a custom module for that just yet. The standard exp:weblog:entries tag supports displaying content from more than one weblog.

is it easy to add content editing to the control panel?

Using extensions you could, in theory, rewrite the control panel entirely, but that is probably not the route you’d want to go down.

I will be creating a page that lists items, and you can click on them to get more information and some more functionality.

Just a matter of setting your templates up correspondingly.

So, is it easy to ‘create a new section’ in the contorl panel for the module?

You seem to be very eager to create your own add-on. There is nothing wrong with that, per se, just make sure that the desired (or similar) functionality does not ship with EE by default.

I think I am just assuming what it can and can’t do. I think I will have to bury into the depths of hell.

Thanks for your help.

Ok, I’ve just read into the concept of the weblogs.

I now feel incredibly stupid as almost everything I was asking can be accomplished through this.

Thank you for your help earlier though.

No worries 😊 It does take some time to absorb it all, but you’re definitely on your way.

Ok, next (and hopefully final) set of questions.

If I had to sum up, is it relatively easy to do data capture?

One of the functionalties of the website I am quoting is a photo gallery that users can browse, find a photo they like, then order a print if they want.

They will then place an order for the photo, be taken to a 3rd party payment website like worldpay, then come back and be greeted with a wonderment of joy thank you page.

I think from my basic understanding of EE that I would inevitably want to store the orders as a weblog? Is that right?

But how on earth would I get data from a form into this Weblog, and do the required PHP to capture returns from WorldPay, etc?

Would I need to program this as a new module or something?

Thanks.

Hi, Sekka,

Why not leverage the existing Simple Commerce module for this?  That way it stays in ExpressionEngine; you’ll be using PayPal for the payment system them, so it’s a known provider.

The products would be entries in a weblog, the orders would be their own thing.

If you did want to use Worldplay, then you would need to develop your own custom module, yes, and then how you handle this is really up to you.

I was not aware there was a commerce module.

Thank you!

It’s a gateway to PayPal, but it sounds like it would work for your project. Read about it here. =)

Very impressive 😊

Seems like a lot of what I need to accomplish is already built in, will just take some time to learn the ins and outs.

If all goes well I forsee using EE on a lot of my clients’ projects.

Cheers!