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Using General JQuery Functions?

February 02, 2011 3:25pm

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  • #1 / Feb 02, 2011 3:25pm

    MatthewSchenker

    58 posts

    Hello,
    I’m very seriously looking at ExpressionEngine for my Web development needs.  Currently, I’m using Joomla on all my sites, and I have become very good at making it do what I want.  But lately, my CSS skills have improved to the point where I often feel I have to fight against Joomla’s structure rather than just use it.

    Then I discovered ExpressionEngine, and the more I read about it the more I want to try it.

    Here’s my question…

    I see a lot of great general brilliance out there, such as JQuery functions, and I often want to include them in my sites (just a quick example: http://www.sohtanaka.com/web-design-tutorials/).  With Joomla, it’s a complicated set of steps getting these things to work at all, or to create extensions that can be integrated into the core.

    It seems that ExpressionEngine has a better structure for including these kinds of things.  Am I correct?  Or do such ideas also need to be restructured to work inside of EE?

    Making a switch in CMS is a big move for me.  I’m taking all the information I can get in my decision making.

    Thanks,
    Matthew

  • #2 / Feb 02, 2011 5:39pm

    Brandon Jones

    5500 posts

    Hi Matthew,

    Yes, you are correct. ExpressionEngine is designed from the ground up to give you maximum flexibility in your markup, style and scripts. You can build your templates exactly how you want (EE calls them templates, but they are blank slates) and then pull in the little bits of dynamic content using, for example, the channel entries tag.

    Given that, you’re free to use whatever jQuery you see fit. There’s even a built-in jQuery Module to make life easier.

    Thanks for your interest, and don’t hesitate with any other questions!

  • #3 / Feb 03, 2011 11:27am

    MatthewSchenker

    58 posts

    Brandon,
    OK, I think I see.  I’ve read all the documentation on EE, and it seems that there is a much more straightforward path to including JQuery (or other scripting) concepts into EE sites, without having to convert them into specifically EE modules.

    So, using a “channel” along with the JQuery module is similar to calling a script in the html <head>?

    Sorry for all my questions, but I want to understand the EE logic and workflow here before I dive in.

    My goal is for the CMS to manage my site’s bigger structures while being able to include great ideas from various code geniuses wherever they are.  (Hope that makes sense).

    Thanks,
    Matthew

  • #4 / Feb 04, 2011 4:27am

    Ingmar

    29245 posts

    So, using a “channel” along with the JQuery module is similar to calling a script in the html <head>?

    Not quite. A “channel” is where EE stores its entries. You reference them in your templates to bring up the content. The jQuery module allows you to use jQuery more easily, but you don’t have to use it: you can easily do what you’d do on a static HTML page and make reference to the library yourself. EE’s templates really are XHTML pages with a few extra tags. They give you absolute freedom in your design choices.

    I hope that makes sense?

  • #5 / Feb 04, 2011 6:58am

    MatthewSchenker

    58 posts

    Ingmar,
    Ah, I think I see.

    From everything I’m reading, EE sounds like it’s exactly the kind of CMS that makes sense for me considering where I’m going as a designer.

    I just wish there was a way to demo EE so I could run through a few model situations to see how it works.  Probably, I’ll purchase a Freelance license to run through all this on my own site.

    Thanks,
    Matthew

  • #6 / Feb 04, 2011 6:16pm

    Leslie Doherty

    176 posts

    Let us know if you have any other questions, Matthew. Don’t forget there’s the 30 day refund policy just in case something doesn’t match up with something you’re looking for and as always, feel free to ask any questions!

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