Newbie - need help from seasoned Modx folk!

Hi there

I am trying to get to grips with Modx and am really struggling. I know my CSS and HTML really well, but this is the first CMS I have used (after much research into CMS’s I have chosen Modx).

After reading the documents online I still feel non the wiser. I am wondering if someone can point me in the direction of some really good online guides/tutorials/resources/videos that take you step by step through using Modx.

It seems like a steep learning curve - How did everyone else get started on this?

Many thanks in advance

My own personal experience was as a HTML CSS guy too. But I had moved from using just HTML and CSS to both wordpress and my own cobbled together PHP/HTML sites without DBs. But demand grew for me to give more and more control to my clients and Wordpress is a blog app and a pain to easily customise the templates.

modx took my html/css into templates and then I could add things like a wayfinder menu (way simpler and more flexible than my old php loops) and add in common content.

geneshXL is 100% right that you need--not ought--need to install the sample data. You will then be able to see how templates are done.

You will need to learn the following very simple info also.

Chunks, Snippets, Plugins, and Modules.

Chunks are pieces of reusible HTML or text.
Snippets are pieces of PHP or complete PHP scripts.
Plugins are event based scripts or chunks
Modules are combinations of snippets and or plugins that are managed from within the modx manager.

Templates are a combination of plain old HTML/CSS and modx tags.

If you install modx on a W/M/L AMP server and take a look at the main template you will see that it is plain HTML/CSS with some JS script links for good measure.

The difference is that the document stuff is replaced by the modx tags. So your page title is [*pagetitle*] and your content is [*content*].

Hope this helps.

Although it’s highly recommended, I installed the sample site to begin with and found it kind of overwhelming -- maybe because I’d never worked with a real CMS before (unless you count Dreamweaver). I ended up removing it and started with a clean, simple template. I created some documents, then added chunks, then a few of the basic MODx snippets (Wayfinder and Ditto) and then some of my own simple snippets. YMMV. 

If you’re the type of learner that does better with some idea of what’s going on behind the scenes, I’m working on "MODx From the Inside", at this point a few articles explaining how some parts of MODx work, with an embedded tutorial that will continue from a simple template with chunks and template variables to a full-blown web application (although even I’m not sure of exactly what form this will take as it develops!)

http://www.sottwell.com/modx-from-the-inside.html

Great Article sottwell. I’m hoping to learn how to create a snippett, as think the only way i can modify snippetts to do exactly what i want is to create one from scratch. Your reference on reference fieldnames ect within php is helpful. Not planning on doing or know of any that would help me along the way.

Thanks

Ben

Here’s a simple-minded tutorial on creating your first snippet: http://bobsguides.com/modx-snippets.html

sottwell’s article is fantastic and might make more sense after you’ve actually created a snippet.

I haven’t gotten to snippets yet; I’m still stuck on TVs (widgets and input types). Need to get motivated...

Quote from: BobRay at Oct 07, 2008, 04:17 PM

Here’s a simple-minded tutorial on creating your first snippet: http://bobsguides.com/modx-snippets.html

sottwell’s article is fantastic and might make more sense after you’ve actually created a snippet.

Thanks BobRay, great little starting point for me.

sottwell look forward to reading some more of those guides.

Many Thanks

Ben

Thanks so much for the posts. I’m happy to report that I’m now really familiar with MODx - it’s pretty easy to get to grips with once you’ve had a play around with it. Thanks again!

Quote from: happyavocado at Oct 11, 2008, 02:32 PM

Thanks so much for the posts. I’m happy to report that I’m now really familiar with MODx - it’s pretty easy to get to grips with once you’ve had a play around with it. Thanks again!

I’m glad you’re more comfortable with MODx. Trust me, though, there are only a tiny handful of people who are "really familiar" with MODx. PS: I’m not one of them. It’s part of what I love about MODx, there’s always something more to learn.