[OPEN] Front-end content management system

Dear community,

MODx is a strong and growing framework with an active community and many skilled developers. What appears to be missing is a flexible front-end content management system. Frontpage and pkBlog are both a good start, but does not offer the flexibility and simplicity I request. For the benefit of the entire MODx project, I am hereby initiating development of such a product.

Project time frame:
On your convenience, but preferably completed before 1st of July 2011.

Budget and payment terms:
Due to the flexible time frame, complexity and already existing technology available to the hired developer, I will contribute $300 to this project if completed as proposed. I imagine the project to be an easy way of earning $300, but if you find my proposal to be unfair, please do not hesitate to send me a more reasonable quote. If necessary, contributions by other members may be made. Payments are made through PayPal or international bank transfer.

Project description:
FDM offers much of the functionality I’m requesting for this project. Unfortunately, it is a deferred project, very buggy, and not compatible with MODx Revolution. In general, I would like this project to function like FDM but bug-free and compatible with MODx Revolution. You may find the FDM thread here: http://modxcms.com/forums/index.php/topic,14977.0.html
Some of the technology necessary may also be available through Frontpage: http://modxcms.com/extras/package/?package=764

Here follows a list of the functionality I’m requesting:

• Ability to add resources (previously called documents) anywhere in a site structure (as a parent, on root, or elsewhere as specified)
• Ability to edit, delete, publish and unpublish resources, i.e. through links in a getResources/Ditto list
• Document editing form should be a chunk so one may customize content fields and TV’s as needed
• Web 2.0 technology to simplify GUI is encouraged, but not required.
• Integration with the Revolution permission system may be discussed, but is not required

I will take responsibility for any improvements and necessary changes to the front-end GUI as well as documentation, packaging and releasing.

IP ownership constraints:
The final product will be free, open source and available as a package to the MODx community. I hope to keep this project alive in the future through continuing contributions and improvements by the MODX community. The developer(s) will be recognized both in product descriptions, codes and elsewhere appropriate.

Suggestions to functionality and the project as a whole are welcome by anyone! Please do so by replying to this thread.
Interested developers may contact me by e-mail or PM. In addition, please post a reply in this thread just in case I have not received your inquiry.

I’ve send you a PM.

It sounds like the Revolution version of NewsPublisher will do all that you want.

It will generate a resource editing/creation form in the front end. All you need to do is send a comma-delimited list of the fields/TVs you want to show in one of the parameters. Permissions are already integrated.

It hasn’t been released yet, but I’m getting close to a release version.

It would be great, I think that i personally lack the skills for this type of project for right now, but i’m sure that many developers here in the community are already working on a prototype.

It seems like it’s a popular wishlist feature, here’s a blog post from digital butter about this
http://churn.butter.com.hk/posts/2010/december/code-jam:-part-i-front-end-resource-editer-for-modx-revolution.html

Great to hear Bob, hope you’ll overcome all those small bugs and we’ll be ready to go with this one

Quote from: bkvernst at Dec 29, 2010, 05:15 AM

Here follows a list of the functionality I’m requesting:

• Ability to add resources (previously called documents) anywhere in a site structure (as a parent, on root, or elsewhere as specified)
• Ability to edit, delete, publish and unpublish resources, i.e. through links in a getResources/Ditto list
• Document editing form should be a chunk so one may customize content fields and TV’s as needed
• Web 2.0 technology to simplify GUI is encouraged, but not required.
• Integration with the Revolution permission system may be discussed, but is not required

ResourceEditor (http://modxcms.com/extras/package/?package=748) will do some of what you want in Evolution but not Revolution.

Going through the above list:

• You can add resources anywhere in the site structure. The parent can be specified as a snippet parameter, otherwise it defaults to the current document.
  You can edit any resources and the docid can be specified as a snippet parameter or in a query string. (*)
  Links to the editor can be made (for example) using Ditto for multiple documents or be in page templates for single documents.
• You can edit and create resources. As yet you cannot delete, and publish/unpublish functionality is at the moment incomplete. These are things I intend adding.
• The document editing form is a chunk and can include most fields (**) and any TVs. You can specify which fields in the form are required.
• Its not ajaxy, sorry!
• Its for Evolution only, sorry. I haven’t looked into porting it to Revolution, nor have I any plans to.

(*) There are also security parameters to specify who can post.

(**) createdon,createdby,editedon,editedby,menuindex,published,deleted,parent,template,alias are all controlled by parameters to ResourceEditor or are determined by its actions e.g. editedon is set to the current time and it makes no sense to ’edit’ it as such.

In short, it does most of what you want, and in the near future will do all of what you deem essential, but in Evolution only.

-- Tim.

PS. I attach the latest version (beta 2). The repo version is beta 1. I intend uploading a new version soon.

Thanks for your replies so far! There seems to be lots of good things happening on this front. There’s no doubt such a product is interesting for many MODx users! Instead of initiating another front-end CMS project, I’d rather support what is already in development unless these projects are halted.

@Bruno: I’ve sent you a reply

@Bob: You’re right, I’m looking for something like NewsPublisher was back in the day. I’m excited to see the released version! If it functions as described above, I’ll be more than happy to offer you some money to keep the project sustained and support your work Keep me posted!

@gOmp: Wow! The Digital Butter folks are on to something big. I’ve let them know about this thread and offered them the next beer and pizza gorge on my tab if it turns out like I’m requesting.

@Tim: Excellent stuff! Based on your description, this is exactly what I’d like to see for MODx Revolution. For some reason, I get a 404 when I try to access the Resource Editor repo. It doesn’t show up when I search for it either. Are you sure it’s there? I’d like to give it a try with my Evolution server.

The link to the repos as posted in my first post works fine from here.

Also on Google: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=modx+ResourceEditor&nfpr=1

I have just uploaded beta 2 as posted here, its now awaiting approval by the moderators. In the meantime you are best off downloading the file attached to the above post and reading the comments at the start which document all features. I’ve only got one example call, so if you need any help on usage, post in the support thread at http://modxcms.com/forums/index.php?topic=56677.

-- Tim.

Quote from: TimGS at Dec 29, 2010, 10:04 PM

The link to the repos as posted in my first post works fine from here.

Also on Google: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=modx+ResourceEditor&nfpr=1

I have just uploaded beta 2 as posted here, its now awaiting approval by the moderators. In the meantime you are best off downloading the file attached to the above post and reading the comments at the start which document all features. I’ve only got one example call, so if you need any help on usage, post in the support thread at http://modxcms.com/forums/index.php?topic=56677.

-- Tim.

Huh... Strange. All out of a sudden it works fine from here as well.
Excellent, Tim! I’m using the file you attached, and for Evolution it serves its purpose quite well! Good contribution, bud

Quote from: bkvernst at Dec 29, 2010, 10:57 PM

Excellent, Tim! I’m using the file you attached, and for Evolution it serves its purpose quite well! Good contribution, bud

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I have a few ideas in the pipeline, but in the first instance I intend finishing the publish/unpublish and delete functionality.

I also intend some better documentation is it may not be obvious how to best use some features.

-- Tim.

Quote from: TimGS at Dec 29, 2010, 11:04 PM

Quote from: bkvernst at Dec 29, 2010, 10:57 PM

Excellent, Tim! I’m using the file you attached, and for Evolution it serves its purpose quite well! Good contribution, bud

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I have a few ideas in the pipeline, but in the first instance I intend finishing the publish/unpublish and delete functionality.

I also intend some better documentation is it may not be obvious how to best use some features.

-- Tim.

That sounds good, I’m glad you’re sustaining the project! If I can be of any help in terms of documentation, please let me know.