Newbie needing advice on complete website overhaul

I have recently accepted a very part-time position as webmaster with a public school district (read: little to no money to work with), since my husband is the IT manager and he (read: I) would be doing it for free otherwise. My dilemma is the current website is very outdated, unusable in many ways, and irreparable. They want a completely new website and I am tasked with that. Currently they run Joomla 1.5 on Windows 2003 server with IIS4. We're making a new webserver (Windows 1008r2 server, IIS 7.5) because updating all the way to where things need to be would be just too complicated and risky while maintaining 100% website up-time. I have been researching CMS systems and it appears MODX Revolution would be our best bet for a user-friendly (the administrative staff as well as myself) and modern system with good capabilities.

All that said, I am starting to panic a bit at the magnitude of the job I've taken on! I thought I would be able to determine the basic architecture they currently use and I am not because the website was apparently piecemealed together by multiple administrators (none of which are still with the district). So I am having to make or adapt a whole new basic template (Dreamweaver? SeaMonkey? WYSIWYG would be great since they're not paying me enough to learn CSS well), completely redo architecture and make sure it's logical and user-friendly enough that if I should ever need help someone can figure it out without hiring a cryptographer.

Where do I start? Should I work on the template first? Are there templates in MODX Revolution that can be altered (they have a school logo and colors they want integrated)? They want sliding menus, functional calendars (already found that module here on the MODX site), and slide shows of pictures for things like sports. Are there any modules I should download to help make those happen?

I have a basic working knowledge of HTML, but more importantly I believe I am intelligent enough to figure out what I don't know via the internet. Just need help figuring out what are the best steps to take so that I'm not spending more time on this project than they're paying me for it.

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated! [ed. note: msdwebmaster last edited this post 14 years, 1 month ago.]

Get Bob's book. http://www.amazon.com/MODX-Official-Guide-Bob-Ray/dp/0983619409/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1/182-4886514-3947747

Spend as much time as you can just going through these
http://rtfm.modx.com/display/revolution20/Home
http://bobsguides.com/modx.html

You can make a MODx template out of any web page. Choose the page you want to use for the basic look and feel of all pages, and copy the HTML. Replace the content areas with MODx tags. For example, replace the menu with Wayfinder snippet tags, and the main content area with a content tag.

You can have as many different templates as you need, but do try to keep them to a minimum. Perhaps one for the home page, as these are usually fairly complex and unique, then one for normal pages, one for wider pages with charts or forms or galleries. I've gone to great lengths in playing with the CSS to allow the whole site to use just one template, but that's not at all necessary. With multiple templates, it's a good idea to break out the common parts, like the masthead and menu section, into a chunk so that you only have to edit it in one place if necessary.

Gather up all the .css and images used in the template itself (background images and such) and put them in one place, I like to have them in my /assets/ folder in assets/templates/template-name/.

Adjust the paths to the .css and .js files in the template to point to where you put these files. Make sure the css file is pointing to its background images relative to its own location. That's one thing that frequently trips up new MODx developers; everything MODx itself uses needs to have their paths relative to the location of the index.php file, since everything is run from that. The CSS file is requested by the browser separately, though, so any paths it uses need to be relative to itself. Likewise .js files.

As you work with MODx you will see different ways to use different elements to simplify your life. Find out about Template Variables, and use them liberally. The MIGx add-on, which extends Template Variables capabilities, will be a real life-saver. http://rtfm.modx.com/display/ADDON/MIGX

Did I say to get Bob's book?

Thanks! Wish I could get the book, but will probably have to do without. Zero in the budget for anything... :-/

You've given me some good things to start working on. It helps!

@mdswebmaster:

... they're not paying me enough to learn CSS well

Nobody will. Its an expectation for web developers now and no longer optional. Heck, most tweaking after WYSIWYG requires "style=" attributes which is just CSS. With HTML5, the "style=" is going away, requiring CSS. I would encourage you to take the time to learn it. Frankly, its easier than HTML and JS by far and really only takes a day or two out of your time. Even advanced techniques tend to be fairly simple. Since you stated you have a working knowledge of HTML, I'm certain you would pick it up in no time flat. Plus, it really can improve and speed development in HTML and JS.

If you don't learn it, let me point out some issues you will be facing:

• Most CMSes (outside of MODx) will screw with your page as they use CSS in their templates.
• If you include any JS libraries, they will use CSS, and you won't be able to alter their look to your needs without CSS.
• Without CSS, you will be highly unlikely to get any job that requires web maintenance.
• Many WYSIWYG editors do not fit the full needs of the developer and often must be tweaked.
• Almost all templates (outside of MODx Templates, which are HTML) are actually just huge CSS stylesheets. Not learning CSS will effectively stop you from using any template from outside of MODx.

One can provide many valid arguments as to whether/when to utilize PHP/ASP, JS, a CMS, supporting browser X or Y, or even which version of HTML to develop in. Unfortunately, no such argument applies to CSS any longer. I'm not saying you must do so, as I do not know which direction you are heading in your chosen career path, but please take these comments as food for thought. [ed. note: fuzzicallogic last edited this post 14 years, 1 month ago.]

It's kind of an odd situation.. I wasn't even looking for work. I homeschool our 4 children and that takes up a lion's share of my time. This (very small, very rural) school district likes to hire within the area and family of current workers when possible. When the computer teacher quit, they phased out his position and he was previously the webmaster. Nobody else has the least bit of web development knowledge, so my ever helpful husband suggested me (and it's true that I used to have my own website, however amateurish it was, 10 years ago). It's going to be a permanent thing and I probably won't ever seek out another web development job, but who knows. All I know right now is what they have stinks, doesn't work, and frustrates parents to no end. So... Where there's a will, there's a way.

I suppose I shall have to learn CSS to make it work!

It mostly needs to be an informational website. No databases, no ordering, and only linking to other servers for logons for the most part (commercial, state and federal education programs). The biggest points of frustration for staff and parents are the lack of functional calendars (I am thinking the Church Calendar module) and the inability to find contact info for individual teachers or coaches.

One last question, I hope... What cache settings are best in IIS or does Modx handle those? They currently have it set to keep cache forever so I'm having to tell parents and staff how to clear cache to see even updated text, much less pictures. In my testing, it leaves over 200kb of cache on every page visited from the website.

My understanding is that there is some limited knowledge in using MODx in IIS (though it can be done). There are some IIS gurus here (and I hope they chime in), but most likely, you will have to do a search for "IIS MODx Cache" as IIS can be a pretty strict environment.

If you post in the Windows/IIS board you'll be more likely to get more useful responses. https://forums.modx.com/board/?board=14