Websites – Page 2 – The Coding Pad

Building a Website with MODx for Newbies – Part 2: Installing MODx

Welcome to part 2 of our series of tutorials on building a website with MODx CMS. In part 1 we had a brief introduction to MODx, and in this second installment we’re going to download and install MODx and do some basic configuration.

Following the modality of other tutorials on this blog, I am actually going to build a website to accompany this tutorial so that you can track your progress with mine and see the actual end product of the different techniques and skills that we’ll be covering.

As of this writing, MODx is currently in version 0.9.6.3. Do use the latest stable version. If any of the steps in these tutorials change, I will do my best to make a notation in the relevant posts.

NB: I initially wrote these tutorials for MODx Evolution 0.9.6.3 but if you’re using Evolution 1.o+ they will work just fine. There are some changes in terminology, and you can get a basic idea of the differences by watching this screencast that I created. If it makes you more comfortable you can work through these tutorials using 0.9.6.3 and then upgrade your website to 1.0+ following the directions on this screencast. These tutorials will NOT work for the Revolution 2.0+ branch of MODx.

What Will We Build?
Well, just like we’re doing in the Drupal series, we’re going to build a MODx resource site aptly named Learn MODx, but the skills we learn and use as we build this website can be extended and adapted to any kind of website you want to build. Because MODx is highly adaptable and flexible, you will find that there can be many ways to accomplish one goal, and the way we do it here is not the only way to do it. I welcome your feedback, comments, and suggestions at every step.

Continue reading “Building a Website with MODx for Newbies – Part 2: Installing MODx”

Building a Website with MODx for Newbies – Part 1: Introduction

Today I’m going to start on a new series of tutorials that will teach you how to build a website using MODx CMS. As always, I invite you to add comments and share your knowledge as we learn and build together. I also encourage you, as you follow these tutorials, to work along with me, installing a local copy of MODx on your computer so that you can follow along and see MODx in action.

What is MODx?

Continue reading “Building a Website with MODx for Newbies – Part 1: Introduction”

Building a Website with Drupal 6 – Part 8: Pathauto, Content and Content Types

Welcome to part 8 of our tutorial on building a website with Drupal 6. Previously we covered:

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Installing Drupal 6
Part 3: Configuring your Site
Part 4: Playing with Blocks
Part 5: Playing with Modules
Part 6: Playing with Themes
Part 7: Installing Modules and Themes

As we go through this tutorials I am building a Drupal resource site called Learn Drupal. In the last tutorial we played we learned where to find and how to install contributed themes and modules. We downloaded and installed the Pathauto module and I promised we would configure it today.

So far our website looks like this: (you can click on the images for a larger view)

In this installment, we’re going to get into the meat and bones of our website, adding content.

Continue reading “Building a Website with Drupal 6 – Part 8: Pathauto, Content and Content Types”

Installing razorCMS – Resolving the Internal Server Error

In my last post, Introducing the razorCMS Testing Pad, I discussed this new flat-file CMS and the small website I am building as a way to test and experiment with razorCMS. I installed a barebones system with no extra bladepacks, just the basic system. In this post I will discuss my installation experience. I won’t go over all the installation details since you can find them well documented in the User Manual, which you can download here. Installation, for the most part, is a breeze. Because it’s a flat file CMS, you don’t have to worry about creating or configuring databases or anything like that. You just need to edit one file and you’re good to go. I did run into one small problem.

I followed the manual to the letter but when I tried to load my new site, I got a 500 Internal Server Error:

Internal Server Error The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request. Please contact the server administrator, XXXXXX@maryspad.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error. More information about this error may be available in the server error log. Additionally, a 500 Internal Server Error error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Continue reading “Installing razorCMS – Resolving the Internal Server Error”

Introducing the razorCMS Testing Pad

After my post on flat-file content management systems, I learned about a new CMS that started out as a fork of the nanoCMS that I referenced in my earlier post. (You can read more about nanocms and flat-file systems here). smiffy6969, the creator of razorCMS, encouraged me to test his CMS to see how it works, so after much procrastination, I have finally started. I have installed the very basic core of the CMS on a subdomain and called it the razorCMS Testing Pad. I’ve edited the default home page to have some custom text and set the site name and footer.

I plan to add more content, some bladepacks, and just generally see how the CMS performs in terms of speed, functionality, ease of use, and scalability. I will be posting here as I make changes to the site. Because I have a relatively hectic offline life, please be patient if updates don’t come as frequently as they should.

For some background info, downloads, and to learn more about razorCMS, please visit the razorCMS home page. You should also check out the razorCMS forums for support and more information.