Noob - Is Processwire right for me?

[XTREEMMAK]

Hi Everyone,

I’m new to this community! Thank you for taking the time to help me out . I’ve been exploring some of the features of the CMS and I have a few questions that I’d like answered before I begin the venture into learning all the nicks and crannies about the software.

First off, I should mention that I already have a website: http://www.keyjaycompound.com , but it’s run under a CMS that I personally created. I was working on an updated version of it when I thought that it might be easier to use a third party solution. I've spent days trying to find something that would not interrupt my current workflow, and could expand for future features. I think I may have found something but I need your help. I'm essentially looking for something to use that is a better, field tested, and secure solution which I can manage without too much of a hassle. As you can see, the site is run in PHP.

What I’d like to know about this CMS is:

1. Is it possible to create articles that once published are shown in different pages? For example on my website, once I create an article, it creates it’s own article page, and a reference of the article created on the front page as a news ticker. I’d like to replicate that. Another way I could do it is if the articles I publish create an RSS feed, I can just use a PHP parser that I have to format the RSS feed onto that section.

2. I vaguely saw it, but does this CMS offer a diverse user management system such as user groups, user login, user restricted areas, user registration, user banning and editing, user credentials, etc. , and how secure is this system?

3. Can I use multiple style templates per page?

4. Are there any analysis or SEO tools available?

5. In reference to number two, can users upload their own content such as specific files, images, etc. and do you have the option to turn this feature on or off per user or user group?

6. Is upgrading the system on release difficult?

7. Do you think it may be difficult to transfer my existing database content (MySQL) over to the one created by this CMS?

Thanks guys! One thing I admire about this community is from what it seems like, large support. I’m hoping that stays and all the best for this software

[ryan]

Welcome to the forums!

1.  Is it possible to create articles that once published are shown in different pages? For example on my website, once I create an article, it creates it’s own article page, and a reference of the article created on the front page as a news ticker. I’d like to replicate that. Another way I could do it is if the articles I publish create an RSS feed, I can just use a PHP parser that I have to format the RSS feed onto that section.

Absolutely, I think you will find PW extremely flexible in this area. Any page can call upon any other page's content as easily as it's own. See these:

http://processwire.com/api/templates/

http://processwire.com/api/variables/pages/

http://processwire.com/api/selectors/

2.  I vaguely saw it, but does this CMS offer a diverse user management system such as user groups, user login, user restricted areas,

Yes, yes and yes.

user registration, user banning and editing, user credentials, etc. , and how secure is this system?

The system is very secure. For the same reason, features like user registration are left up to you. A fresh install of PW is not setup as a forum or blog style community-driven site. But it is a great foundation for building such a site. However, a CMS like Drupal is more focused in these specific items and if your needs are centered on those things it is worth looking at too.

Can I use multiple style templates per page?

You are in full control of the markup and stylesheets, so the answer is absolutely yes.

Are there any analysis or SEO tools available?

Same answer as above. You are in full control of the markup/output. From an SEO standpoint, this means there are no limitations and PW really supports the needs of professional SEOs. For someone that really knows their way around SEO, ProcessWire is hard to beat. But for someone that knows little about SEO, ProcessWire isn't going to fill the gaps either.

In reference to number two, can users upload their own content such as specific files, images, etc. and do you have the option to turn this feature on or off per user or user group?

While you can do this in PW, those that can edit their profiles are assumed to be administrative users of some sort. PW is not setup on the front end as a login/user community, although it's a great foundation for one. But you'll have to code more than you would in markup generator CMSs like Drupal. PW is part CMS and part framework. The features you are talking about ready-to-go are more common to a non-framework, markup-generating CMS.

Is upgrading the system on release difficult?

For non-major versions, it is very simple. For most upgrades, it is a matter of typing "git pull". If your site isn't version controlled with git, then it's just a matter of downloading the latest ProcessWire version and replacing your entire /wire/ directory with the one from the latest version's ZIP. All of your site specific files are stored under /site/, so your files don't get touched during an upgrade.  So the short answer is that all you have to do is replace one directory, and your site is upgraded.

Do you think it may be difficult to transfer my existing database content (MySQL) over to the one created by this CMS?

PW's API can make this a whole lot easier than other CMSs. There is also the ImportPagesCSV module which can be handy for some types of imports too.