Very excited

[argos]

Hi there,

last night I stumbled upon PW, while looking for some answers about a Joomla problem. I am not familiar with Joomla at all, but I am looking for a good (or actually: a better) alternative to WebsiteBaker CMS.

As an experienced webdesigner I have been working with that system since 2005, and I'm actually one of the moderators on their forum (>2500 posts). I love that CMS for its simplicity and user friendliness, i'ts lack of a complex templating system (like PW it just uses any regular static HTML/CSS/JS as a basis), and fairly flexible options. You can create most small to medium sized websites with it easilly. However, its main downside is the absence of a custom fields option, and (lets call it) database interaction. I'm not a coder, and my coding skills are limited to tweaking and trial & error based modifications. I feel I'm limited in creating the solutions and sites I want to make for my clients, just because I'm stuck with ready to use plugins, or hiring coders to do custom PHP stuff (or relying on the forum members). Besides this, development of WB is grinding to a halt lately, due to several situations. In my opinion, it's heading towards the end. It really should be coded from the ground up again, but I don't see that happen, and it's already too late.

Because of its popularity, I have turned to Wordpress for some projects, but I think it's a very user unfriendly system unless you stick to simple blog type sites. Templating and modifying themes and functions is a nightmare, working with it is very frustrating, as it's not logical at all. I really don't understand why it's such a popular platform. So, me and WP are not a good match.

Then I tried Joomla. I have tried it many times in the past, and always got frustrated and annoyed with it. However, version 3 is much improved above previous versions, and after I found K2 with all its custom fields options, I was rather optimistic. However, it doesn't have that same simplicity of WebsiteBaker, and I'm afraid Joomla may turn out to be a mismatch as well.

But then I found out about ProcessWire, and within minutes I got really intrigued. I fee it is what a next major version of WebsiteBaker could have been. The version that will probably never come. I first tried the demo, got excited, and installed it on my server. After testing it for some hours, I have a very strong feeling this will be my new platform. It is very user friendly, very logical, very slick, and does not use some complex proprietary theming/templating system. Yet it looks very powerful and it seems limitless in possibilities with its use of custom fields and API calls, that even for a non-coder like me seem to be understandable. I need to offer my clients a structured, fool proof backend with custom fields they can enter content in. Not an editor field with dozens of shortcodes no one can understand.

I just discoved the Hanna code option. Very cool indeed, it is almost the same as the droplets option in WebsiteBaker which I use a lot, so I immediately felt at home with it. And that's a feeling I get with the CMS as a whole: I feel at home somehow. And that's a feeling I never had with Wordpress or Joomla, or any other CMS I tried (except WebsiteBaker).

Anyway, I thought I'd share my excitement with you, and I'm hopeful that PW proves to be my new CMS of coice. And if it's not, well, then I have had the pleasure of feeling excited for some time, anyway

I'm not sure if this is the right forum section, so feel free to move it to somewhere else.

Kind regards,

Jurgen

[diogo]

Welcome argos, I have the feeling you will stay for a long time with us.

Don't feel shy to ask if you have any doubt, the forums are has friendly as the CMS

[renobird]

Welcome Jurgen!

Great write up. I think you will find your excitement continues. ProcessWire is addicting, and the community here is great.

[Martijn Geerts]

Hartelijk welkom Jurgen !

You will experience that working with PHP & the API is a relieve.

After a while you'll just notice that you can code, all learned while having fun.

[totoff]

Welcome Jurgen,

I feel I'm limited in creating the solutions and sites I want to make for my clients, just because I'm stuck with ready to use plugins, or hiring coders to do custom PHP stuff

This is precisely the same situation I had when I came across Processwire having used Contao before. I never looked back. As Martijn says: The API is a relieve.

[pwired]

Welcome Argus.

PW is going to save you a lot of time and headaches compared to the "others" out there

and introduces you automatically into php

(p.s. dutch power is growing here )

[dazzyweb]

Discovering processwire is like arriving at your desired(or holiday) destination and being able to drop all your heavy baggage and sit down and enjoy a nice refreshing drink while thinking about all the exciting possibilities that lay ahead.

[Beluga]

Processwire - the only cult where the love bombing phase never ends!

If the WebsiteBaker devs decide to move on, it would be cool to officially recommend PW as a "spiritual successor". This type of recommendation has actually been done recently: Sigil ebook creator stopped being actively developed and its developer recommended looking at Calibre's new ebook editing functionality.

[PhotoWebMax]

Great first post!

I have never heard of WebsiteBaker CMS before...

[horst]

Welcome Argos.

You hit the nail on top!

[argos]

Wow guys, what a warm welcome!

Thanks for that.

I have been toying some more with PW in the mean time, getting to know it better. Still like it a lot! It's a new way of working and thinking, but I see the big potential this system has. What I like about it very much is that you can start real simple as soon as you grasp the fundamentals, and adding more and more skills along the way. And I'm also enjoying the slickness of the interface. Very cool!

I heard from another old-timer WebsiteBaker user he also has his eyes on PW. Maybe more will follow

Thanks again, I'm sure I will come up with some questions in the future, but first I want to try and see how far I can come myself. Effort goes before asking, is my opinion.

[mr-fan]

from another old-timer WebsiteBaker

here i'am

 I am sending my greetings to all cool guys here!

I have never heard of WebsiteBaker CMS before...

WB was great CMS Idea easy especially for the "end"user - but like argos wrote it was...and has missed it's own future. (there are several Forks out there but no big communites - it's more like dividing the good guys and that sucks and helps nobody.....but like argos said my fist impression from processWire...

I feel it is what a next major version of WebsiteBaker could have been. The version that will probably never come.

It's my feeling, too

I was a old-timer for WB CMS like setup a portable-project in 2009 (http://www.websitebaker-portable.com/CMS/en/about-portable-edition.php),

helped with a tutorial project and did a lot of other stuff there (Like Argos forum Mod/Admin and so on).

My idea of open source is take a free software and give work and time back to enhance the project.

So i hope to find..

desired(or holiday) destination and being able to drop all your heavy baggage and sit down and enjoy a nice refreshing drink while thinking about all the exciting possibilities that lay ahead.

So far i read this forum - i'd like the sound and the way of treatment!

Please excuse my bad english (bad german style...)

so long

Best Regards until the next post

mr-fan

[Pete]

Welcome guys - the more the merrier

[bwakad]

Welkom Jurgen!

Like you - I and many others have used anything out there to build. Some succeeded, I personally failed with Joomla and WP. I was playing with PW for a month before I really got the hang of it's basics (and API / cheat sheet), but now this last month, I build a little piece of what I want to accomplish every day.

And every day, I also learn PHP, which is something I recommend everyone.

I hope you like the forum and PW. And good luck with building your dream!