Finally migrated 3 sites from MODx to PW

[chrizz]

I just migrated three of my projects from MODx Evolution to Processwire. The sites itself are not that spectacular but I am a little bit proud that writing a migration script with PW is so damn easy! So I just wanted to share some thoughts how I realized it.

Since the projects are very small and have only a few templates and fields it was very easy to set up templates and fields for these three in the PW admin interface (btw: I really like the possibility to export and import fields via the admin!). Template files were  more or less a simple copy paste from the MODx backend to the PW templates files. After transforming the MODx placeholders and all that MODx related stuff in "PW language" and after setting up all fields I imported the MODx database tables into my PW database. 

From this point the migration script started it's work:

Step 1: 

Map existing MODx templates to my newly created PW templates

Step 2: 

Map all necessary fields from MODx to PW fields (based on the previously selected templates) - or just ignore fields I don't wan't to migrate

Step 3:

List all existing pages and select the pages that should not be migrated (e.g. old sitemap page). 

From this point on my migrator script did all the work. It created all pages (including the site structure with all its parents and children) and their fields.

After importing I just had to copy the content from the old homepage (which was created as a seperate page below the root page) to the root page. 

That's it. Moving projects took about 1 hour. The most extensiv part in this process was to transform MODx templates to PW, build a new contact form and a menu function.  

All my projects were without users and permissions so it was quite low easy. At the moment I am working on the migration of a more complex website. This will take much longer but since the PW API is totally easy to understand it's not that hard at all.

So thank you all for this great support and this framework! I really appreciate it!

Long story short: Here are ex-MODx websites proudly powered by Processwire

My own website with some stuff about me:

http://brlnr.de

And two more sites about events around sailing in Berlin

http://www.ansegeln-berlin.de/

http://www.absegeln-berlin.de/

[adrian]

Hey chrizz - great job!

Given all the ex-MODx'ers around here, I wonder if you'd be willing to share your migration script?

Also wondering if you might be willing to adapt it so that it works as a plugin to Migrator like Nico's Wordpress Migrator. This might seem selfish as it would have my module get more use, but the main thing I am hoping to achieve is to help migration from MODx to handle image migration as well. Looking at your site it looks like you have manually dumped all the images into one (or maybe a few) /site/assets/images/ folders, rather than into the page's numbered assets folder which of course means that the images won't be accessible via the page edit images field etc. Migrator/MigratorWordpress takes care of all this which I think results in a better end result. Please don't take this as a criticism - just trying to see if we can end up with a more complete approach for those wanting to migrate from MODx.

Anyway, please let me know if you'd be willing to help with a MODx plugin for Migrator - I would be very keen to help you out with it.

Thanks again for your write up on your successful conversion!

[chrizz]

Hey Adrian,

thanks four your reply. For sure I can share the migration script! 

I'm working on a project right now where I have to deal with much more files and images so I think sooner or later my script will take care of files and add them to the regular PW files folder. 

At the moment I am quite busy so that it'll be impossible for me to adapt my script for your Migrator module. But as soon as I am working on my migrator script again I definitivly will take a look at yours and I'll check if there's a way to connect both - or just improve mine

If you want to I can share my status quo

Cheers

[Peter Knight]

hi chrizz

Just wondered if there was an update on this and wether it would handle importing of Revolution or only Evolution?

[chrizz]

Hi Peter,

thanks for reminding me

Unfortunateley there are no updates at all... Since I am running Evolution sites this script is build for evo and not for revolution. I just looked at the script and I think it needs a total rework. It's more like a proof of concept than a useful script... :/

[Peter Knight]

No worries. Today I exported a CSV of a content table from Modx and used the cvs importer to import into PW. All went remarkably smoothly apart from some image handling but initial attempts are very promising for text