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How to build a file hosting site?


fliwatuet
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Hi!

I'm new to Processwire, I haven't installed it yet, so this is kind of a "pre-sales" question.

My task is to build a download site for game modifications, definitely a non-profit project I do in my spare time. Lately I heard and read a lot about processwire and I'm keen on trying it.

But there are two major obstacles:

1. I'm not a php developer, but I always wanted to learn php, so this may be the right time to do so.

2. I never used Processwire before, that means, I don't know anything about pw modules.

3. Do I need to buy the paid modules, are they essential?

So, to shorten the story, are there any "must have" modules to build a site, where some user can upload files and everyone can download them? I need nice categories and list the different files in the category nicely (maybe with masonry and infinite scrolling). And, very important, the site has to be multilingual!

Thanks a lot in advance!

Fliwa

PS: the alternatives are obvious: drupal, wordpress, joomla...  :mellow:

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 Hi fliwatuet and welcome to processwire.

 I'm not a php developer, but I always wanted to learn php, so this may be the right time to do so.

Many pw users report that working with processwire has a php learning side-effect :)

I can confirm from my own experience with processwire that working with processwire

you will learn php along with it. With processwire you don't have to learn first a new cms

or need to have a lot of coding experience. Instead you can immediately use all html, css,

js and php experience that you already have and start using it with processwire.

And, very important, the site has to be multilingual!

Processwire comes with multi-language out of the box ! With only a few steps you will have it configured.

PS: the alternatives are obvious: drupal, wordpress, joomla

They all have their place, but when compared, processwire is going to save you a lot of time and headache.

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3. Do I need to buy the paid modules, are they essential?

In my opinion, ProcessWire bundles everything you'll need to create awesome sites, like you've described above. Due the development process, you will maybe reach a point, where you want to "power-up". Your first, own module isn't far...

The most things you'll need, are already done by other, great devs. Everything else is entirely up to you (and this forum, of course).

PS: If you like to buy some "Pro Fields" or such, do it!

PPS: I haven't slept last night, please don't slap me for my dialect.

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I definitely would encourage you to give PW a try. Most people who took the initial effort are now very happy PW developers :)

You might want to jump right in and have some good reads.

Categorizing content tutorial

Example code for creating a form with file upload

If creating frontend forms through the API is over your head at the moment, you could always use the very affordable paid extension form builder. Easy to use and a big time saver. 

Multi language

And learning PHP when working with PW can be fun. Don't worry, you fill find tons of helpful posts in the forum and the friendly community will help you get started.

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Hi @fliwatuet, welcome to PW.

You can achieve this easy, without the need of buying a ProModule. You can achieve everything without ProModules in PW, but if you once have worked with a ProModule, you never want miss it, :)

You need to build a strategy for your site in regard of how to store / categories the uploaded files. And besides what the others already have pointed out, there is a new possibility with serving the files (if you create pages for each uploaded file): PW 2.5.26 has content type support on templates basis

If you start building your strategy, you can ask here for tips. :)

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1. I'm not a php developer, but I always wanted to learn php, so this may be the right time to do so.

2. I never used Processwire before, that means, I don't know anything about pw modules.

3. Do I need to buy the paid modules, are they essential?

hi fliwatuet, welcome to the forum!

1) you can get really far with processwire and IF, FOR and ECHO  ;)

2) you do not need to know a lot about modules. you can handle almost everything in your template files. that's easier in the beginning, where of course later on modules can have advantages over writing all your logic into your templates.

3) as all the others have already said: you don't need them. but personally i also have never regret buying one!

have fun with PW and PHP! :) if you need help, the community here is really helpful and fast. i'm the 5th reply to your post within a day and it's almost always like this. I'm very happy that gebeer showed me PW one year ago, thank you once again!  :biggrin:

ps: i would recommend you to start with the hello world planets tutorial (do not only read it. install pw and do it!):

https://processwire.com/docs/tutorials/hello-worlds/

or with comments here: https://processwire.com/talk/topic/693-small-project-walkthrough-planets/

on page 4 of the first link you will see how far you can get with ECHO - imagine you also know IF and FOR ;)

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Hey guys!

Thanks a lot for the warm welcome and the tipps on how to start with processwire! I am a drupal guy and like it a lot, but I think D8 goes into the wrong direction... Anyway, I will give PW a try.

fliwatuet

PS: lots of german speaking ppl around. Gibt es auch ein deutsches Forum?

PPS: @horst I am from Oche too  :)

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  • 5 months later...

Many pw users report that working with processwire has a php learning side-effect :)

I can confirm from my own experience with processwire that working with processwire

you will learn php along with it. With processwire you don't have to learn first a new cms

or need to have a lot of coding experience. Instead you can immediately use all html, css,

js and php experience that you already have and start using it with processwire.

I cannot insist on how much this comment is true, I was a total PHP noob, never really understanding what I was doing with other CM's. Its like, before I was just scripting my way through life, with Processwire it feels a lot more like I'm actually programming. Now I'm just a noob actually learning programming along with Processwire.

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  • 4 months later...

Once again: I am back :)

I never really gave up on this topic and installed pw3 lately.

I followed this tut: https://processwire.com/talk/topic/4602-flexible-downloads-using-pages/ (thnx to the author!) and did all the fields and template stuff.

Very well. But how to use this thingy? How to enter content using the template?

And one more question: the files will be uploaded via ftp, they are way too large for php upload. Is there a file manager, which I can use to browse the files on the server and put links in appropriate URL fields?

The modules I found look outdated:

http://modules.processwire.com/modules/manage-files/

https://processwire.com/talk/topic/630-module-manage-files/

TIA

O0

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Very well. But how to use this thingy? How to enter content using the template?

hi fliwatuet,

i really do not understand this question. have you done the hello world tutorial i mentioned above? it seems you are still not familiar with the basic concepts of processwire? https://processwire.com/docs/tutorials/hello-worlds/

it's a fully flexible and customizable system and NOT a click-click-and-ready-but-take-it-as-it-is-thing like so many other systems.

to your question regarding a file manager. there's this module right now in development - but it will be a commercial module and only kongondo knows when it will be available ;) https://processwire.com/talk/topic/11224-media-manager/

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Sorry. I did that last year, but forgot it meanwhile... ???

I don't want to buy anything, the project is completely non-commercial.

---

Ok. New page. I get this message:

There are currently no templates with defined parent/child relationships needed to show "Add New" shortcuts here. To configure this, edit any template (Setup > Templates) and click on the "Family" tab.

What am I supposed to do at Setup - Templates? Which template is the parent and which one is the child?

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