Clever Geek Handbook

Evolution CMS 2.0 on Laravel 6.0 components - the natural evolution of MODX Evolution







The time has come to release Evolution CMS 2.0 RC on Laravel 6.0 components, but as the previous release and the discussions that followed showed, there are a lot of questions and myths related to the 2.0 branch.







The most popular myth is that everything has changed in the new branch and will no longer be in the old way.



Not true - it will be the same. The main difference is that while retaining the features “in the old way”, we added features in a “new way”. The entry level has not changed, but more advanced developers will receive many ready-made solutions and features, and those who have enough existing components can work as well as before, no one will deprive anyone of the usual things.







The compatibility level is maximum - even from version 0.9 you can upgrade to 1.4, and from it to 2.0 while maintaining the functionality. Although it is necessary to take into account possible problems that may arise with depricated methods due to the fact that you need to raise the php version to 7.2, but the speed is worth it, and I will respond to these bugs quickly to bring a stable release period closer.







Especially for doubters, I recorded a video in which the system was updated from 1.0.8 to 1.4 (I would have updated it from an older version but would not have found so much outdated hosting)









But this video already tells how with 1.4. * Upgrade to 2.0:









As a result - on 2.0 you can work in exactly the same way as on 1.4 and below.







Where is everything going and what is the purpose of all these changes?



Preserving Backward Compatibility







Evolution CMS grew out of MODX Evolution, which appeared in 2004 and I can confidently say that even the oldest site can be upgraded to the latest version without any problems!







This is done in 2 simple steps:







  1. 0.9 -> 1.4. *
  2. 1.4. * -> 2.0


I do not know any system that could boast of such a result, taking into account the 15-year history and everything is compatible. Yes, we also have moments that became deprecated, well, and PHP during this time drove a lot of its functions there, so your update may not go smoothly enough. But all issues are often resolved quickly and simply, it is enough to be able to use Google and copy-paste. We copy the error into Google and read the first couple of articles from the results, in 95% of cases there is a solution to the problem.







Modern technologies:



Modern technologies are developing rapidly and if we stand still, in the very near future we will become developers of a good, but already outdated system. Who will need such sites when many “stylish, fashionable, youth” systems will appear on the market - competitors, and existing market leaders do not stand still.







An additional plus - if someone suddenly has a desire to explore new opportunities, then this can even become a discovery (I’m not afraid of this word) for those who have not used anything other than standard components in life. New knowledge and opportunities are the main factor in the cost of the developer’s work, we give them to you and it is your business to use them or not.







A real example of the benefits of change - I think many people remember how a couple of years ago I was not a supporter of working in the IDE, but now I understand how many were wrong and that it made life difficult for myself.







Framework or CMS?



CMS:



When it was decided to build an Evo on Laravel components, one of the first questions was: did someone do something similar and maybe it makes no sense to come up with a bicycle? As a result, I reviewed more than 10 different admin areas for Laravel, and a couple of CMS on it, and came to the conclusion that almost everything was done not for content managers who spend a lot of time in the admin area, but for developers. As a result, it’s convenient to assemble and make sites on this site, but not very useful.







I believe that the ideology of the Evolution CMS admin panel, which came from MODX, is very cool and understandable for the average user. It takes a minimum of time for anyone to explain how to work with her. And developers can simply and quickly implement all the wishes of the client on the organization of the admin panel.







As a real example, the Collection solution: http://modx.im/blog/addons/5994.html which allows you to display child documents in the form of a table with a filter, sorting and inline editing, while you can independently configure which fields will be displayed in the table.







Framework:



Currently, Laravel is one of the most popular frameworks, which means that it has many developers, a large community that has already resolved certain issues, plus a large information base for working with it. By implementing Laravel 6.0 components in Evolution CMS, we are expanding the capabilities of the system, as well as simplifying the life of developers and stimulating the creation of new solutions and add-ons. Those who work with Evolution for a long time and do not use other tools should take a closer look at what is happening in the world and what new tools have appeared that simplify and speed up development: Composer, Artisan, Blade, MVC, Migration, Models, Eloquent, Git, etc.

For those who are just starting to get acquainted with Evolution, but already have experience working with other systems or with Laravel, the system will have familiar and favorite tools. Thus, the Laravel components in the Evolution CMS lower the entry threshold for beginners in working with the system and provide an opportunity to upgrade their skills for those who have long been familiar with Evolution CMS.







So what's new





Plans for the near future



The release of Evolution CMS 2.0 will take place on 02.11.2019, an offline event will be organized in Moscow in the private cinema 'Kinoleto' at the following address:

2nd Kozhukhovsky passage 29, building 2, building 18, pre-registration entrance, registration form, as well as more details will be here .







Download as always here







I also recommend reading:

Evolution CMS (2.0 alpha) on Laravel components







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