Adding CMS to Non CMS Site?

RapidWeaver Classic
1

Hi there.

Is it possible to add CMS functionality to an existing RW site that does not have any of these features currently built in into it - that would make a CMS work?

Have been looking at Easy CMS as an option.

Thanks,

Sparky

2

Absolutely. Depends on what you want to do but for text, images, galleries and more, EasyCMS would be a good choice as well IMHO.

Rob

3

Hi Sparky
Very easy to do, especially with Easy CMS. What I would do first is copy your project file, this is so you have the original content saved in a different spot. Maybe even name it original. Then for each text area, you would add an Easy CMS text stack and for each image, add an Easy CMS image stack.

4

Excellent - will look at Easy CMS :+1:

Thanks everyoone!

Sparky

1 Like
5

Good luck with this :slight_smile:

Pulse CMS Stacks by @instacks have a similar approach and can be added to any existing RW site:

Doing the method you are thinking is the best way to convert an existing site and helps you decide what areas can and canā€™t be edited by the client :slight_smile:

6

OK - so - with Easy CMS - it appears that my images may need to be warehoused (from reading the description) - what does this term actually meanā€¦?

Thanks,

Sparky

7

warehousing is a termed used here refreing to storing your images on your web server instead of within the project itā€™s self. it makes your project much smaller and also allows you to use the same copy of an image over and over (and also loading that image into the browser cache only once) which should also make for a speedier site.

8
9

Thanks for the response swilliam

So this is good thenā€¦

In order to use Easy CMS - (or any CMS system) - would images involved in any CMS all need to be warehoused for this to work?

Thanks,

Sparky

10

Thanks for the response LSPhoto

Just had a quick look at your ebook - very nicely done,

Will use this as my guide tonight when I tackle this project! :+1:t2:

Sparky

1 Like
11

That totally depends on the image stack. If yoiu use the CMSā€™s image stack they get ā€œautomaticallyā€ warehoused because thatā€™s how the cms actually works.

12

This book is by @willwood who is a developer. I am a photographer and have 100s of images on my site. Before I used warehousing, my file was over 600 mb. Now itā€™s 220 :slight_smile

13

With EasyCMS, you do not need to warehouse your images first. You add them into the admin page you make, and the CMS will copy them to your server. You can then get a URL for that image and use it in almost ANY image stack available. Or just use the EasyCMS image content stack and put that on your site.

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14

Thanks for the additional information zeebe.

I think when I set up Easy CMS - Iā€™ll just let it do itā€™s thing and if I understand this correctly - it will automatically warehouse my images - and all will be wellā€¦ I thinkā€¦:grinning:

Sparky

1 Like
15

Yep. In the context of EasyCMS, the term ā€˜warehousingā€™ is sort of redundant because all your images will be added to the server and as Rob says, you can then re-use them anywhere on the site by just ā€˜pointingā€™ to them. EasyCMS really is very powerful for the money, IMHO.

Rob

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