Can anyone explain to me why I would switch from RapidWeaver classic to elements? Especially given that for the foreseeable future it’s not going to match classic in terms of all the various add-ons that are available for example I need my website to be able to communicate with Google Sheets and as far as I know that’s not possible no idea when it might be possible either and I don’t do code so whilst it may be possible to do it this way that will be beyond my abilities. So in a nutshell can anyone explain the benefits of switching?
I’m sure Dan or RM will answer this, but let me give you an independent view.
You don’t switch from Classic to Elements if you’re happy with what you’re using. That said, there is a dynamic going on that you need to be aware of, and that’s that the way of dealing with Web sites is changing. You’re probably aware of the shift from straight HTML to CSS. Well, now we’re seeing “foundations” that sit upon everything that came before it. Bootstrap and Tailwind are two of the most common. These foundations really do all the plumbing while you just install fixtures.
Coupled with that, we’ve had some Stacks makers withdraw from the market due to the fact that what they were doing was essentially competitive with these new wider use foundations. And somewhere in that, some of the Stacks makers have rebelled against RealMac and are essentially making a competitive structure to Classic so as to continue using Stacks (not yet on the market; still in development).
Communicating with Google via Elements has been demonstrated. It’s not really much of a coding exercise, at all. It’s more what you’re used to: putting the right variables in the right place to the right values. If you haven’t yet played with some of the more advanced AI agents, you need to, because this is the fastest way to learn how to do something now; it’s like having your own personal tutor answering specific questions. You just have to get good at asking questions.
As for the contention that Elements won’t match all the things you do with Classic, I’d tend to say the opposite. Because Elements is Tailwind based, there’s already a ton of “add-ons” available. Moreover, it’s not yet clear how many developers will be introducing add-ons in the Elements Marketplace once Elements is locked into version 1.0. You need a chicken to make an egg.
My job in Silicon Valley was, essentially, figuring out what technologies a few years out were going to allow users to do things that they couldn’t currently do. Many of us, including RealMac, identified Tailwind (and Bootstrap) as one of those. With a little study, it really does allow WYSIWIG design, whereas Classic is YGSOTYS (you get something other than you saw). Just as PageMaker opened up page design to a new class of users, so are Tailwind/Bootstrap and by extension, Elements.
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