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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Mississippi, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    FYI - for those that avoid clients that want to edit their sites

    There is a Simple CMS script that will work with Xara that allows you to set sections in your Xara website pages that the client can edit. It is easy to setup and install. It is very easy to add to Xara. The customer can only change the sections that you define. And the price is ridiculously cheap. I just retested it and it took about 10 minute to build a site with the editable sections. You can see a demo at the link below. If you want to try it out then choose to extend the demo for a week. That way you can keep the backend dashboard active at the demo site for a week while you play around with inserting sections in your Xara site.

    https://www.phpjabbers.com/simple-cms/

    There are two install options. Use the javascript option (xara doesn't do well with php) open and just past the script in a xara Placeholder with HTML code (body)

    Did I mention that it was ridiculous inexpensive? A single site license is $19 or a developer's license (allows you to use on any of your website) is $29.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2000
    Location
    Bracknell, UK
    Posts
    8,659

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    I think that whatever the cost there's still going to be plenty of support needed with client screwing something up or wondering how can they do X, Y & Z.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Currently New York State
    Posts
    774

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    onlye,

    Have you used this simple-cms on a working site? The reason I ask is, I am not sure by looking at the information on phpjabbers site where the files would be stored, on your web site site or phpjabbers site? The information says you can upload different files and types for the cms portion.

    I use a form that is PHP based on my web site now. What type of problems did you have with PHP and Xara?

    In looking at their phpjabbers scripts, I am wondering if you could run their blog script in Xara Placeholder and now have a working blog as part of your site.

    Thanks
    Ray

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Mississippi, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    Quote Originally Posted by pauland View Post
    I think that whatever the cost there's still going to be plenty of support needed with client screwing something up or wondering how can they do X, Y & Z.
    No doubt. But it is an option to allow limited access by a client. Something simple like a restaurant that wants to change the description of the daily special on the home page can make this useful. I really am not interested in moving to WordPress so this provides me a sometimes answer to clients.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2000
    Location
    Bracknell, UK
    Posts
    8,659

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    Quote Originally Posted by onlye View Post
    No doubt. But it is an option to allow limited access by a client. Something simple like a restaurant that wants to change the description of the daily special on the home page can make this useful. I really am not interested in moving to WordPress so this provides me a sometimes answer to clients.
    My answer is that I'll do small updates at nominal costs, but it's only a strategy for websites with a low change rate.

    I think the Xara cloud version is probably a better way to go and possibly Xtom's solution.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Mississippi, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    Quote Originally Posted by RKissane View Post
    onlye,

    Have you used this simple-cms on a working site? The reason I ask is, I am not sure by looking at the information on phpjabbers site where the files would be stored, on your web site site or phpjabbers site? The information says you can upload different files and types for the cms portion.

    Thanks
    Ray
    Ray,

    All the phpjabber scripts are designed to be installed on your hosting site. The install typically takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You have to setup a mysql database and then install the script. The install is not complicated and phpjabbers will do the install for you. So far their support has been good. I have paid for customization to several scripts. Customization pricing has been very reasonable. The most expensive customization was on a business directory script. I paid about $160 to make it do what the $1000 app the customer started with didn't do. I use reseller hosting accounts at Hostgator and inmotion and both work fine.

    My experience with the PHP scripts and Xara is not so good. I use ecwid for eCommerce and it does not play well with Xara's variants. Looks fine on desktop or mobile but messes up with multiple variants. I use the blog on several sites but the PHP webpage that holds the blog is built with another tool (I also use WYSIWYG Web Builder). So you can have a Xara site and you just point the menu to the external webpage for the blog.

    The Simple CMS gives an option for javascript or PHP for the host site placeholder. With Xara I use javascript and it works. If I build the site with WYSIWYG Web Builder I use the PHP option.

    The blog is another option to allow you clients edit privileges to your site without a great deal of impact on the actual site.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Currently New York State
    Posts
    774

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    onlye,

    Thanks for the reply, a lot of information to wrap my head around.

    If you are already using WYSIWYG Web Builder, I see it has blog extension as part of the package. Is there a reason you went with phpjabbers blog script and WYSIWYG Web Builder?

    Also why do you use both Xara and WYSIWYG Web Builder? Does Xara give you something that WYSIWYG Web Builder doesn't do as good or lacks?

    Thanks
    Ray

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Mississippi, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default Re: How many people use Xara for web development?

    Quote Originally Posted by RKissane View Post
    onlye,

    Thanks for the reply, a lot of information to wrap my head around.

    If you are already using WYSIWYG Web Builder, I see it has blog extension as part of the package. Is there a reason you went with phpjabbers blog script and WYSIWYG Web Builder?

    Also why do you use both Xara and WYSIWYG Web Builder? Does Xara give you something that WYSIWYG Web Builder doesn't do as good or lacks?

    Thanks
    Ray

    Ray,

    Have been using Xara for about over a decade for graphics and then websites. A few years ago I added ecwid for eCommernce. Soon found out ecwid and Xara don't play nice together. I found WYSIWYG Web Builder as a result of a search for a tool to use with ecwid. My new sites are built with Web Builder, but I still use Xara almost daily for graphics.

    I stumbled across PHPjabbers and got the Simple CMS first. Then added a number of the other scripts including the blog. You are correct that Web Builder has a CMS with blog but I haven't learned it yet, but learning now based on the new Version 16 with lots of nice new goodies.

    One of the companies I contract with did the $299 get the entire collection of 65 scripts and over the last few months, we have used several for clients that needed things like; online appt scheduling, blogs, news sites, event calendars, business directories, product catalogs, image galleries. They have been a great way to move from static websites to sites that provide some business functions.

    If you want to take a closer look I would be happy to do a virtual session with you. Happy to share the knowledge with fellow developers.

 

 

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