Like someone else said, you can learn MODx by finding resources on the internet. I started reading this book to get introduced to the system, and it was OK for that, but I found I didn't really use it or need it when I actually started making my MODx site. It's a good overview/introduction that may help you understand what MODx is and how it functions, but not totally needed if you just want to jump right in and make a site with MODx. Also, since the release of MODx 1.0/1.0.1, the terminology used in this book is no longer correct, so it may actually confuse you (Resources are now Elements, Documents are now Resources, etc.) And I found some of the writing to be awkward.
Author(s): Antano Solar John, Antano Solar John
Publisher: Packt Publishing
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 276
Cover......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 10
Preface......Page 18
Content management system......Page 24
Abstracting logic from presentation......Page 25
Old school—conventional three tiers......Page 26
Disadvantages of the conventional three tiers......Page 27
Advantages of templating......Page 28
Advantages of application frameworks......Page 29
Content management systems......Page 30
Disadvantages of content management systems......Page 31
So, why Modx?......Page 32
Overview of the book......Page 33
Summary......Page 34
Prerequisites......Page 36
Windows......Page 37
MAC......Page 38
Downloading MODx......Page 39
Creating a database......Page 40
Starting the installation......Page 42
Installation status and diagnostics......Page 43
Documentation......Page 45
Getting support......Page 46
Web forums......Page 47
Summary......Page 48
Site configuration......Page 50
Configuring the site......Page 51
Default Manager interface page......Page 52
The basic element of MODx: Documents......Page 53
Containers......Page 54
MODx Manager interface......Page 55
Using the HTML editor......Page 56
Creating the Front Page......Page 57
QuickEdit module......Page 60
Editing documents......Page 61
General tab......Page 62
Meta Keywords tab......Page 63
Summary......Page 64
Changing the template of a document......Page 66
HTML......Page 68
CSS......Page 69
Steps to create the new template......Page 70
Making the Home Page use the created template......Page 72
Introducing template variables......Page 73
Modifying the template to add dynamic behavior......Page 74
Changing existing templates......Page 75
Creating template variables......Page 76
Template variable values......Page 78
Widgets......Page 79
Creating a document......Page 80
Post a blog entry......Page 82
Generating output......Page 84
HTML for the custom blog form......Page 86
Steps to create a chunk......Page 87
Using a chunk as a form template......Page 88
Checking the Post a Blog ! page......Page 89
Creating the template variable......Page 90
Chunk and template variable......Page 91
NewsPublisher and the Rtcontent field......Page 93
Summary......Page 94
Create web users......Page 96
Other user properties......Page 98
Add the login snippet......Page 99
Document group for friends......Page 104
User group: Document group......Page 105
User: User group......Page 106
Creating a role......Page 107
Creating a Manager user......Page 108
Checking the new role......Page 109
Showing a signup form......Page 110
Link the signup form in the log in snippet......Page 112
NewsPublisher and authentication......Page 113
Summary......Page 114
Ditto......Page 116
More flexibility with parameters......Page 117
Aggregated data in a template......Page 118
Theming MODx—chunks and placeholders......Page 120
Creating a template variable to hold the category......Page 122
XML formats......Page 123
Readers......Page 124
Formats......Page 125
Ditto and XML formats......Page 126
Creating RSS views for each category......Page 127
Filtering......Page 129
Multiple clauses......Page 130
Summary......Page 131
Menu details in document properties......Page 132
Getting to know WayFinder......Page 133
Creating a simple menu......Page 135
Nested menus......Page 139
Changing the name in the menu......Page 146
Doc Manager......Page 147
Removing pages from the menu......Page 149
Breadcrumb navigation......Page 150
Summary......Page 152
Working of snippets......Page 154
Jot with the minimal configuration......Page 155
Snippet parameters......Page 158
Placeholders......Page 165
Installing a snippet......Page 168
Adding a snippet......Page 169
Copying required files......Page 170
Using the snippet......Page 171
Snippet without dependent files......Page 173
Summary......Page 174
PHx in action......Page 176
Adding Family and Friends documents......Page 177
Simple usage......Page 187
Conditional statements......Page 188
Usage with the PHx placeholder......Page 189
Summary......Page 190
Installing SMF......Page 192
Installing the SMF module......Page 197
Image gallery......Page 198
Emailing from forms......Page 202
Edit profile......Page 207
List users and view profile......Page 208
Link to edit profile......Page 210
Similar posts......Page 212
Summary......Page 215
Learning to create a snippet......Page 216
Returning an output......Page 217
Returning placeholders......Page 218
Processing a chunk......Page 220
Using parameters......Page 222
MODx API......Page 223
$MODx->db->select......Page 224
Fortunes......Page 225
Creating the table......Page 226
Code for fortunes......Page 227
Testing the snippet......Page 228
Chunks, placeholders, and parameters......Page 229
Summary......Page 231
Search engine-friendly URLs......Page 232
Meta tags and keywords......Page 235
Site map......Page 236
Descriptive text......Page 238
Filesystem......Page 239
FTP......Page 240
SFTP......Page 241
Database......Page 242
Importing......Page 243
Configurations......Page 245
Writable configuration file......Page 246
Manager configurations......Page 247
Summary......Page 248
Plug-ins and events......Page 250
Using an existing plug-in......Page 251
Configuration......Page 252
System events......Page 253
Using custom plug-ins......Page 254
Learning about the plug-in......Page 257
Creating plug-ins......Page 258
Modules......Page 260
Executing a module......Page 261
Module's Manager interface......Page 262
Dependent plug-ins......Page 263
Summary......Page 265
Index......Page 266
