XenPages: Page Layout & Versatile Content Manager
- Step1: Could be the current Pages system. Eventually updated with more robust features until it becomes a multifaceted content tool for people to use in their own specific ways. Whats nice is that you could then choose to update it to the level of complexity that you want to have. It doesnt need to be a fully fleshed out CMS for you if you dont want that. The goal being to end up with what could be a blogging tool for some, a news/article system to others, or a simple portal, etc...
- Step 2: Create a few different prefab Layout styles for the Pages system. News, Blog, List, etc... This would display your content in different ways.
- Step 3: Ability to place Pages within a Chapter that could then pull and display content from the Pages into the Chapter area in a simple and organized way. Possible to include some secondary Layout schemes for Chapters.
- Step 4: The Section area would then pull information from various chapters into one display area, while including some more advanced Layout schemes.
- Step 5: The Book section would be the top level area that can pull information from anywhere. Not needing to follow any hierarchy, but instead based on the xF ID system. If you have Category/Forum/Thread/Post ID's, why not Section/Chapter/Page ID's ?
- Step 6: A predefined set of Grids that would organize the Book in ways other than the default scheme. As well as the ability to make any Page, Chapter, Section, or the entire Book area into your sites "Home" page.
- Step 7: open it up to Widgets, Add Ons, etc... to further customize the look and feel of the Page system.
This builds up the Page system pretty organically and in small doable chunks that would provide a lot of functionality to those who choose to upgrade the system. Each step might be the perfect content system for a variety of users, while the next step might be too much for some. So you allow people to opt in to each successive step up the complexity ladder... or opt out.
It can be as simple or robust as people want it to be. And we dont have to wait for years and years for you guys to implement it all in one fell swoop.
This builds on top of itself.
Keeping things basic and without widgets/plugin interaction till Step 7 allows for the system to grow without fear of compatibility issues or things breaking. Since the Page system would be a work in progress, unlike the finished product that is the Forum.
Once the basic structure and mechanics of the xF Pages VCM (Versatile Content Manager) are worked out and the basic product is complete... then you can open it up to modders so they can go crazy creating modules, widgets, plugins, etc... whatever xF decides to call them.
VCM = sidestepping the whole "thats not a CMS" argument. Just call it something else, and allow people to use it how they want to use it.
