This document discusses MODx, an open source content management system (CMS). It provides an overview of what a CMS is and why MODx may be a good option. The document then demonstrates MODx's administrative interface and how to edit content, create new pages and blog posts, and discusses some of MODx's technical components like resources, templates, and snippets. It concludes by mentioning that MODx can easily be installed and used on common web hosting providers.

1. Take Control With
Tame Your Web Site With The MODx
Content Management System
Jason Holtzapple
Senior System Administrator • WebPT.com
Software Architect • Glic Internet
ABLEconf 2011

2. Introduction
 What is a CMS and what is MODx? Why should I
build my website with it?
 A content management system is software designed
to allow users with little knowledge of web markup
languages or programming to create and maintain
web content.
 There are disadvantages like lock-in.

3. Introduction
A little bit of history:
Web sites were originally designed to be editable.
1. HTML (1990)
Separation of Presentation & Content
2. HTML + CSS (1996)
Further separation of content from HTML
3. HTML + CSS + Database (1996-ish)

4. Introduction
 MODx is a CMS started in 2005 based on the
Etomite project.
 MODx has been designed from the start to be secure
and makes it easy to create SEO-friendly web pages.
 Editing web content is easy for novices and a
powerful interface (API) is available for developers.
 Main website is modx.com

5. MODx Gallery

6. Behind The Scenes
 Let's take a look at the MODx administrative
interface ...

7. Working With MODx
 Let's edit some content on our sample web site – the
home page. We'll also create a new blog entry and
create a whole new page.

8. The Gory Details
 Resources – the pages
 Templates – the HTML
 Template Variables – custom page variables
 Chunks – boilerplate text
 Snippets – scriptable content (php)
 Plugins – php code attached to page events

9. Take Control With
What Next?
 Companies with point-and-click MODx installation:
Godaddy, Hostgator, Bluehost, Hostcolor, many
more.
 Practically any web hosting company can run
MODx.
 Thank you!