MODX is an open source content management system framework written in PHP. It provides features like a rich text editor, versioning, templates, and extensions. MODX has a modular architecture that uses elements like templates, template variables, chunks, snippets, and plugins as building blocks. The MODX manager provides an interface for backend administration and content creation.

1. Unleashing Creative
Freedom with

2. What is your current
platform of choice?

3. Who am I?
Mark Hamstra
Founder & CEA at modmore
Freelance MODX Developer
my doggies
Turbo
Bommel

4. Agenda
• What is MODX, for whom, available
features, how to build a MODX site
• Tour of the MODX Manager (back-end)
• The Architecture of MODX, xPDO ORM,
extending and overriding

5. MOD-what?
• Open Source
• Written in PHP (of course)
• Primarily used with MySQL, other drivers available
• Already 10 years old young
• Content Management System Framework Platform

6. https://twitpic.com/3pvrmw

7. For who is MODX
• Web Professionals
• Designers
• Front-end developers
• Using MODX as a tool
• Est 4-5.000.000 sites

8. Community
• Professional and helpful
• Official Forum: forums.modx.com 50.544
• +- 1M views of modx.com per month
• Twitter: #MODX
• Slack: modx.org 286

9. All the features of a CMS
rich text editor versioning user groups
multisite templates multilingual extensions
markdown media browser hierarchical
page tree commercial support automatic
menu builder blogging permissions seo
friendly urls server-side caching

10. Installs without Assumptions

11. Elements as Building Blocks
Templates
TemplateVariables
Chunks
Snippets
Plugins

12. Templates
• Usually HTML
• Contains MODX tags
• One template per page

13. Template Variables
• Custom field for resources
• Commonly “TV”
• Tied to templates
• Text, image, select, checkbox,
date, radio, richtext, tag and
custom types available
• [[*name-of-tv]]

14. Chunks
• Usually HTML
• Reusable piece of code
• [[$name-of-chunk]]
Template
Chunk “head”

15. Snippets
• PHP!
• Comparable to a function
• Accepts properties
• [[name-of-snippet]] or
[[!name-of-snippet]]
Snippet “helloWorld”
Template

16. Snippets

17. But wait, there’s more!
• [[name-of-snippet]]
• [[!name-of-snippet]]
• = uncached!
• [[++name-of-setting]]
[[!++name-of-setting]]
• [[$name-of-chunk]]
[[!$name-of-chunk]]
• [[*name-of-field]]
[[!*name-of-field]]

18. But wait, there’s even more!
• [[helloWorld?
&property=`value`
]]
• [[$head?
&extraCss=`<link rel=.. href=..>`
]]

19. Plugins
• PHP!
• Event-based, so no tags
• Can read and often
influence behaviour

20. No need to reinvent
the wheel
• Packages (aka extras, add-
ons, extensions, third party
components…) provide
common functionality
• Install via Package Installer
inside the manager

21. Example: getResources
• Lists resources matching
conditions
• Uses a Chunk as template
• Use Cases:
• Article listings
• Dynamic (sub)menus
• RSS feed generation
Template
Chunk “blogListItem”

22. Time for a Manager Tour!
http://localhost/tmp/phpfrl/manager/

23. MODX Architecture

24. Secure by Design
• Automatic $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST
sanitisation in the request handler
• xPDO ORM prevents SQL Injections
• 28 CVE entries, 8 since 2014
• WordPress: 906, already ~85 in 2015
• Drupal: 915, already ~120 in 2015
2015-07, cve.mitre.org

25. xPDO
• Object Relational Bridge / ORM
• Open Source (modxcms/xpdo)
• Extension to PHP’s PDO
• Support for MySQL, sqlsrv (and more)

26. Fetching a Single Object
$obj = $modx->getObject(‘modChunk’, 5);
$c = array(‘name’ => ‘head’);
$obj = $modx->getObject(‘modChunk’, $c)

27. Easy Query Builder
$c = $modx->newQuery(‘modResource’);
$c->where([
‘parent’ => 0,
‘AND:pagetitle:LIKE => ‘%About%’
]);
$matches = $modx->getCollection(‘modResource’, $c);
foreach ($matches as $modResource) { . . . }

28. Automatic Filtering
$search = $_POST[‘search’];
$c = $modx->newQuery(‘modResource’);
$c->where([
‘introtext:LIKE’ => “%{$search}%”,
]);
$modx->setPlaceholder(‘search’, sanitise($search));
function sanitise($value) { return htmlentities($value, ENT_QUOTES,
‘UTF-8’); }
👍
⚠

29. Custom Models with xPDO
1. Create an xPDO Package Schema (XML)
2. Use build script to write schema into the actual
model files/classes
3. Register it before use ($modx->addPackage)
4. Use any xPDO method (getObject,
getCollection) on your custom model

30. xPDO Package Schema - Head
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<model package="phpfrl"
baseClass="xPDOSimpleObject"
platform="mysql"
defaultEngine="MyISAM"
version="1.1">

31. xPDO Package Schema - Object
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<model package=“phpfrl” …
<object class="frlMeetup" table=“meetups”>
.. fields ..
</object>
<object class="frlSpeaker" table=“speakers”> … </object>
</model>

32. xPDO Package Schema - Fields
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<model package=“phpfrl” …
<object class="frlMeetup" table=“meetups">
<field
key="name"
dbtype="varchar"
precision="100"
phptype="string"
null="false"
default=“PHP FRL Meetup" />

33. xPDO Package Schema - Indices
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<model package=“phpfrl” …
<object class="frlMeetup" table=“meetups">
<field key="name" dbtype=“varchar" …
<field key=“starts_on" dbtype=“datetime"
<field key="name" dbtype=“varchar" …
<index alias="name" name="name" primary="false"
unique="false" type="BTREE">
<column key="name" length="" collation="A" null="false" />
</index>
</object>

34. xPDO Package Schema - Relations
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<model package=“phpfrl” baseClass=“xPDOSimpleObject" …
<object class="frlMeetup" table=“meetups">
<field key="name" dbtype=“varchar” …>
<composite alias=“Speakers” class=“frlSpeaker” local=“id” foreign=“meetup”
cardinality=“many” owner=“local” />
</object>
<object class="frlSpeaker" table=“speakers">
<field key="name" dbtype=“varchar” …>
<field key="meetup" dbtype=“int” …>
<aggregate alias=“Meetup” class=“frlMeetup” local=“meetup” foreign=“id”
cardinality=“one” owner=“foreign” />
</object>

35. xPDO Generated Model
<?php
class frlMeetup extends xPDOSimpleObject {
}

36. Interacting with that model
$modx->addPackage(‘phpfrl’, ‘/path/to/model/‘);
$c = $modx->newQuery(‘frlMeetup’);
$c->sortby(‘starts_on’, ‘DESC’);
$meetup = $modx->getObject(‘frlMeetup’, $c);
echo ‘De volgende meetup is ‘ . $meetup->name . ‘ en vind plaats op ‘ . $meetup-
>starts_on . ‘. ’;
$speakers = $meetup->getMany(‘Speakers’); // or just $meetup->Speakers
foreach ($speakers as $spegfytaker) {
echo $speaker->name . ‘ zal vertellen over ‘ . $speaker->subject;
}

38. Interesting links:
• MODX.com => official website
• rtfm.modx.com => official documentation
• github.com/modxcms/revolution => source code
• MODX.today => daily links/articles about MODX
• modmore.com => premium extras for MODX
• https://joind.in/talk/view/15031 => please leave feedback
Enjoy your Creative Freedom