Hello SilverStripers,

I couldn't tell where this question/cry for advice should go, so I figured General Topics was as good a place as any.

I know there isn't any sort of tutorials or read up on how to use the framework only to build custom apps and or sites. And that there are a few currently figuring out how to create these whilst maintaining a coexistence with the already existing tutorials.

But has anyone come across, or has had experience in a structured approach to use the Framework? With my understanding of the SS Framework as a full standalone Framework, it would act as any other Framework I could work with such as Symphony, Zend, Cake, Codeigniter etc. But I'd prefer to work with SS.

Can anyone point me in the right direction regarding how to go about using this? Even if its just learning how to look at the Framework APIs and Documentation in such a manner that I can slowly pick up on it? Maybe rule of thumbs or concepts to keep in mind when using the SS Framework?

Any input would be appreciated and thank you all in advanced.

-B00mer

Hey Boomer,

There's not a lot around on this, though I've been thinking of doing the same.

The post by willr might get you started though:

http://www.silverstripe.org/general-questions/show/20286

SG

Hey SparkGreen,

Thanks for replying.

I came across the post also and will definitely take a look at that and see where I can end up. I was just hoping someone else had gotten more luck with it and could give a general direction to it.

I came across someone who had also done an iOS app for which they used SilverStripe to create the back end. I was wondering if they used the CMS to do build all the data structures they needed then used API's to grab the information, or was it done via Framework only.

-B00mer

The build I'm planning is based on XML sources for the data instead of a user-fed database, in which case the CMS side won't be need.

The framework can then safely handle all the dataobject calls/relationships and serving pages using templates etc etc.

I think if you needed a user to interface with the database in the back end you'd have to use the CMS.

The framework comes with ModelAdmin and SecurityAdmin. The CMS provides pages, the URLSegment->page/controller mapping, CMSMain (for editing the pages), AssetAdmin and ReportAdmin. If you're just going to use custom DataObjects, and don't care about reports or managing assets, then framework will work just fine and still let you have admin interfaces for managing your DataObjects and Members.

To use framework by itself, you need to create your own Controllers and add routes for them. The controller documentation has a short example of how to do this. You also need to add a route for '', which ends up as your homepage.