Ask the Readers: Do you use EE as a CMS or a framework?
It’s common knowledge that a lot of people take EE and push it beyond just typical CMS functionality. I’ve heard of it being used as a bug tracker, intranet tool, social networking site and more.
So, I want to see what you’re doing with EE. Are you using it mostly as a CMS or as a framework on which you build something bigger?
Let us know in the comments!
Posted on Mar 01, 2010 by Ryan Irelan
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Jason Morehead — 04:25 on 03.01.2010
90% of the time, I use it as a CMS. But I’ve recently been working on a project where EE serves as more of a framework (with some CMS stuff thrown in for good measure), and it’s worked like a champ.
bjorn — 07:21 on 03.01.2010
With the release of 2.0 I use EE more and more as a framework.
Wes — 07:22 on 03.01.2010
Same here…mostly for CMS, but I’ve getting ready to deploy a xml-based web service API for one of my clients.
johnniefp — 08:04 on 03.01.2010
I found EE while looking for a good robust CMS - now I use it about a 50/50s split of CMS/Framework.
I don’t think I’ve said the word ‘no’ to a client since I started using EE properly. (the famed lightbulb moment)
Brendan Underwood — 12:28 on 03.01.2010
From the outset I think the power came from using it more as framework than CMS for me. With Travis’ Structure module, it’s now a much simpler equation for a standard CMS too, so now most client jobs mix the two ideas.
Joshua — 16:02 on 03.01.2010
When you guys say framework, what exactly are you talking about? Can you give some examples?
Mike — 04:24 on 03.02.2010
right now CMS only
Wes — 04:44 on 03.02.2010
@Joshua
When I think of using EE as a framework, I think of it acting as a building material to help build a larger structure. For most of the things I do, it can be seen as the foundation that an application might sit on.
For example, you could build a CRM tool for your client and they would never even have to sign into the control panel to run their site. You allow EE to do the back-end heavy lifting programming for you and leverage stand-alone entry forms to allow the front-end control of data. The client wouldn’t even need to know that EE existed.
This is what I mean when I say “framework.”
Richard — 06:14 on 03.02.2010
Right now just CMS but with my redesign of my site using 2.0 I am going to look more into a framework.
I am thinking and starting to plan how to build at least a mobile version so I can update to my news feed on my cellphone.
JimInHolland — 10:46 on 03.03.2010
Can anyone point us to a few good examples of how to use EE as a framework?
TomJaeger — 03:18 on 03.17.2010
I generally use EE in a split fashion as well. Although recently builds have been much heavier on the framework side for me.
I have found there is very little you can’t do with EE. Especially since 2.0 is built on CI.