Background:
I've inherited a suite of 40 news websites that are all hand built in php and mysql.
All the sites are basically clones of each other and have a single mysql database behind them from which they display the news articles for their own specìfic area. It looks as if this approach was taken 10 years ago as a SEO strategy when the domain name had a larger ranking factor.
I want to consolidate these down to 2 sites and access the content from the existing mysql database.
I'm comfortable getting technical having been writing code for over 25 years.

Each site would only require a dozen or so pages, but the content on each would be dynamic, something like article.php would be called with parameters to display the relevant article from the 100,000+ in the database. With navigation and content being driven by php and mysql.

Can RSD be used to generate the "templates"?
Is there best practice on using RSD to maintain the design in conjunction with php for content?
Is it possible/recommended to break apart the output from RSD into component parts or libraries, e.g. Header, Menu, Footer etc. ?

Whilst I could start from scratch with php and jQuery, RSD sounds like a faster way to get to a good responsive site.

Thoughts or comments anyone?

Thanks,
Al.

Hi Al,

I´m using RSD most times to generate Templates for the CMS Impresspages. So, for me it works.

Regards
Uwe

Thanks Uwe that's encouraging.

Regards, Al.

You should be able to with no problems. Looking at a lot of news sites I see this approach where layout out is the same but content changes.

Uwe

would love to see a video tutorial on what you are doing!!!!

thanks

Byron

The number of pages shouldn't be a problem.
Actually RSD would only provide a few static pages (templates) and your php application (article.php) would do the hard work:
1. select the RSD page to use as a template
2. replace a placeholder in the template with the correct news article (depending on the parameters in the page request)
3. submit the modified RSD page
You would maybe need a homepage template and an article template for each website.

We have been doing this for years with our own homegrown CMS (using SQL Server, IIS and .Net).
Our programs insert on the fly the dynamic content of a webpage in the static webpage template (built with RSD).

Of course your program would need to attach / insert the correct links with parameters in the template, in order to create the navigation between pages / articles.

Anyway, it should not be a problem using RSD to generate your templates.

Example (created 2015): http://kuychi.org

I´ve never tried to create a video-tutorial before. Maybe in the nearer future I will make one. I´m the owner of http://www.impresspages.info. It´s my kind of support for this great CMS. At this place I´m going to give manuals in the usage of Impresspages CMS.

Hey there guys,

We have been doing some early work on a "CMS / Developer Edition" of RSD that would make this process of creating CMS Templates waaayyyy smoother. If you are interested in working with us on this (Uwe, Eric and Hennie) please open a ticket here:

https://www.coffeecup.com/help/myroom/

We intend to keep the group really small for now, below 8 people — to qualify you must already own RSD and know your way with the app.

Let's write history!

That would be very cool

Thanks all. That is all really useful.

I think it's time I add RSD to the set of CoffeeCup licences I own and do some prototyping.

Also very interesting that a CMS friendly version might be in the works.

Thanks again.

Al.