Creating components

This course walks through building a real MODX component from scratch: a mailing-list extra (Sendex by Vasily Naumkin), which we will then publish for the whole MODX community.

Approximate plan of the first course:

• Workplace setup: MODXCloud and PhpStorm
• Component structure: what assets, core and _build are for
• Git basics and the first commit on GitHub
• Design the logic; define the schema and database model
• Build and install the first alpha package
• Admin UI on ExtJS: mailing groups and subscribers.
• Admin UI on ExtJS: newsletters bound to a group.
• Test the interface; distribute the package.
• Front end: a snippet that shows the user’s available subscriptions.
• Front end: subscribe and unsubscribe.
• Testing, final package build.

The list is a draft — we are writing a new component, not dissecting an existing one, so expect it to change.

Download PhpStorm now: the 30-day trial covers the whole course, and all examples target this IDE.

Also decide where you will develop: a local machine, a virtual machine or hosting. A free MODXCloud account is one option.