ExpressionEngine 2.0 Official Preview at SXSW
The long awaited ExpressionEngine 2.0 preview from theSXSW Interactive Festival has finally arrived. You can check out some official screenshots of EE 2.0 from Derek Allard’s blog.
ExpressionEngine is now built on CodeIgniter, which is EllisLab’s (the group behind EE and CodeIgniter) open source PHP framework. The most interesting thing about this is that the ExpressionEngine community will become one with the CodeIgniter community. Derek explains it well:
You an ExpressionEngine developer? This represents an instant expansion of EE’s capabilities. Faster, easier, more modular code, with a huge number of libraries and functions. You a CodeIgniter user? How about instantly being able to drop ExpressionEngine on top of your code base, and have fully accessed, fully shared information between each. Instant forums, instant wiki, instant EE – on your existing code
I’m Pumped!
I’m very excited about 2.0 and can’t wait to see the final product. The only thing I have to do now is try to at least get a beginning grasp of PHP (I know zero about PHP currently). With ExpressionEngine being built on CodeIgniter, knowing your way around PHP would prove to be invaluable. If you don’t like how something worked in EE, you could simply build your own way of doing it. The possibilities are virtually limitless when you think about what could be developed using EE on CodeIgniter.
What Do You Think?
If you’re using EE, what do you think? If you’re not using EE, are you considering taking a look at it?
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Comments
Sam Have you ever tried saving your templates as files? This will essentially do what you want (unless I’m misunderstanding you?)
What a lot of people will do is save all of their templates a files and then connect their text/CSS editor directly to their remote server so that once they save a template file it automatically uploads to EE without ever really needing to make changes in the control panel.
Have a look here: Flat File Templates
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2008
Oh my, I had no idea this was possible. Thanks a ton, the only major reservation I had about EE now solved.
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2008
Sam: No problem. I’ve never actually used text files, but I’ve been meaning to try it out. I actually don’t mind using the EE control panel, but I can see where text files would be more convenient.
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2008
The CI integration is exciting because of the larger developer base. This means that we might actually be able to hire someone to write LDAP integration for EE.
Posted on Tue Mar 11, 2008
Dan: I’m not really familiar with LDAP.. what sort of thing would you be able to do with it and EE?
Posted on Tue Mar 11, 2008
LDAP and the MS implementation of LDAP, Active Directory, allow for a single sign-on across an enterprise. So LDAP integration with EE would allow us to control user accounts from a central location. Sys Admins and EE Admins wouldn’t have to manage a Windows authentication account/Network Account and an EE account for each user.
Posted on Tue Mar 11, 2008
Dan: Ah, yeah, that would be awesome! I can see EE going big places in the next couple years. I’m glad I jumped on board when I did!
Posted on Tue Mar 11, 2008
Hmm… My PHP skills are enough for WordPress and some custom features (I used to be into making my own CMSs, pretty much lost that) but this really sparks my interest.
We’ll see how WordPress goes, I guess. I didn’t upgrade to 2.3, but I’ll be getting 2.5 for admin panel update. EE (even now) is already worlds ahead in that department.
I don’t know if this will be enough to get me totally off WordPress, but I’ll definitely learn how to use CI and EE, and see where it takes me.
Posted on Wed Mar 12, 2008
Connor: Thanks for stopping by! I’ve actually tried to learn PHP before, but that was short lived. I just didn’t feel like I was getting it, but maybe I didn’t give enough of a chance?
I don’t think you’ll have a hard time learning EE. Since you’re already familiar with the basics on how a CMS works, I’m sure you’ll pick it right up. Let me know if you try it out and need any help. I’m always connected to email.
Posted on Wed Mar 12, 2008
I kind of just jumped right into PHP. Taking other people’s code for my own sites and then having to modify it for my needs. After a while I could just write it on my own.
If you have a basic understanding of JavaScript then you should be primed and ready for PHP. The thing that gets most people is the whole curly bracket and semi colon thing.
Posted on Wed Mar 12, 2008
Connor: Strike two! I have no JavaScript experience either. I’m out of luck any way you look at it!
Posted on Wed Mar 12, 2008
I just went straight to php from html and css. I’ve found that I learn well from examples, rather than tutorials. I learned a lot of my php from looking around the invision power board’s code. (a bulliten board system) If your looking for some tutorials, go to www.w3schools.com Until now I had no idea of what EE was. Thanks for sharing.
Posted on Thu Mar 13, 2008
Aaron: Thanks for the tips on php! I appreciate it. Yeah, check out EE definitely, I think you’ll like it.
Are you using any CMS right now?
Posted on Thu Mar 13, 2008
Right now I don’t have a website. I have lots of projects that are in the planning stages, and over time I plan to complete a couple of them. I did however, upload the codeigniter to my little computer server. It seemed a little complicated for my liking ha ha, but I’ll guess I’ll get used to it if I take the time to try.
Posted on Thu Mar 13, 2008
Aaron: Oh really? I’ve never taken a look at CodeIgniter before. I just stayed away from it since I don’t know any PHP. I figured it’d be a waste of my time to even look. Yeah, I’m sure you’ll get used it it. Everything that’s new usually looks confusing. Some things just take time.
Good luck.
Posted on Fri Mar 21, 2008
Nice post.I want to say,thank you.
Posted on Mon Mar 24, 2008
Thank you for this article, because i want to use Expression Engine for my own blog in this summer, perhaps 
Ralph
Posted on Tue Apr 15, 2008
Ralph: It’s really a great piece of software. I used around 10 other Content Management Systems before I used ExpressionEngine and I sure with I would have found EE before wasting my time with the others.
Good luck with your blog!
Posted on Tue Apr 15, 2008
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My name is Deron Sizemore and I am a web designer, web publisher, blogger and serial internet entrepreneur living in Lexington, Kentucky.
An elegant marriage of EE and PHP in EE 2.0 could be the gateway into the next generation of sites and Web apps.
My personal wish is that the Ellis Labs would allow me to upload files to my server containing template code instead of making me paste code into their Web-based code window then pressing “Update” or what have you.
It’ll also be great if EE 2.0 leverages the flexibility of Code Igniter in an elegant way. Not too familiar with Code Igniter, but it has a following so that is a good sign.
Overall, I’m very pumped to see what will be possible because like many of you I’m wanting to dying this out on my next html project.
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2008