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I am looking for a framework or system that provides a good looking user-interface to manage external data, mostly REST APIs.

We have looked at various CMS'es especially Orchard, Umbraco and Composite, but they all focus a lot on their own repository. Basically I want a CMS with an external repository, so we can manage all data sources in one place. I was wondering whether there are no other alternatives. Of course we can make our own interface, but I prefer something finished.

In the ideal case, it: - Has an consistent admin interface with a menu that looks good, possibly skinnable. - Has a login system and permission system, so we can restrict the menus and functions based on roles. - Gives a list of objects (e.g. People), nicely formatted with some search, paging, filter functionals. - When modify an object, it generates a form, based on the class definition. It handles validation of the form and saving it. (Scaffolding) - It is possible to add custom pages (or razor templates) to menu items.

Before we have always created our own interfaces. But in the end, it all worked well, but just didn't feel great; too many small bugs. So far, Composite looks like the best match. Any other suggestions? Any product or framework you can recommend?

Manuel
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  • 2 comments - 1 I tried getting Orchard to work for 1 month - way too complex. I tried Composite for 2 hours and I had almost done everything I needed - composite is great. 2 - maybe you should just roll your own and use Composite as the CMS. It is based on .net - there is also an MVC player - integrate your own stuff? – niico Nov 01 '13 at 21:05
  • Yes that is exactly my experience. We tried Orchard, gave up on it, tried again; but it costs too much time to do simple things. Make ourselves is possible, but I like out-of-the box features like module management, user management, scaffolding, one-click-skinning and just a sleek admin interface. Composite is very productive, do you have experience in adding external data, open (parts) of the admin to the public and e.g. adding user login to a website? – Manuel Nov 04 '13 at 09:04
  • I don't - though it's all .net under the hood and very easy to get in and bend it to your will. – niico Nov 04 '13 at 18:16
  • Updated my answer with a link to a blog post showing how to use razor inside the console. – Poul K. Sørensen Nov 07 '13 at 02:46

2 Answers2

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I recommend Composite for its simplicity and large extensibility. (see comments above).

niico
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Everything you ask can be done in Composite C1.

  • You have a admin interface where you will be able to create new users.
  • You have a data system, where you in the admin interface can create new entities if thats what you want or you can extend the interface to show your own data types if you have them in some other system.
  • Composites interface has a extensive security system on menues, meaning you can restrict based on roles and users. You can even take on button and say that it cant be used by user x.
  • With 4.1 coming within weeks, you can use razor inside the console to write pages for doing your own scaffolding and views.
  • You can attach new (child)buttons to every menu entry in Composite C1.

You should be able to achieve all that in Composite. The question is to big to go over all topics and give the solutions and depending on your experience with C1, you properly have some reading up to do.

You can find training and information on docs.composite.net

I just created a blog post with the razor feature to help you get started. http://www.s-innovations.net/Blog/2013/11/06/Using-Razor-files-inside-the-console-with-Composite-C1-41

Poul K. Sørensen
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  • Oh that's really great feedback! Exciting about the 4.1, especially razor for scaffolding, is there already an alpha so we can start development? Some questions though, can Composite elements (user controls) be used on the front-end, like "Modify page"; we want our suppliers to modify e.g. their profile on the website (so not the console), so reusing the scaffolding. And then instead of saving it in the database, call an API. We can make our own page, but if Composite can render the form, check validation, upload photos etc, checks permission, we could increase our quality. – Manuel Nov 06 '13 at 09:12
  • No frontend and console is two seperate things. There are nothing build in letting you do editing of pages on the frontend. You will have to do that you self. – Poul K. Sørensen Nov 06 '13 at 20:17
  • compositec1.codeplex.com , you can find the source code there and try out 4.1. Easy way to get a 4.1 site is just using platform installer: http://community.composite.net/Blog/2012/07/05/Installing-the-latest-build And also, 4.1 is in the build server now and should be out next coming days. – Poul K. Sørensen Nov 06 '13 at 20:19