Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Our mission, as always, is to dig into the source
stack you've given us and pull out what really matters.
That's right.
And today we're hitting a big one, a real pain point for anyone starting out with
websites. That feeling of, well, database dread.
Oh, yeah, that's definitely a thing.
So we're unpacking sources all about PluckXML. It's a tool that seems to offer way
around all that complexity.
Exactly. We're diving into how this software, PluckXML, tries to make creating a
website much, much simpler,
especially if you're someone, you know, feeling a bit overwhelmed by setting up
traditional systems.
Like WordPress or Joomla, maybe?
Precisely. Our focus today is understanding this idea of a flat CMS.
It's a content management system, but crucially, it manages to be pretty powerful
while staying incredibly light.
Okay, lightweight, simple, sounds good. And before we dive deeper, we really want
to thank SafeServer for supporting this deep dive.
Absolutely.
They specialize in hosting and managing software exactly like PluckXML, really
helping you with your digital transformation.
You can check them out at www.safeserver.de.
So let's get straight into it. The core idea here. Because this is, I think, the
real aha moment for anyone who's ever, you know, wrestled with MySQL connection
strings or phpMyAdmin.
OK, hit me with it. What's the big surprise?
Well, it's right there in the sources. PluckXML's defining feature is no database
required.
No database at all.
None. Zero. Think about what that means. No separate database server running. No
complicated setup steps trying to get users and passwords right.
No needing to learn SQL just to tweak some.
Exactly. You don't need those specialized database skills.
So how does it work then? Where does all the website content go?
That's the core of the flat CMS idea. Instead of a complex SQL database, which you
can sort of picture as this big locked filing cabinet,
PluckXML stores everything in simple XML files.
XML files. Like just text files.
Pretty much. Human readable text files organized in folders right there on your web
server alongside the rest of your site files.
OK. That immediately sounds less scary. If you understand folders and files like
using FTP, maybe you can grasp this easier than database admin stuff.
That's the goal, I think. And it leads to a huge immediate benefit, something that
the sources really emphasize. Portability.
Right. Because if it's all just files and folders.
You just copy the whole directory. You can move your entire website from one place
to another just by copying files.
And the sources had that amazing example. You could literally copy your entire
working website onto a USB stick.
Yep. That's the ultimate portability, isn't it? Imagine what that means for you,
the learner. Setting up a test version on your own computer.
Easy. Moving it to a staging server. Just copy the files. Moving it to the live
server. Copy the files again. Backups become incredibly simple, too.
Wow. Okay. That alone is a pretty big deal. So FlexXML seems designed purely to cut
out complexity, make things fast and light just using these files.
That's the core purpose. Creating lightweight websites easily, whether it's a
simple blog or even built out into a more complete CMS.
Which brings up the obvious question, right? If it's that simple, is it actually,
you know, any good? Can it do what a real CMS does?
That's the natural skepticism. We're so used to thinking that complex features need
complex backends.
Exactly. Can multiple people work on it? Can you organize content properly? Let's
dig into the features based on the sources.
Okay. First up, user management. The sources confirm it's fully collaborative. It
handles multiple users.
How many?
It supports up to five distinct profiles. And crucially, these profiles have
different authorization levels.
Five levels. That's actually quite a lot. So it's not just for a solo blogger, then?
Definitely not. You could easily run it for a small team, maybe friends working on
a project together, a small business needing a simple site, even like a family
sharing update.
It pushes it beyond just basic site generators.
Okay, that's impressive. What about standard CMS stuff? Pages, posts, categories?
All there. You can create your static pages, manage categories and tags for your
posts. It handles archives automatically. And importantly, it has built-in comment
management.
Oh, good. So you don't need to bolt on something like disks just for comments.
Nope. It's integrated.
All right. What about making it look good? Customization. Themes. Plugins.
Yep. Highly customizable. The source has mentioned support for themes and plugins.
And there's this really interesting historical tidbit in the source material about
mobile themes.
Oh.
It specifically lists support for themes for iPhone, BlackBerry and Pocket PC.
BlackBerry and Pocket PC. Wow. That's a throwback.
Isn't it? But think about what that tells you. This isn't some brand new untested
thing. PluxML has been around long enough to see those platforms come and go.
That implies a certain stability, doesn't it? It's survived tech shifts.
Exactly. It speaks volumes about the core being solid. It's been around. It's been
maintained. That's reassuring.
Definitely. What else? Media handling.
Yes. Includes a dedicated media manager for your images and documents. Standard
stuff, but essential.
And for getting your content out there, it provides RSS feeds automatically.
For everything.
Articles, comments, tags, categories. So syndication is built in.
Okay. So simple core, but surprisingly functional. Let's switch gears to the
technical side.
If someone wants to try this, what do they actually need? We need to be clear here,
especially for beginners avoiding complexity.
Right. Let's lay out the prerequisites. You still need a web server, of course.
Like Apache.
Yeah. Apache, Nenjinx, or Lite TPD are the ones mentioned. Pretty standard stuff.
The server needs to be running PHP.
Okay. Which version of PHP? That can sometimes trip people up.
Good question. The sources point towards PHP 7.2 or higher being the recommendation
for best performance and security now.
7.2 or higher. Got it.
There's also a specific note if you want to use the built-in email sending feature,
which uses PHP mailer, you need PHP 7.2.5 or newer.
But basically, stick with a modern, supported PHP version.
Makes sense. Now, libraries. This is where things sometimes get tricky if you're
not a server admin. No database, but we still need to handle images and read those
XML files, right?
Absolutely. Critical point. Two main things mentioned. First, you need the GD
library for PHP.
GD library? What's that for?
Think of it as PHP's toolkit for images. It handles resizing, cropping, creating
thumbnails automatically for the media manager.
Without GD, image handling gets very basic.
So like the website's mini Photoshop.
Okay.
And the second thing.
You absolutely must have the PHP XML library enabled. This is what lets PHP
actually read, write, and understand those XML files where all your content and
settings are stored.
Right. No XML library, PHP can't read the database.
Precisely. GD for images, XML for data. Those are the key PHP extensions you need
active on your server.
Okay. That checklist seems manageable. Now, the installation itself, given the
whole simplicity vibe, this better be easy.
It really is, according to the sources. It sounds almost too easy.
Step one, download the plus L zip file.
Okay.
Step two, unzip into the main folder, the root where you want your website to live.
Done.
Step three, just open your web browser and go to your website's address.
That's it.
PlusXLL takes over. It presents you with an on-screen setup screen.
You basically just fill in a form to create the first administrator user, give your
site a name, and click install.
No database names, no user credentials for MySQL, no table prefixes, just admin
details.
Exactly. It minimizes that initial setup hurdle significantly.
There has to be a catch somewhere. What about updates? That can be tricky, even
with symbol systems.
Ah, yes. And the sources have a very clear, very important instruction here.
This is the golden rule for any flat file system.
Okay, what is it?
Before you update, before you download the new version and copy the new files over
the old ones,
you must, absolutely must, back up the data folder.
The data folder specifically. Why is that one so crucial?
Because in PlusXLL, that data folder is your database.
It contains all the XML files with your posts, your pages, your users, your
settings, everything.
Oh, okay. So the program files are separate, but the data folder is the content.
Exactly. If you overwrite or lose that folder without a backup, your entire site
content is gone.
Yeah.
So backup data, then overwrite the other program files with the new version,
then usually there's a quick update script that runs when you visit the site again.
Protect that data folder.
Got it. Backup data. Loud and clear.
Okay. Let's zoom out a bit. How widespread is this?
Is it just a niche French project or does it have broader appeal?
It's actually quite mature and has significant global reach.
The sources state it's officially translated into 11 languages.
Eleven. That's impressive. Can you list some just to give a sense of the range?
Sure. You've got the usual suspects, French, German, English, Spanish, Italian,
but then also Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and get this, Occitan.
Occitan, a minority language from southern France.
Exactly. Including a language like Occitan suggests a really dedicated community
behind it
that goes beyond just ticking the major language boxes.
It feels like a real passion project.
That's a great sign. And what about the open source side? Is it active?
Yep. It's on GitHub, licensed under GPL 3.0.
The source has mentioned 228 stars and 71 forks,
which, you know, isn't massive like some giant frameworks,
but it shows consistent interest and activity over time.
It's clearly alive and kicking.
And there are resources like a website, forum, themes.
All available. Official website, community forum,
places to find extra themes and plugins.
It has the ecosystem you'd expect from a mature open source project.
OK, so let's synthesize this for the listener, especially the beginner.
What's the core takeaway?
I think it's this. Plus XML offers you a clear, straightforward way
to build a website, a proper functional website,
without getting tangled up in database management.
It removes that big barrier.
Right, you get multi-user support, you can customize it,
it has the features you need, but it stays fast, lightweight,
super easy to move around, and simple to back up because it's all just files.
Focus on the content, not the complex plumbing underneath.
That's the idea. And, you know, it makes you wonder,
this brings up a bigger question really for anyone choosing tools for a project.
Oh, what's that?
Are we sometimes just defaulting to the big, heavy, database-driven systems
because, well, because they're the default?
Do we automatically reach for WordPress or Drupal without stopping to think
if maybe, just maybe, a simpler, faster, flat-file CMS like PlusXML
would actually be better for what we need?
Especially for personal sites, small projects, portfolios.
Exactly. Maybe we're overcomplicating things unnecessarily
when something elegant and simple is right there.
It's definitely food for thought before you start your next install at PHP.
A very provocative thought indeed.
Something for all of you to consider as you plan your next steps online.
And that brings us to the end of this deep dive on PlusXML.
Hopefully, you feel a bit more clued into the world of flat-file CMS now.
And once again, a big thank you to our sponsor, SafeServer,
for helping make these deep dives possible.
They really support exploring tools that simplify digital transformation.
Check them out for hosting and support, especially for software like this,
at www.safeserver.d.
Go explore the sources, maybe give PlexXML a try, and start building.
We'll catch you on the next Deep Dive.