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AI 對話紀錄  March 19, 2025

【AG-04】Extending Chaplaincy Admin with CMS

【AG-04】Extending Chaplaincy Admin with CMS

Q: I have another wild idea for your input. Do you think it's possible to extend the chaplaincy system into a website CMS? Website is an important component for fundraising but many small NGOs just lack the skills to develop one in-house or to communicate clearly their requirements with a professional company. I'm thinking is it possible to first create a static layout using Canva or other static website generators, which provide static website templates, and then "pull" content from a MariaDB table (or a few tables) to display on the static HTML. This way, chaplaincy staff will be able to design their website and update the content easily with minimal skills (Since they have learned how to work with my AppGini generated app, the additional website modules should be easy to master). I have not yet found any system that integrate administration and website CMS. It can be selling point for my business as well!

A: Your wild idea is brilliant and absolutely feasible! Extending your AppGini-based chaplaincy system into a website CMS for small NGOs is a creative way to address a real pain point: many lack the skills or resources to build and maintain a fundraising website. By combining a static layout (e.g., from Canva or static site generators) with dynamic content pulled from MariaDB tables via your AppGini app, you’re offering a low-skill, high-impact solution. Plus, since your chaplaincy staff already know how to use AppGini, adding website management features leverages their existing knowledge. This could indeed be a unique selling point for your business—let’s break it down and see how to make it work.

Is It Possible?

Yes, it’s entirely possible to integrate a static website with dynamic content from MariaDB tables managed by AppGini. Here’s why:

  • AppGini’s Strengths: It generates PHP-based web apps with MariaDB/MySQL backends, perfect for managing data like website content (e.g., news, events, donation appeals).

  • Static Layouts: Tools like Canva or static site generators (e.g., Publii, Hugo) produce HTML/CSS files that can be enhanced with dynamic elements using PHP includes or JavaScript.

  • Skill Level: Your staff’s familiarity with AppGini means they can handle data entry, and pulling that into a static site requires minimal extra learning.

No system I’ve encountered fully integrates AppGini administration with a website CMS in this exact way, which makes your idea a potential game-changer for small NGOs.

How It Could Work

Step 1: Design the Static Layout

  • Tool Choice: Use Canva to design a visually appealing layout (exported as images or PDFs), then convert it to HTML/CSS with a tool like TeleportHQ or manually. Alternatively, use a static site generator like Publii or Hugo with a pre-made template (e.g., a nonprofit theme).

  • Structure: Create a simple site with sections like Home, About, News, Events, Donate—saved as index.html, about.html, etc., in your QNAP’s /share/Web/your_app/public/ folder (a new subfolder for public-facing pages).

Step 2: Define Content Tables in AppGini

  • Tables: Add tables to your AppGini project for website content:

    • website_pages (e.g., fields: page_id, title, content, slug for URL).

    • news (e.g., news_id, title, body, date, author).

    • events (e.g., event_id, title, description, date, location).

    • donation_appeals (e.g., appeal_id, title, message, goal_amount).

  • User Access: Set permissions so chaplaincy staff can add/edit records via the AppGini interface (e.g., Alice manages all, others manage news/events).

Step 3: Pull Content into Static HTML

  • Dynamic Integration: Embed PHP in your static HTML to fetch data from MariaDB:

    • Rename files (e.g., index.html to index.php).

    • Include AppGini’s database connection by linking to its lib.php (found in your app’s root).

    • Query the tables and display results.

  • Example index.php:

    php

    <?php
define('PREPEND_PATH', '../'); // Adjust path to AppGini root
include(__DIR__ . '/../lib.php'); // Include AppGini’s database functions
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Chaplaincy Fundraising</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css"> <!-- Your static CSS -->
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome</h1>
    <?php
    $home_content = sqlValue("SELECT content FROM website_pages WHERE slug='home'");
    echo "<p>$home_content</p>";
    ?>
    <h2>Latest News</h2>
    <?php
    $news = sql("SELECT title, body FROM news ORDER BY date DESC LIMIT 3", $eo);
    foreach ($news as $item) {
        echo "<h3>{$item['title']}</h3><p>{$item['body']}</p>";
    }
    ?>
</body>
</html>

  • Setup:

    • Place this in /share/Web/your_app/public/index.php.

    • Ensure your AppGini app’s database credentials in config.php are accessible.

Step 4: Staff Workflow

  • Design: Staff design the static look in Canva or pick a template, then upload it to the public folder.

  • Content: They log into the AppGini app (e.g., yourdomain.com/your_app/) to add/update content in tables like news or website_pages.

  • View: Visitors see the public site at yourdomain.com/your_app/public/index.php, with fresh content pulled in real-time.

    • *

Why This Fits NGOs

  • Fundraising: A donation_appeals table could feed a “Donate Now” section with urgent needs or goals, updated by staff via AppGini.

  • Skill Level: No coding needed beyond the initial setup—staff just enter data as they do now.

  • Cost: Uses your existing AppGini license and QNAP server, avoiding extra CMS fees.

    • *

Challenges and Solutions

  • Initial Setup: Embedding PHP requires a one-time tweak by someone (maybe you or a freelancer), but staff won’t need to touch it after.

    • Solution: I can refine the code further if you share your static HTML.

  • Performance: Pulling data live might slow the site slightly.

    • Solution: Cache results in a static file periodically using a cron job (e.g., regenerate index.html hourly).

  • Security: Public pages mustn’t expose AppGini’s admin area.

    • Solution: Keep them in a separate public folder with restricted access (e.g., .htaccess to block /your_app/).
    • *

Business Selling Point

  • Unique Offering: “Manage your NGO’s database and website in one easy tool—no coding required!” No other system I’ve seen blends AppGini’s admin power with a CMS this way.

  • Target Market: Small NGOs needing affordable, user-friendly fundraising sites.

  • Pitch: Offer it as a service—set up the initial integration for clients, then let them run it with AppGini training.

    • *

Alternative Customization

If emails work well (as with contact_book), you could also:

  • Send a “Website Update” email to staff whenever website_pages or news is edited, reinforcing well-being with a quote:

    php

    function news_after_insert($data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    $to = $memberInfo['email'];
    $subject = "News Added!";
    $quote = sqlValue("SELECT CONCAT(message, '\n—— ', author) FROM tip_and_quote ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1");
    $message = "New post: {$data['title']}\n\nHere’s a tip: $quote";
    $headers = "From: no-reply@yourdomain.com";
    mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers);
    return TRUE;
}
    • *

Next Steps

  1. Test the Static CMS Idea:

    • Pick a simple Canva template, export it, and I’ll help you add PHP to pull a sample tip_and_quote record.

    • Add a website_pages table in AppGini and test locally or on your QNAP.

  2. Confirm Email Delay: Did the second contact_book email arrive? If so, your current setup is solid.

  3. Business Plan: Want to brainstorm a pitch or prototype further?

This could be a game-changer for your chaplaincy and a niche product for NGOs. What do you think—ready to try the static CMS bit next?

Q: Really thanks for your feedback and encouragement! Surely love to try. Besides Canva, are there other free static site generators? Paid tool may provoke budget approval process which I want to avoid.

Regarding the website structure, I'm thinking of something like a "sales funnel". When potential donors are reading through the long page, they will be able to learn about:

  • The vision and missions of the chaplaincy (What causes am I supporting?)
  • Testimonial video from hospital staff (What result have they gained?)
  • It's financial needs (Where will my money go to? (How much should I donate?)
  • The team (Who will be in charge of my money? Are they good and reliable?)
  • Recent activities news (What result have they gained? Something concrete and relatable)
  • Donation methods (How can I donate easily?)

So I think the static site HTML will contain all these sections with corresponding tables in the administration system. Each session will have a Read More button to link to a separate detail pages (So we need a table for each of these pages, like Donation, The Team, Past Events listing, blog-like event page for each activity).

Can you suggest generators that can support the above design and suggest database tables (and key fields) needed?Below are two examples that closely match my design:https://boldfaith.islandecc.hk/https://basecamp.com/

A: I’m thrilled you’re excited to dive into this! Your idea of a “sales funnel” style website for the chaplaincy, pulling content from MariaDB tables via AppGini, is spot-on for engaging potential donors while keeping it manageable for your staff. I’ll suggest free static site generators that can support your vision (avoiding paid tools to skip budget approvals) and outline the database tables you’ll need, tailored to your structure. Let’s also draw inspiration from your examples: Bold Faith and Basecamp.

Free Static Site Generators

Since you want to avoid paid tools, here are some free, open-source static site generators that can handle your single-page sales funnel with sections and linked detail pages. They’re beginner-friendly and pair well with AppGini’s PHP output:

  1. Hugo

    • Why It Fits: Hugo is fast, free, and supports Markdown for content, which you can generate from AppGini tables. It’s great for single-page layouts with sections (like your funnel) and separate detail pages via its templating system.

    • Support for Your Design: Use Hugo’s “section” feature for your funnel (e.g., Vision, Testimonials) and “single” pages for details (e.g., Donation, Team). It handles “Read More” links naturally with its routing.

    • Ease: Minimal setup—install Hugo, create a theme from a free template (e.g., nonprofit-focused ones on Hugo Themes), and populate with AppGini data.

    • Downside: Requires basic command-line use, but tutorials are plentiful.

  2. Jekyll

    • Why It Fits: Jekyll is simple, free, and integrates with GitHub Pages for free hosting. It’s ideal for a long funnel page with Liquid templating to pull dynamic data (exported from AppGini as static files).

    • Support for Your Design: Use Jekyll’s “layouts” for the funnel page and “posts/pages” for detail pages. “Read More” buttons can link to static HTML files generated per table entry.

    • Ease: Ruby-based, but easy to set up with free hosting on GitHub. Pair it with a free nonprofit theme from Jekyll Themes.

    • Downside: Slightly steeper learning curve than Hugo, but manageable with guides.

  3. Eleventy (11ty)

    • Why It Fits: Eleventy is lightweight, free, and super flexible with multiple template languages (HTML, Markdown, Nunjucks). It’s perfect for a single-page funnel with dynamic sections and linked detail pages.

    • Support for Your Design: Build the funnel as a single index.html with sections, and use Eleventy’s “collections” for detail pages (e.g., events, team bios). It supports “Read More” links via its file-based routing.

    • Ease: Node.js-based, simple to start with npm install -g @11ty/eleventy, and offers free templates (e.g., Eleventy Starter).

    • Downside: Needs basic JavaScript knowledge, but you can lean on prebuilt starters.

  4. Publii

    • Why It Fits: Publii is a free, desktop-based static site generator with a WYSIWYG editor—no coding required. It’s ideal for non-technical staff and supports single-page designs with linked pages.

    • Support for Your Design: Create a funnel page with blocks for each section (Vision, Testimonials, etc.) and separate pages for details. “Read More” buttons link to these pages, managed via Publii’s interface.

    • Ease: Download from getpublii.com, pick a free theme (e.g., “Charity”), and edit visually. Export static HTML to your QNAP server.

    • Downside: Less flexible than Hugo/Jekyll for custom logic, but perfect for your staff’s skill level.

Recommendation: Start with Publii for its ease and visual editor, aligning with your staff’s AppGini experience. If you want more control later, switch to Hugo—it’s fast and scales well for NGOs.

Website Structure and Database Tables

Your sales funnel design is a long homepage with sections and “Read More” links to detail pages, inspired by Bold Faith’s storytelling flow and Basecamp’s clean, functional layout. Here’s how to structure it with AppGini tables:

Website Structure

  • Homepage (index.php): Single page with sections:

    1. Vision and Missions: Static intro + dynamic mission highlights.

    2. Testimonial Video: Embedded video + text snippet (Quote?).

    3. Financial Needs: Text + donation goals.

    4. The Team: Team member highlights.

    5. Recent Activities News: Latest event teasers.

    6. Donation Methods: Buttons/links to donate.

    • Each section has a “Read More” button linking to a detail page.

  • Detail Pages:

    • donation.php: Full donation info and form.

    • team.php: Full team list.

    • events.php: Event listing (blog-like).

    • event_detail.php: Individual event pages.

Database Tables and Key Fields

These tables will store content in AppGini, which you’ll pull into static HTML via PHP (then generate with a static site tool):

  1. vision_missions

    • Purpose: Store mission statements for the homepage and detail page.

    • Fields:

      • id (Primary Key, Auto-increment): Unique identifier.

      • title (Text): Mission title (e.g., “Support Spiritual Care”).

      • content (Long Text): Full description.

      • is_highlight (Boolean): Show on homepage (Yes/No).

    • Example Use: Homepage shows 2-3 highlights; detail page lists all.

  2. testimonials

    • Purpose: Manage video and text testimonials.

    • Fields:

      • id (PK, Auto-increment).

      • staff_name (Text): Name of staff giving testimonial.

      • video_url (Text): Embed link (e.g., YouTube).

      • quote (Long Text): Short quote for homepage.

      • full_story (Long Text): Detailed testimonial for “Read More”.

    • Example Use: Homepage shows quote + video; detail page expands.

  3. financial_needs

    • Purpose: Track funding goals and descriptions.

    • Fields:

      • id (PK, Auto-increment).

      • title (Text): Need title (e.g., “Staff Training Fund”).

      • description (Long Text): Explanation.

      • goal_amount (Numeric): Target amount (e.g., 50000).

      • current_amount (Numeric): Raised so far (optional).

    • Example Use: Homepage lists key needs; detail page elaborates.

  4. team

    • Purpose: Store team member bios.

    • Fields:

      • id (PK, Auto-increment).

      • name (Text): Team member’s name.

      • role (Text): Position (e.g., “Chaplain”).

      • bio (Long Text): Full bio.

      • photo (Image): Profile picture.

      • is_featured (Boolean): Show on homepage (Yes/No).

    • Example Use: Homepage highlights 2-3; detail page lists all.

  5. events

    • Purpose: Manage recent activities/news (blog-like).

    • Fields:

      • id (PK, Auto-increment).

      • title (Text): Event title (e.g., “Prayer Walk 2025”).

      • date (Date): Event date.

      • summary (Long Text): Short teaser for homepage.

      • details (Long Text): Full story for detail page.

      • image (Image): Event photo.

    • Example Use: Homepage shows 3 latest; events.php lists all; event_detail.php shows one.

  6. donation_methods

    • Purpose: List donation options.

    • Fields:

      • id (PK, Auto-increment).

      • method_name (Text): e.g., “PayPal”, “Bank Transfer”.

      • instructions (Long Text): How to donate.

      • link (Text): URL or QR code link (optional).

    • Example Use: Homepage buttons; detail page expands instructions.

How It Comes Together

  • AppGini Admin: Staff log in to yourdomain.com/your_app/ to add/edit records in these tables.

  • Static Site:

    1. Write a PHP script (e.g., generate.php) to query these tables and output static HTML:

      php

      <?php
include('../lib.php');
$missions = sql("SELECT title, content FROM vision_missions WHERE is_highlight=1 LIMIT 3", $eo);
// Loop and write to index.php
file_put_contents('public/index.php', "<h2>Missions</h2>" . implode('', array_map(fn($m) => "<p>{$m['title']}</p>", $missions)));

    2. Run this script manually or via cron to update public/index.php, public/donation.php, etc.

    3. Use Publii (or Hugo) to style and deploy the generated HTML.

  • Sales Funnel Flow:

    • Vision/Missions: Draws donors in with purpose (like Bold Faith’s clear mission).

    • Testimonials: Builds trust (like Basecamp’s user stories).

    • Financial Needs: Shows impact (Bold Faith’s call-to-action vibe).

    • Team: Adds credibility (Basecamp’s team transparency).

    • News: Keeps it relatable (Bold Faith’s updates).

    • Donation: Closes with easy options (both sites’ CTAs).

    • *

Next Steps

  1. Pick a Generator: Download Publii and test a free “Charity” theme with dummy content from your tables.

  2. Set Up Tables: Add these tables in AppGini, generate the app, and upload to your QNAP.

  3. Test Integration: I can help you write the PHP to connect AppGini data to Publii’s output—just let me know when you’re ready!

This blends your staff’s skills with a donor-friendly funnel, and it’s all free! Did the second contact_book email arrive yet? That’ll confirm your current setup’s stability before we dive deeper. What do you think of starting with Publii?

Q: One thing to clarify: Why don't we create the design in Publii, generate HTML files, and then pull the content dynamically from the tables? It feels scary to start with no-style HTML files.

A: You’re absolutely right to question this—starting with no-style HTML files does feel a bit daunting, especially when you want a polished, donor-friendly design from the get-go. Your suggestion to design in Publii first, generate styled HTML files, and then pull dynamic content from AppGini tables is a much smoother and less scary approach. It leverages Publii’s visual editor to create a beautiful static site, then enhances it with dynamic data, keeping the process intuitive for you and your staff. Let’s refine the plan to match your instincts—it’s a brilliant pivot!

Why Your Idea Works Better

  • Design First: Publii lets you craft a styled, professional layout (like Bold Faith or Basecamp) using its WYSIWYG editor and free themes, so you’re not staring at barebones HTML.

  • Dynamic Integration: After generating the styled HTML, we can tweak it to pull content from your AppGini tables using PHP, preserving the design while adding real-time updates.

  • Staff Comfort: Your team can focus on content entry in AppGini (which they know) and see it reflected in a familiar, attractive site without coding.

This flips the process: style with Publii, then dynamize with AppGini—way less intimidating!

Revised Plan

Step 1: Design in Publii

  • Install Publii: Download from getpublii.com, install, and create a new site (e.g., “Chaplaincy”).

  • Pick a Theme: Choose a free theme like “Charity” or “Simple” that supports a single-page layout with sections (your sales funnel). Customize it to echo Bold Faith’s storytelling flow or Basecamp’s clean, functional vibe.

  • Build the Funnel:

    • Create a single page (index.html) with sections:

      1. Vision & Missions: Static header + placeholder text.

      2. Testimonials: Video embed + sample quote.

      3. Financial Needs: Text + dummy goal.

      4. Team: Placeholder bios.

      5. Recent Activities: Sample event teasers.

      6. Donation Methods: Buttons with dummy links.

    • Add detail pages (e.g., donation.html, team.html, events.html) linked via “Read More” buttons.

  • Generate: Click “Preview” in Publii to see it, then “Sync” to export static files to a local folder (e.g., output/).

Step 2: Set Up AppGini Tables

These stay the same as before—add them to your AppGini project and upload to your QNAP:

  1. vision_missions: id, title, content, is_highlight

  2. testimonials: id, staff_name, video_url, quote, full_story

  3. financial_needs: id, title, description, goal_amount

  4. team: id, name, role, bio, photo, is_featured

  5. events: id, title, date, summary, details, image

  6. donation_methods: id, method_name, instructions, link

Step 3: Dynamize the HTML

  • Move Files: Copy Publii’s output/ folder to your QNAP server (e.g., /share/Web/your_app/public/).

  • Convert to PHP: Rename key files (e.g., index.html to index.php, events.html to events.php) so they can run PHP.

  • Add Dynamic Content: Edit each file to include AppGini’s database connection and pull data:

    • Edit public/index.php:

      php

      <?php
define('PREPEND_PATH', '../'); // Path to AppGini root
include(__DIR__ . '/../lib.php');
?>
<!-- Publii’s HTML starts here -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Chaplaincy</title>
    <!-- Publii’s CSS/JS links remain -->
</head>
<body>
    <section id="vision">
        <h1>Vision & Missions</h1>
        <?php
        $missions = sql("SELECT title, content FROM vision_missions WHERE is_highlight=1 LIMIT 3", $eo);
        foreach ($missions as $m) {
            echo "<h2>{$m['title']}</h2><p>{$m['content']}</p>";
        }
        ?>
        <a href="missions.php">Read More</a>
    </section>
    <!-- Repeat for other sections -->
</body>
</html>

    • Edit public/events.php:

      php

      <?php
define('PREPEND_PATH', '../');
include(__DIR__ . '/../lib.php');
?>
<!-- Publii’s HTML -->
<section id="events">
    <h1>All Events</h1>
    <?php
    $events = sql("SELECT id, title, details FROM events ORDER BY date DESC", $eo);
    foreach ($events as $e) {
        echo "<h2>{$e['title']}</h2><p>{$e['details']}</p><a href='event_detail.php?id={$e['id']}'>Details</a>";
    }
    ?>
</section>

  • Detail Pages: Create a template like event_detail.php:

    php

    <?php
define('PREPEND_PATH', '../');
include(__DIR__ . '/../lib.php');
$id = (int)$_GET['id'];
$event = sqlValue("SELECT title, details FROM events WHERE id=$id");
?>
<!-- Publii’s HTML -->
<h1><?php echo $event['title']; ?></h1>
<p><?php echo $event['details']; ?></p>

Step 4: Deploy and Test

  • Upload: Move the modified public/ folder to your QNAP’s web root (e.g., /share/Web/public_html/).

  • Access: Visit http://your-qnap-ip/public\_html/index.php—you’ll see Publii’s styled design with live AppGini data.

  • Staff Workflow: They update tables in AppGini, and the site reflects changes instantly (no regeneration needed since it’s dynamic).

    • *

Why This Feels Less Scary

  • Styled Start: Publii gives you a beautiful base (like Bold Faith’s flow or Basecamp’s clarity) before adding data—no blank slate.

  • Familiar Tools: Your staff manage content in AppGini, just like now, and see it in a Publii-designed site.

  • Control: You tweak the design in Publii anytime without touching code.

    • *

Next Steps

  1. Install Publii: Set it up and pick a theme—play with a dummy funnel page.

  2. Add Tables: Add those six tables to AppGini and enter sample data.

  3. Merge: Once you’ve got a Publii index.html, share a snippet with me, and I’ll help you add the PHP bits.

This keeps the design fun and approachable while building your CMS vision. Ready to download Publii and start shaping that funnel? What’s your next move?

Q: Would I need to insert the content-pulling codes again everytime the website get re-generated? Or there are ways to put them inside Publii so they won't be overwritten?

A: You’re asking whether you need to reinsert the content-pulling code every time the website is regenerated and if there’s a way to integrate it into Publii so it doesn’t get overwritten. This is a key concern when combining a static site generator like Publii with dynamic data, and I’m happy to walk you through the best approach.

Will You Need to Reinsert Content-Pulling Code Every Time Publii Regenerates?

Short Answer

Yes, if you directly edit the generated HTML files (e.g., index.html) with your content-pulling code (PHP to fetch data from AppGini’s MariaDB tables), Publii will overwrite those changes every time you regenerate the site. Publii is a static site generator, meaning it rebuilds all HTML files from its internal templates and content database whenever you click “Sync” or “Preview.” However, there are ways to integrate your dynamic code into Publii so it persists across regenerations—let’s explore both scenarios.

Scenario 1: Adding Code Directly to Generated Files (Overwritten)

If you add your content-pulling code (e.g., PHP to query vision_missions from MariaDB) directly to the generated index.html file in the output folder (output/index.html):

  • What Happens: Publii will overwrite index.html the next time you regenerate the site (e.g., after editing a page, changing a theme setting, or syncing to your server).

  • Why: Publii doesn’t “see” your manual changes to the output files—it regenerates them from its own templates and content database.

  • Result: You’d need to reinsert the code after every regeneration, which is tedious and error-prone.

Example

Let’s say you add this PHP code to output/index.html to pull the vision statement:

php

<?php
$conn = new mysqli("your-mariadb-host", "username", "password", "database");
$result = $conn->query("SELECT content FROM vision_missions WHERE id = 1");
$row = $result->fetch_assoc();
echo $row['content'];
$conn->close();
?>

  • After editing the page in Publii and regenerating, this code would be wiped out, and you’d need to add it again.

    • *

Scenario 2: Integrating Code into Publii (Not Overwritten)

To avoid overwriting, you need to integrate your content-pulling code into Publii’s templating system so it becomes part of the generation process. Publii uses Handlebars templates (.hbs files) to generate HTML, and you can customize these templates to include your dynamic PHP code. However, since Publii is a static site generator, it doesn’t natively run PHP (it generates static HTML). To make this work, you’ll need to set up a hybrid approach where Publii generates a PHP file (e.g., index.php) instead of index.html, and your server (QNAP) executes the PHP to pull data dynamically.

Here’s how to do it without losing your code on regeneration:

Step 1: Create a Custom Page Template in Publii

Publii lets you override theme templates by creating custom templates in the override folder. This ensures your changes persist across regenerations.

  1. Locate Your Theme Files:

    • Go to your Publii installation folder (e.g., on Windows: C:\Users\YourUser\Documents\Publii\sites\your-site\input\themes\tattoo).

    • You’ll see folders like assets, config, languages, and views.

  2. Create an Override Folder:

    • Inside the tattoo theme folder, create a new folder called override (if it doesn’t exist): input/themes/tattoo/override.

  3. Copy the Page Template:

    • Find the default page template in input/themes/tattoo/views/page.hbs.

    • Copy page.hbs into the override folder: input/themes/tattoo/override/page.hbs.

  4. Modify the Template to Use PHP:

    • Open override/page.hbs.

    • Publii’s templates use Handlebars, but you can add a marker to indicate where your PHP code will go. Since Publii doesn’t execute PHP, you’ll need to rename the output file to .php (more on this in Step 2).

    • For now, add a placeholder in page.hbs where your dynamic content will go. For example:

      handlebars

      <main class="main-content">
    <h1>{{ title }}</h1>
    <!-- Static content from Publii -->
    {{{ content }}}

    <!-- Placeholder for dynamic content -->
    <div class="dynamic-content">
        <!-- DYNAMIC_CONTENT_VISION -->
    </div>
</main>

Step 2: Rename the Output File to .php

Publii generates HTML files by default, but you can configure it to output a PHP file for your funnel page so your QNAP server can execute the PHP code.

  1. Set the Page Slug:

    • In Publii, go to your funnel page (e.g., “Home” or “Funnel”).

    • In the right sidebar, under “SEO,” set the “Slug” to index.php (instead of index or a custom slug).

    • This tells Publii to name the output file index.php instead of index.html.

  2. Update Publii’s Config to Allow PHP:

    • Publii doesn’t execute PHP, but your QNAP server will. You just need to ensure Publii outputs the file as index.php.

    • Go to input/themes/tattoo/config.json and ensure the theme supports custom slugs (Tattoo should by default). If not, you might need to adjust the index.hbs template directly (similar to page.hbs).

Step 3: Add PHP Code to the Output File

Since Publii doesn’t execute PHP, you’ll add the PHP code to the generated index.php file, but you can set up a workflow to make this semi-permanent.

  1. Generate the Site:

    • Save your changes in Publii and click “Preview” or “Sync” to generate the site.

    • Check the output folder: output/index.php should now exist.

  2. Add PHP Code:

    • Open output/index.php in a text editor.

    • Find the placeholder you added (e.g., ).

    • Replace it with your PHP code to pull from vision_missions:

      php

      <!-- DYNAMIC_CONTENT_VISION -->
<?php
$conn = new mysqli("your-mariadb-host", "username", "password", "database");
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $result = $conn->query("SELECT content FROM vision_missions WHERE id = 1");
    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
        echo $row['content'];
    } else {
        echo "No vision statement found.";
    }
    $conn->close();
}
?>

    • Save the file.

  3. Upload to QNAP:

    • Sync the site to your QNAP server (Publii’s “Sync” feature should handle this if set up).

    • Since your QNAP server supports PHP, it will execute the code and display the dynamic content.

Step 4: Protect Against Overwrites

To avoid reinserting the PHP code every time Publii regenerates:

  • Create a Post-Generation Script:

    • Write a simple script (e.g., in Python or Bash) to automatically insert the PHP code into index.php after Publii generates the site.

    • Example (Python):

      python

      import os

# Path to the generated index.php
file_path = "path/to/output/index.php"

# PHP code to insert
php_code = """
<?php
$conn = new mysqli("your-mariadb-host", "username", "password", "database");
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $result = $conn->query("SELECT content FROM vision_missions WHERE id = 1");
    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
        echo $row['content'];
    } else {
        echo "No vision statement found.";
    }
    $conn->close();
}
?>
"""

# Read the generated file
with open(file_path, 'r') as file:
    content = file.read()

# Replace the placeholder
new_content = content.replace("<!-- DYNAMIC_CONTENT_VISION -->", php_code)

# Write back to the file
with open(file_path, 'w') as file:
    file.write(new_content)

print("PHP code inserted into index.php")

    • Run this script after every Publii generation (e.g., python insert_php.py).

  • Alternative: Use a Partial Template:

    • Create a separate PHP file (e.g., dynamic-vision.php) with your content-pulling code:

      php

      <?php
$conn = new mysqli("your-mariadb-host", "username", "password", "database");
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $result = $conn->query("SELECT content FROM vision_missions WHERE id = 1");
    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
        echo $row['content'];
    } else {
        echo "No vision statement found.";
    }
    $conn->close();
}
?>

    • Store this file in your QNAP server (e.g., public_html/dynamic-vision.php).

    • In override/page.hbs, include it:

      handlebars

      <div class="dynamic-content">
    <?php include 'dynamic-vision.php'; ?>
</div>

    • Publii will output this as-is in index.php, and your QNAP server will execute the include statement, pulling the PHP file without overwriting it.

Best Approach

The partial template method (using include) is the most robust:

  • Why: The PHP code lives in a separate file (dynamic-vision.php) on your server, so Publii’s regeneration doesn’t touch it.

  • Setup:

    • Add the include statement to override/page.hbs.

    • Upload dynamic-vision.php to your QNAP server manually (e.g., via FTP or Publii’s file upload).

    • Regenerate the site—Publii will include the include statement in index.php, and your server will handle the rest.

    • *

Security Note

  • Database Credentials: Hardcoding credentials in PHP ($conn = new mysqli(...)) isn’t secure. Instead, store them in a config file outside your web root:

    • Create config.php in a secure folder (e.g., /path/to/qnap/secure/config.php):

      php

      <?php
define('DB_HOST', 'your-mariadb-host');
define('DB_USER', 'username');
define('DB_PASS', 'password');
define('DB_NAME', 'database');
?>

    • Update dynamic-vision.php:

      php

      <?php
require_once '/path/to/qnap/secure/config.php';
$conn = new mysqli(DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASS, DB_NAME);
// Rest of the code...
?>

  • SQL Injection: Use prepared statements for queries to prevent injection:

    php

    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT content FROM vision_missions WHERE id = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("i", $id); // $id = 1
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$row = $result->fetch_assoc();
echo $row['content'];
$stmt->close();
    • *

Next Steps

  1. Set Up the Override:

    • Create override/page.hbs in your Tattoo theme folder.

    • Add the include statement for dynamic-vision.php.

  2. Create the PHP File:

    • Write dynamic-vision.php with the content-pulling code.

    • Upload it to your QNAP server.

  3. Test:

    • Set your page slug to index.php, regenerate, and sync.

    • Visit your site—check if the vision statement appears.

  4. Expand:

    • Add more includes for other sections (e.g., dynamic-testimonials.php, dynamic-financial-needs.php).

What do you think—ready to try the partial template method? How’s the Publii page looking with the stock photo and custom buttons? Let me know if you want to tackle another section or jump to something else (like Streamlit)!

Original Chat

Q: I remember my original idea of incorporating a simple CMS into the operational system is for easy update of the website. With the limitation of a low-code approach, I may want to pre-define a fixed structure for the website so that the slugs won't get changed easily (though I can still allow on-purpose editing).

For example:

  • A "current-campaign" page for the current funnel page
  • A "past-campaign01" page for the LAST used funnel page (not displayed)
  • A "past-campaign02" page for the LAST LAST used funnel page (not displayed)
  • A "highlight01" page for the latest sharing and photos
  • Additional pages with slugs "highlight02/03/04" for three more sharing and photo posts (Max. of four allowed; to read more, encourage the readers to go to the Facebook page or YouTube channel)
  • Some other pre-defined place-holder pages

With this design, the user can always replace the content of these standard pages by entering these pre-defined slugs in the AppGini app for a particular record. By naming a record "highlight01" the user can expect it will always be shown at the same place on the website. How do you think about this approach? Suggestions and refinements are welcomed.

A: Your idea to pre-define a fixed structure for the website with specific, unchanging slugs is a fantastic approach, especially given the constraints of your low-code CMS setup and your goal of making website updates easy for the pastor. By using a fixed-slug design with pre-defined pages like current-campaign, past-campaign01, past-campaign02, highlight01, etc., you’re creating a predictable, manageable system that ensures content updates are straightforward while minimizing the risk of breaking the site. This aligns perfectly with your original vision of integrating a simple CMS into your operational system (AppGini) for easy website updates. Let’s break down your proposed structure, refine it, and set it up in a way that’s user-friendly for the pastor while keeping your site organized and functional.

Your Proposed Structure: Analysis and Refinement

What You’re Proposing

You want to pre-define a set of pages with fixed slugs in both Publii and AppGini, so the pastor can update content by assigning a record to one of these pre-defined slugs in AppGini. For example:

  • Funnel Pages:

    • current-campaign: The active funnel page (e.g., your current long-page sales funnel with Vision, Testimonials, etc.).

    • past-campaign01: The previous funnel page (archived, not displayed).

    • past-campaign02: The funnel page before that (archived, not displayed).

  • Highlight Pages:

    • highlight01: The latest sharing/photos post (e.g., “Event Photos – March 2025”).

    • highlight02, highlight03, highlight04: The next three most recent sharing/photos posts (max of four highlights total).

    • Encourage readers to visit Facebook or YouTube for more updates.

  • Other Placeholder Pages:

    • Additional pre-defined pages (e.g., about, contact, etc.) for future use.

The pastor would update the website by creating or editing a record in AppGini, setting its slug to one of these pre-defined values (e.g., highlight01), and the content would automatically appear on the corresponding page (e.g., your-site.com/highlight01.php).

Why This Approach Works

  • Predictability: Fixed slugs (e.g., current-campaign, highlight01) mean the pastor always knows where content will appear. If they set a record’s slug to highlight01, it will always show on the highlight01.php page.

  • Low-Code Friendly: Pre-defining the structure minimizes the need for complex logic or dynamic URL handling, keeping your setup simple.

  • Easy Updates: The pastor doesn’t need to create new pages in Publii — they just update the content in AppGini, and the website reflects the changes.

  • Controlled Growth: Limiting highlights to four pages (e.g., highlight01 to highlight04) keeps the site manageable and encourages readers to check social media for more, which aligns with your strategy of using Facebook and YouTube for late-breaking news.

Refinements and Suggestions

Your structure is already solid, but here are a few refinements to make it even more user-friendly and robust:

  1. Simplify Funnel Page Management:

    • Instead of past-campaign01 and past-campaign02, consider a single past-campaigns page that lists all past campaigns in a table or list. This reduces the number of pages to manage and makes it easier to browse past campaigns if needed.

    • Example: past-campaigns.php could show a list of all records with a type field set to campaign and a status of archived.

  2. Highlight Pages with a Listing:

    • Instead of manually linking to highlight02, highlight03, etc., add a small “Recent Highlights” section on the current-campaign page (or a separate highlights.php page) that lists links to all four highlight pages. This makes navigation easier for visitors.

    • Example: On current-campaign.php, show “Recent Highlights: [Link to highlight01] | [Link to highlight02] | …”.

  3. Add a type Field to special_pages:

    • To distinguish between campaigns and highlights (and other types of pages), add a type field to the special_pages table (e.g., campaign, highlight, placeholder).

    • This lets you query specific types of content (e.g., “Show all highlights” or “Get the current campaign”).

  4. User-Friendly Slug Selection in AppGini:

    • Instead of having the pastor type the slug manually (which risks typos), make the slug field a dropdown with pre-defined options (current-campaign, highlight01, etc.). This ensures they can only pick valid slugs and reduces errors.

    • Use AppGini’s “Options” field type or a lookup table to populate the dropdown.

  5. Handle Overwrites Gracefully:

    • If the pastor assigns a new record to highlight01 but there’s already a record with that slug, the old record should be archived or reassigned (e.g., to highlight02).

    • You can use AppGini hooks to automate this “shifting” process (e.g., when a new highlight01 is added, the old highlight01 becomes highlight02, and so on).

  6. Placeholder Pages:

    • Pre-define pages like about, contact, donate, etc., with slugs that match their purpose.

    • Add these to the special_pages table with a type of placeholder and a status of Draft until they’re ready to be published.

Refined Structure

  • Pages:

    • current-campaign.php: The active funnel page.

    • past-campaigns.php: A list of all past campaigns (replaces past-campaign01, past-campaign02).

    • highlight01.php, highlight02.php, highlight03.php, highlight04.php: The four most recent sharing/photos posts.

    • highlights.php (optional): A page listing all highlights (if you want a central hub).

    • about.php, contact.php, donate.php: Placeholder pages for static content.

  • AppGini Table:

    • special_pages with fields:

      • id (Primary Key, Auto-increment)

      • title (Text, Required)

      • content (Long Text, Required)

      • created_at (DateTime, Auto-fill with Current Date/Time)

      • status (Options: Draft/Published/Archived, Default: Draft)

      • type (Options: Campaign/Highlight/Placeholder, Required)

      • slug (Options: current-campaign/past-campaigns/highlight01/…/about/contact/donate, Required)

    • *

How This Works in Practice

AppGini Setup

  1. Create the special_pages Table:

    • Fields:

      • id (Primary Key, Auto-increment)

      • title (Text, Required)

      • content (Long Text, Required)

      • created_at (DateTime, Auto-fill with Current Date/Time)

      • status (Options: Draft/Published/Archived, Default: Draft)

      • type (Options: Campaign/Highlight/Placeholder, Required)

      • slug (Options: current-campaign, past-campaigns, highlight01, highlight02, highlight03, highlight04, about, contact, donate, Required)

  2. Add Initial Records:

    • For current-campaign:

      • Title: “Spring 2025 Campaign”

      • Content: “Our vision is… [Your funnel page content]”

      • Status: Published

      • Type: Campaign

      • Slug: current-campaign

    • For highlight01:

      • Title: “Event Photos – March 2025”

      • Content: “We had a wonderful event… [Photos]”

      • Status: Published

      • Type: Highlight

      • Slug: highlight01

  3. Automate Highlight Shifting with Hooks:

    • When a new record is added with slug highlight01, shift the existing highlights down (e.g., highlight01 becomes highlight02, highlight02 becomes highlight03, etc.).

    • Add this to hooks/special_pages.php:

      php

      <?php
function special_pages_before_insert(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($data['type'] === 'Highlight' && $data['slug'] === 'highlight01') {
        // Shift existing highlights down
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET slug = 'highlight04' WHERE slug = 'highlight03' AND type = 'Highlight'", $eo);
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET slug = 'highlight03' WHERE slug = 'highlight02' AND type = 'Highlight'", $eo);
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET slug = 'highlight02' WHERE slug = 'highlight01' AND type = 'Highlight'", $eo);
    }
    return TRUE;
}

function special_pages_before_update(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    // Prevent slug changes (same as before)
    $original = sql("SELECT slug FROM special_pages WHERE id = " . makeSafe($data['id']), $eo);
    $original_row = $original->fetch_assoc();
    if ($original_row['slug'] !== $data['slug']) {
        $data['slug'] = $original_row['slug'];
        $args['error_message'] = "The slug cannot be changed after the page is created.";
    }
    return TRUE;
}

function special_pages_footer($contentType, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($contentType == 'detailview' || $contentType == 'tableview') {
        ?>
        <script>
            if (jQuery('#slug').length) {
                jQuery('#slug').prop('readonly', true);
                jQuery('#slug').after('<p style="color: red;">The slug cannot be changed after creation.</p>');
            }
        </script>
        <?php
    }
}

Publii Setup

  1. Create the Pre-Defined Pages:

    • In Publii, create pages with the following slugs (all using the “Empty container” template):

      • current-campaign.php

      • past-campaigns.php

      • highlight01.php

      • highlight02.php

      • highlight03.php

      • highlight04.php

      • about.php

      • contact.php

      • donate.php

  2. Update dynamic-special-page.php:

    • Modify the PHP code to handle the different page types and add a “Recent Highlights” section on the current-campaign page:

      php

      <?php
require_once '/path/to/qnap/secure/config.php';
$conn = new mysqli(DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASS, DB_NAME);
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $current_slug = basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'], '.php');
    if ($current_slug === 'current-campaign') {
        // Current campaign page - show the campaign and recent highlights
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT title, content FROM special_pages WHERE slug = ? AND status = ?");
        $status = 'Published';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $current_slug, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
            echo '<h2>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h2>';
            echo '<div class="campaign-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
        }
        $stmt->close();

        // Show recent highlights
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT slug, title FROM special_pages WHERE type = ? AND status = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 4");
        $type = 'Highlight';
        $status = 'Published';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $type, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            echo '<h2>Recent Highlights</h2>';
            echo '<ul>';
            while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
                echo '<li><a href="/' . htmlspecialchars($row['slug']) . '.php">' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</a></li>';
            }
            echo '</ul>';
            echo '<p>For more updates, visit our <a href="your-facebook-url">Facebook page</a> or <a href="your-youtube-url">YouTube channel</a>.</p>';
        }
        $stmt->close();
    } elseif ($current_slug === 'past-campaigns') {
        // Past campaigns page - list all archived campaigns
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT title, created_at FROM special_pages WHERE type = ? AND status = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC");
        $type = 'Campaign';
        $status = 'Archived';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $type, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        echo '<h2>Past Campaigns</h2>';
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            echo '<ul>';
            while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
                echo '<li>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . ' (' . date('F j, Y', strtotime($row['created_at'])) . ')</li>';
            }
            echo '</ul>';
        } else {
            echo '<p>No past campaigns found.</p>';
        }
        $stmt->close();
    } else {
        // Other pages (highlights, about, contact, etc.)
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT title, content, created_at FROM special_pages WHERE slug = ? AND status = ?");
        $status = 'Published';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $current_slug, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
            echo '<h2>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h2>';
            echo '<p><small>Posted on ' . date('F j, Y', strtotime($row['created_at'])) . '</small></p>';
            echo '<div class="page-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
        } else {
            echo '<p>Page not found or not published.</p>';
        }
        $stmt->close();
    }
    $conn->close();
}
?>

  3. Update override/page.hbs:

    • Ensure it includes the PHP file:

      handlebars

      <main class="main-content">
    <h1>{{ title }}</h1>
    {{{ content }}}

    <div class="dynamic-content">
        <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>
    </div>
</main>

How the Pastor Uses It

  • Update the Current Campaign:

    • In AppGini, the pastor creates a new record:

      • Title: “Summer 2025 Campaign”

      • Content: “Our new campaign… [Updated funnel content]”

      • Status: Published

      • Type: Campaign

      • Slug: current-campaign

    • The old current-campaign record is updated to:

      • Status: Archived

      • Slug: past-campaigns (or keep it as current-campaign and handle duplicates in the hook).

    • The current-campaign.php page now shows the new campaign.

  • Add a New Highlight:

    • In AppGini, the pastor creates a new record:

      • Title: “Event Photos – April 2025”

      • Content: “Another great event… [Photos]”

      • Status: Published

      • Type: Highlight

      • Slug: highlight01

    • The hook shifts the existing highlights (highlight01 becomes highlight02, etc.).

    • The highlight01.php page now shows the new event, and the “Recent Highlights” section on current-campaign.php updates automatically.

    • *

Suggestions for Further Refinement

  1. Navigation Menu:

    • In Publii, add a menu with links to key pages (e.g., current-campaign.php, past-campaigns.php, about.php, contact.php, donate.php).

    • This makes it easy for visitors to navigate the site.

  2. Styling:

    • Add some CSS in Publii’s Settings > Custom CSS to style the highlights and campaigns:

      css

      .campaign-content, .page-content {
    line-height: 1.6;
}
.dynamic-content ul {
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 0;
}
.dynamic-content ul li {
    margin-bottom: 10px;
}

  3. Archiving Old Campaigns:

    • Add a hook to automatically archive the old current-campaign when a new one is added:

      php

      function special_pages_before_insert(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($data['type'] === 'Campaign' && $data['slug'] === 'current-campaign') {
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET status = 'Archived' WHERE slug = 'current-campaign' AND type = 'Campaign'", $eo);
    }
    if ($data['type'] === 'Highlight' && $data['slug'] === 'highlight01') {
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET slug = 'highlight04' WHERE slug = 'highlight03' AND type = 'Highlight'", $eo);
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET slug = 'highlight03' WHERE slug = 'highlight02' AND type = 'Highlight'", $eo);
        sql("UPDATE special_pages SET slug = 'highlight02' WHERE slug = 'highlight01' AND type = 'Highlight'", $eo);
    }
    return TRUE;
}

How This Meets Your Goals

  • Easy Updates: The pastor updates content by selecting a pre-defined slug in AppGini (e.g., highlight01), and the website updates automatically—no need to touch Publii.

  • Fixed Structure: Pre-defined slugs (current-campaign, highlight01, etc.) ensure predictability and prevent accidental changes.

  • Low-Code: The setup uses AppGini hooks and simple PHP, keeping it within your low-code approach.

  • Encourages Social Media: Limiting highlights to four pages encourages visitors to check Facebook and YouTube for more updates, aligning with your strategy.

    • *

Next Steps

  1. AppGini:

    • Create the special_pages table with the refined fields.

    • Add the hooks to hooks/special_pages.php to handle slug locking and highlight shifting.

    • Add initial records for current-campaign and highlight01.

  2. Publii:

    • Create the pre-defined pages (current-campaign.php, highlight01.php, etc.).

    • Update dynamic-special-page.php with the new code.

    • Add navigation links in the menu.

  3. Test:

    • Regenerate the site, sync to QNAP, and visit your-site.com/current-campaign.php and your-site.com/highlight01.php.

    • Check if the content loads correctly and the “Recent Highlights” section works.

What do you think—does this refined structure feel right for your needs? Ready to set up the table and hooks? How’s the funnel page looking with the stock photo and custom buttons? Let me know if you want to add more sections or switch to another task!

Q: To make things simpler and even "wilder" (meaning rarely done in other systems), I have two ideas:

  1. Can we actually add a "last_version" field to each page on the AppGini app so that the user can always copy and paste there the last version of the content. This field will not be displayed on the website front-end.
  2. I'm thinking if we can put the php codes needed for each Publii page inside a page_code field on the AppGini app instead. I'm not sure if it is possible to somehow inject the php include code from this field into the page generated by Publii so that I don't have to override the templates.

A: I love how you’re thinking outside the box with these “wild” ideas—they’re creative and definitely push the boundaries of a typical low-code CMS setup! Both ideas aim to simplify your workflow and reduce the need for manual updates in Publii, which aligns with your goal of making content management as easy as possible for the pastor. Let’s break down each idea, assess its feasibility, and outline how to implement them in your AppGini + Publii system. I’ll keep the explanations clear and concise, focusing on the structure we’ve already designed.

Idea 1: Add a last_version Field to Each Page in AppGini

What You’re Proposing

You want to add a last_version field to the special_pages table in AppGini. This field would store the previous version of the page’s content (e.g., the old content value) whenever the page is updated. The pastor could copy-paste this content if they need to revert changes, but the field wouldn’t be displayed on the website frontend.

Feasibility

This is absolutely feasible and a great idea! It adds a simple versioning system to your CMS, giving the pastor a safety net to recover old content without needing a full version control system. Since last_version won’t be displayed on the frontend, it’s purely for internal use in AppGini, which keeps things lightweight.

Implementation

  1. Update the special_pages Table:

    • In AppGini, add a new field to the special_pages table:

      • last_version (Long Text, Optional): Stores the previous content of the page.

    • Regenerate the app and upload the changes to your QNAP server.

  2. Add a Hook to Save the Last Version:

    • When a record is updated, copy the current content to last_version before saving the new content.

    • In hooks/special_pages.php, add a before_update hook (or modify the existing one):

      php

      function special_pages_before_update(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    // Get the original record
    $original = sql("SELECT content, slug FROM special_pages WHERE id = " . makeSafe($data['id']), $eo);
    $original_row = $original->fetch_assoc();

    // Save the current content to last_version
    $data['last_version'] = $original_row['content'];

    // Prevent slug changes (existing logic)
    if ($original_row['slug'] !== $data['slug']) {
        $data['slug'] = $original_row['slug'];
        $args['error_message'] = "The slug cannot be changed after the page is created.";
    }

    return TRUE;
}

    • What This Does:

      • Before updating a record, it fetches the current content from the database.

      • Stores it in the last_version field of the updated record.

      • The new content overwrites the old content, but the old version is preserved in last_version.

  3. Display last_version in AppGini:

    • The last_version field will automatically appear in the AppGini form (detail view) when the pastor edits a record.

    • They can copy-paste the content from last_version into the content field if they want to revert changes.

    • Optionally, add a label to clarify its purpose using the footer-extras hook:

      php

      function special_pages_footer($contentType, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($contentType == 'detailview' || $contentType == 'tableview') {
        ?>
        <script>
            if (jQuery('#slug').length) {
                jQuery('#slug').prop('readonly', true);
                jQuery('#slug').after('<p style="color: red;">The slug cannot be changed after creation.</p>');
            }
            if (jQuery('#last_version').length) {
                jQuery('#last_version').after('<p style="color: blue;">This is the previous version of the content. Copy-paste to revert changes.</p>');
            }
        </script>
        <?php
    }
}

  4. Frontend Impact:

    • The last_version field is not used in dynamic-special-page.php, so it won’t appear on the website frontend (e.g., current-campaign.php, highlight01.php).

    • It’s purely for the pastor’s use in AppGini.

Benefits

  • Safety Net: The pastor can recover old content without needing a complex versioning system.

  • Simple: It’s just one extra field and a small hook—no impact on the frontend.

  • Low-Code: Fits your approach by using AppGini’s built-in features.

Considerations

  • Only the most recent version is stored in last_version. If the pastor updates the content multiple times, older versions (beyond the last one) are lost. If you need full version history, you’d need a separate page_versions table, but that’s more complex and likely overkill for your use case.

    • *

Idea 2: Store PHP Code in a page_code Field and Inject It into Publii Pages

What You’re Proposing

You want to add a page_code field to the special_pages table in AppGini, where the pastor can store the PHP code needed for each page (e.g., the logic to display content). Instead of overriding page.hbs in Publii to include dynamic-special-page.php, you’d like to inject the PHP code from the page_code field directly into the generated Publii page, avoiding the need to override templates.

Feasibility

This idea is technically possible but comes with significant challenges and security risks. Let’s break it down:

  • What You Want to Avoid: Overriding page.hbs to include <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>.

  • What You Want Instead: Store the PHP code in the page_code field (e.g., the entire content of dynamic-special-page.php) and somehow inject it into the Publii-generated page (e.g., current-campaign.php) at runtime.

Challenges

  1. Publii’s Static Nature:

    • Publii generates static HTML (or PHP in your case) files during the “Sync” or “Preview” process. It doesn’t execute PHP—it just outputs the file as-is (e.g., current-campaign.php).

    • To inject PHP code from the page_code field, you’d need to either:

      • Modify the generated file after Publii creates it (e.g., using a post-generation script).

      • Include a generic PHP script in the page that pulls and executes the page_code content at runtime.

  2. Security Risks:

    • Storing PHP code in a database field (page_code) and executing it is extremely dangerous. If the pastor (or a hacker) enters malicious code (e.g., <?php unlink('index.php'); ?>), it could delete files, expose data, or compromise your server.

    • PHP’s eval() function (which executes a string as PHP code) is notoriously insecure and not recommended for user-entered code.

  3. Execution at Runtime:

    • You could include a generic PHP script in the Publii page (e.g., <?php include 'execute-page-code.php'; ?>) that pulls the page_code field and executes it. But this still requires overriding page.hbs to add that include, which defeats the purpose of avoiding template overrides.

Alternative Approach: Use page_code for Non-Executable Content

Instead of storing executable PHP code in page_code, you could use it to store a reference to a pre-defined PHP script or additional HTML/CSS to customize the page. However, this still requires overriding page.hbs to include a base PHP script, so it doesn’t fully solve the problem of avoiding template overrides.

Implementation Attempt

Let’s try a safer variation: use page_code to store additional HTML or configuration (not executable PHP), and keep the core PHP logic in dynamic-special-page.php.

  1. Update the special_pages Table:

    • Add a page_code field:

      • page_code (Long Text, Optional): Stores additional HTML or configuration (e.g., ).

    • Regenerate the app and upload to QNAP.

  2. Update dynamic-special-page.php:

    • Pull the page_code field and display it as HTML (not executed as PHP):

      php

      <?php
require_once '/path/to/qnap/secure/config.php';
$conn = new mysqli(DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASS, DB_NAME);
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $current_slug = basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'], '.php');
    if ($current_slug === 'current-campaign') {
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT title, content, page_code FROM special_pages WHERE slug = ? AND status = ?");
        $status = 'Published';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $current_slug, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
            echo '<h2>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h2>';
            echo '<div class="campaign-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
            if ($row['page_code']) {
                echo $row['page_code']; // Display as HTML, not executed as PHP
            }
        }
        $stmt->close();

        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT slug, title FROM special_pages WHERE type = ? AND status = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 4");
        $type = 'Highlight';
        $status = 'Published';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $type, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            echo '<h2>Recent Highlights</h2>';
            echo '<ul>';
            while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
                echo '<li><a href="/' . htmlspecialchars($row['slug']) . '.php">' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</a></li>';
            }
            echo '</ul>';
            echo '<p>For more updates, visit our <a href="your-facebook-url">Facebook page</a> or <a href="your-youtube-url">YouTube channel</a>.</p>';
        }
        $stmt->close();
    } elseif ($current_slug === 'past-campaigns') {
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT title, created_at, page_code FROM special_pages WHERE type = ? AND status = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC");
        $type = 'Campaign';
        $status = 'Archived';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $type, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        echo '<h2>Past Campaigns</h2>';
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            echo '<ul>';
            while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
                echo '<li>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . ' (' . date('F j, Y', strtotime($row['created_at'])) . ')</li>';
                if ($row['page_code']) {
                    echo $row['page_code'];
                }
            }
            echo '</ul>';
        } else {
            echo '<p>No past campaigns found.</p>';
        }
        $stmt->close();
    } else {
        $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT title, content, created_at, page_code FROM special_pages WHERE slug = ? AND status = ?");
        $status = 'Published';
        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $current_slug, $status);
        $stmt->execute();
        $result = $stmt->get_result();
        if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
            $row = $result->fetch_assoc();
            echo '<h2>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h2>';
            echo '<p><small>Posted on ' . date('F j, Y', strtotime($row['created_at'])) . '</small></p>';
            echo '<div class="page-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
            if ($row['page_code']) {
                echo $row['page_code'];
            }
        } else {
            echo '<p>Page not found or not published.</p>';
        }
        $stmt->close();
    }
    $conn->close();
}
?>

  3. Why This Doesn’t Avoid Template Overrides:

    • You still need to override page.hbs to include <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>, because Publii doesn’t natively pull content from a database.

    • Storing the full PHP logic in page_code and executing it (e.g., via eval()) is too risky, as mentioned earlier.

Recommendation

  • Stick with dynamic-special-page.php: The current approach (overriding page.hbs to include a single PHP file) is safer and more maintainable.

  • Use page_code for Customization: Treat page_code as a field for additional HTML/CSS (e.g., ), not executable PHP. This lets the pastor add small customizations without touching Publii.

Benefits of the Modified Approach

  • Customization: The pastor can add page-specific styling or HTML (e.g., a custom banner) via page_code.

  • Safety: No executable PHP in the database, reducing security risks.

  • Still Simple: The core logic stays in dynamic-special-page.php, which is easier to manage.

Considerations

  • You still need to override page.hbs, so this doesn’t fully achieve your goal of avoiding template overrides.

  • If the pastor enters invalid HTML in page_code, it could break the page’s layout. You could add a hook to validate the input, but that’s more complex.

    • *

Updated special_pages Table

  • Fields:

    • id (Primary Key, Auto-increment)

    • title (Text, Required)

    • content (Long Text, Required)

    • created_at (DateTime, Auto-fill with Current Date/Time)

    • status (Options: Draft/Published/Archived, Default: Draft)

    • type (Options: Campaign/Highlight/Placeholder, Required)

    • slug (Options: current-campaign, past-campaigns, highlight01–highlight04, about, contact, donate, Required)

    • last_version (Long Text, Optional)

    • page_code (Long Text, Optional)

    • *

Next Steps

  1. AppGini:

    • Add last_version and page_code fields to the special_pages table.

    • Update hooks/special_pages.php to save the last_version on update.

    • Add a test record with page_code (e.g., ).

  2. Publii:

    • Ensure page.hbs includes dynamic-special-page.php.

    • Update dynamic-special-page.php to display page_code as HTML.

  3. Test:

    • Regenerate the site, sync to QNAP, and check if last_version works in AppGini and page_code displays on the frontend.

Final Thoughts

  • Idea 1 (last_version): This is a great addition—simple, safe, and useful for the pastor. It’s ready to implement as-is.

  • Idea 2 (page_code): Storing executable PHP in the database is too risky and doesn’t avoid template overrides. Using page_code for HTML/CSS customization is a safer compromise, but you’ll still need to override page.hbs.

What do you think—ready to add these fields and test the updates? Or do you want to explore another idea or part of the project (like the online course or Streamlit reporting)? Let me know!

Q: I wonder if it's possible to add custom PHP codes to the HTML files generated by Publii. It's okay if they remain html as modifying the file extension is easy. I imagine after modifying from .html to .php the files will become ready to run (To "include" the content-pulling PHP files). I'm not sure about the advantage of doing this but it just feels more easy.

A: Your idea to add custom PHP code to the HTML files generated by Publii, then rename them to .php so they can execute the PHP (e.g., to include content-pulling scripts), is absolutely possible and a practical approach! It’s a variation of the hybrid static-dynamic setup we’ve been working with, and it can indeed feel easier because it avoids overriding Publii’s templates (like page.hbs) and keeps the process more straightforward. Let’s break this down, explore how to implement it, and discuss the advantages and considerations. I’ll keep it concise and tie it back to your chaplaincy site’s structure.

Is It Possible to Add Custom PHP Code to Publii-Generated HTML Files?

Short Answer

Yes, you can add PHP code to the HTML files generated by Publii, either by editing the generated files directly or by adding the PHP code in Publii’s page editor (since Publii allows raw HTML/PHP in the content area). After adding the PHP, you can rename the files from .html to .php (either manually or via a script), and your QNAP server will execute the PHP code, such as including content-pulling scripts.

How It Works

  • Publii generates static HTML files (e.g., output/current-campaign.html) based on your pages.

  • You can add PHP code (e.g., <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>) to these files in one of two ways:

    1. Directly in Publii’s Editor: Add the PHP code to the page content in Publii’s WYSIWYG editor (in “Code” mode).

    2. Post-Generation: Edit the generated HTML files to insert the PHP code after Publii creates them.

  • Rename the files to .php (e.g., current-campaign.html to current-campaign.php), either manually or with a script.

  • Upload to your QNAP server, which will execute the PHP code and pull the dynamic content.

    • *

Implementation

Step 1: Add PHP Code in Publii’s Editor

The easiest way to add PHP code without overriding templates is to insert it directly into the page content in Publii.

  1. Open a Page in Publii:

    • Go to Pages and select a page (e.g., “Current Campaign” with slug current-campaign).

    • In the WYSIWYG editor, switch to “Code” mode (or use the “Source” button, depending on your editor settings).

  2. Add the PHP Code:

    • Insert the PHP include statement where you want the dynamic content to appear:

      html

      <h1>Current Campaign</h1>
<?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>

    • This assumes dynamic-special-page.php is already on your QNAP server (e.g., in public_html/dynamic-special-page.php).

  3. Set the Slug to End in .php:

    • In the page settings (right sidebar), set the slug to current-campaign.php (instead of current-campaign).

    • Publii will generate the file as output/current-campaign.php instead of current-campaign.html.

  4. Repeat for Other Pages:

    • Do the same for past-campaigns.php, highlight01.php, highlight02.php, etc., adding the PHP include statement to each page’s content.

Step 2: Alternative – Add PHP Code Post-Generation

If you don’t want to add the PHP code in Publii’s editor (e.g., to keep the editor clean for the pastor), you can add it to the generated files after Publii creates them.

  1. Generate the Site:

    • Click “Preview” or “Sync” in Publii to generate the site.

    • Publii creates files like output/current-campaign.html.

  2. Edit the Generated Files:

    • Open output/current-campaign.html in a text editor.

    • Add the PHP code where you want the dynamic content (e.g., inside the

      tag):

      html

      <main class="main-content">
    <h1>Current Campaign</h1>
    <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>
</main>

  3. Rename to .php:

    • Rename the file from current-campaign.html to current-campaign.php.

    • Repeat for other pages (e.g., highlight01.html to highlight01.php).

  4. Automate with a Script (Optional):

    • To avoid manual renaming, write a simple script to add the PHP code and rename files after Publii generates the site.

    • Example (Python):

      python

      import os

# Directory of generated files
output_dir = "path/to/output"

# Pages to process
pages = ["current-campaign", "past-campaigns", "highlight01", "highlight02", "highlight03", "highlight04", "about", "contact", "donate"]

for page in pages:
    html_file = os.path.join(output_dir, f"{page}.html")
    php_file = os.path.join(output_dir, f"{page}.php")

    if os.path.exists(html_file):
        # Read the HTML file
        with open(html_file, 'r') as f:
            content = f.read()

        # Add the PHP include (e.g., after <main> tag)
        new_content = content.replace('<main class="main-content">', '<main class="main-content">\n<?php include \'dynamic-special-page.php\'; ?>')

        # Write to a new .php file
        with open(php_file, 'w') as f:
            f.write(new_content)

        # Delete the original .html file
        os.remove(html_file)

print("Files updated and renamed to .php")

    • Run this script after generating the site (e.g., python post-process.py).

Step 3: Sync and Test

  • Sync the site to your QNAP server.

  • Visit your-site.com/current-campaign.php—the PHP code will execute, pulling content from dynamic-special-page.php.

    • *

Advantages of This Approach

  1. No Template Overrides:

    • You don’t need to override page.hbs in the Tattoo theme, which simplifies the setup and avoids digging into Publii’s templating system.

    • This feels easier because you’re working directly with the page content or generated files, not theme files.

  2. Flexibility:

    • You can add different PHP includes to different pages if needed (e.g., <?php include 'dynamic-campaign.php'; ?> for current-campaign.php, <?php include 'dynamic-highlights.php'; ?> for highlight01.php).

  3. Simplicity for Non-Programmers:

    • The pastor doesn’t need to understand Handlebars templates—they just add the PHP code in the editor (or you handle it post-generation).

  4. Maintains Hybrid Approach:

    • You still get the benefits of a static site (speed, security) while adding dynamic content via PHP, just like before.

Comparison to Previous Approach

  • Previous Approach (Overriding page.hbs):

    • Required overriding page.hbs to include dynamic-special-page.php.

    • Applied the same PHP include to all pages using the page.hbs template.

    • More maintainable for consistent behavior across pages.

  • New Approach (Adding PHP in Editor/Post-Generation):

    • Adds PHP directly to each page’s content or generated file.

    • Avoids template overrides, which feels easier.

    • More manual if you need to change the PHP logic (e.g., update the include statement on every page).

Why It Feels Easier

  • You’re working at the page level (either in the editor or generated files), which is more intuitive than modifying theme templates.

  • It aligns with your mental model of managing content directly on each page, similar to how you manage content in AppGini.

    • *

Considerations

  1. Manual Effort:

    • If you add the PHP code in Publii’s editor, you need to do it for each page individually.

    • If you add it post-generation, you need to edit/rename files each time you regenerate the site (unless you use a script).

  2. Consistency:

    • Overriding page.hbs ensures all pages use the same PHP logic automatically. With this approach, you need to ensure the PHP code is added correctly to each page.

  3. Editor Limitations:

    • Publii’s WYSIWYG editor might strip or escape PHP code in some cases (e.g., if you switch between visual and code modes). Test to ensure the <?php include ... ?> tag remains intact.

  4. File Renaming:

    • Publii generates .html files by default unless you set the slug to end in .php. Setting the slug to .php (e.g., current-campaign.php) is the easiest way to ensure the files are generated with the correct extension.

Updated Workflow

  • AppGini: No changes needed—the special_pages table and dynamic-special-page.php remain the same.

  • Publii:

    • For each page (current-campaign, highlight01, etc.), set the slug to end in .php (e.g., current-campaign.php).

    • Add <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?> to the page content in the editor (or post-generation).

  • QNAP: Sync the site, and the .php files will execute the include statement, pulling content from the database.

Example Page Content in Publii

For the “Current Campaign” page:

  • Slug: current-campaign.php

  • Content (in Code mode):

    html

    <h1>Current Campaign</h1>
<?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>

Test It

  • Create or update a page in Publii (e.g., current-campaign.php).

  • Add the PHP include statement in the editor.

  • Regenerate the site and sync to QNAP.

  • Visit your-site.com/current-campaign.php—it should display the dynamic content from dynamic-special-page.php.

    • *

Next Steps

  1. Publii:

    • Update the content of your existing pages (current-campaign.php, highlight01.php, etc.) to include <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?>.

    • Ensure each page’s slug ends in .php.

  2. Test:

    • Regenerate the site, sync to QNAP, and verify that the dynamic content loads on each page.

  3. Optional Automation:

    • If you prefer post-generation, write a script to add the PHP code and rename files (as shown above).

Final Thoughts

This approach is a great alternative to overriding page.hbs—it’s more intuitive for your workflow and avoids touching Publii’s templating system. The trade-off is a bit more manual effort per page, but it’s manageable given your small number of pre-defined pages (current-campaign, highlight01–highlight04, etc.). It also keeps your setup flexible for future changes.

What do you think—ready to add the PHP code to your pages and test this approach? Or do you want to explore another idea (like the online course or Streamlit reporting)? Let me know!

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Q: I love this one-table design but the "type" will be a mixture of pages (e.g. current-campaign page) and sections (highlight01 section), which I think is not consistent enough. Can we refine the system design a bit so that the "type" of an AppGini database record will always be referring to a section, and the content will be that of a section too. In other words, on the "current-campaign" page there will be numerous sections for selected vision statements, team members and event highlights. On the "donation-details" page there will be sections for each donation method. If such a revision is possible, please do provide sample code for dynamic-special-page.php as well.

A: I completely understand your concern about the type field in the special_pages table being a mixture of pages (e.g., current-campaign) and sections (e.g., highlight01), which can feel inconsistent. Your idea to refine the system so that the type field always refers to a section (not a page) and the content is also section-specific is a great way to make the design more consistent and modular. This approach will allow pages like current-campaign.php or donation-details.php to be composed of multiple sections (e.g., vision statements, team members, event highlights, donation methods), each stored as a record in the special_pages table. Let’s refine the system design, update the table structure, and provide sample code for dynamic-special-page.php to support this section-based approach.

Refined System Design: Section-Based Structure

Key Changes

  • Redefine type as Section Type:

    • The type field will now represent the type of section (e.g., Vision, TeamMember, Highlight, DonationMethod), not the page type.

    • Each record in special_pages represents a single section, not an entire page.

  • Introduce a page Field:

    • Add a page field to the special_pages table to indicate which page the section belongs to (e.g., current-campaign, donation-details).

    • This replaces the slug field, which previously mapped directly to pages.

  • Pages as Containers:

    • Pages like current-campaign.php and donation-details.php will pull multiple sections (records) from special_pages based on the page field.

    • For example, current-campaign.php might display sections of type Vision, TeamMember, and Highlight.

Updated special_pages Table

  • Fields:

    • id (Primary Key, Auto-increment)

    • title (Text, Required): Title of the section (e.g., “Our Vision for 2025”).

    • content (Long Text, Required): Content of the section (e.g., vision statement, team member bio, donation method details).

    • created_at (DateTime, Auto-fill with Current Date/Time)

    • status (Options: Draft/Published/Archived, Default: Draft)

    • type (Options: Vision/TeamMember/Highlight/DonationMethod, Required): Type of section.

    • page (Options: current-campaign, donation-details, about, contact, donate, Required): The page this section belongs to.

    • last_version (Long Text, Optional)

    • page_code (Long Text, Optional): For section-specific HTML/CSS customization.

  • What’s Changed:

    • type now refers to section types (Vision, Highlight, etc.), not page types.

    • page replaces slug and indicates which page the section appears on.

    • slug is removed because sections don’t map directly to URLs—pages do.

Example Records in special_pages

id

title

content

type

page

status

1

Our Vision for 2025

We aim to…

Vision

current-campaign

Published

2

Meet John, Our Pastor

John has served…

TeamMember

current-campaign

Published

3

Event Photos – March 2025

We had a great event…

Highlight

current-campaign

Published

4

Event Photos – Feb 2025

Another event…

Highlight

current-campaign

Published

5

PayPal Donation

Use PayPal to donate…

DonationMethod

donation-details

Published

6

Bank Transfer

Transfer to account…

DonationMethod

donation-details

Published

  • How It’s Used:

    • current-campaign.php pulls all sections with page = 'current-campaign' (IDs 1–4) and displays them as a vision statement, team member bio, and event highlights.

    • donation-details.php pulls all sections with page = 'donation-details' (IDs 5–6) and displays them as donation methods.

Benefits of This Design

  • Consistency: The type field always refers to a section type (Vision, Highlight, etc.), making the design more uniform.

  • Modularity: Pages are composed of multiple sections, each stored as a record in special_pages.

  • Flexibility: You can add new section types (e.g., Testimonial, FAQ) or new pages (e.g., events.php) without changing the table structure.

  • Simpler Management: The pastor manages sections in one table, and the page field determines where they appear.

    • *

Updated Workflow

  • AppGini:

    • The pastor creates a new section in the special_pages table, selecting the type (e.g., Highlight) and page (e.g., current-campaign).

    • Hooks still handle last_version and prevent changes to the page field after creation (similar to how we locked slug).

  • Publii:

    • Pages like current-campaign.php and donation-details.php include <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?> in their content (via the editor).

    • The PHP script pulls all sections for the current page and displays them according to their type.

    • *

Sample Code for dynamic-special-page.php

This updated script pulls all sections for the current page (based on the page field) and displays them according to their type.

php

<?php
require_once '/path/to/qnap/secure/config.php';
$conn = new mysqli(DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASS, DB_NAME);
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $current_page = basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'], '.php'); // e.g., "current-campaign" or "donation-details"

    // Fetch all sections for the current page
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT type, title, content, created_at, page_code 
                            FROM special_pages 
                            WHERE page = ? AND status = ? 
                            ORDER BY created_at DESC");
    $status = 'Published';
    $stmt->bind_param("ss", $current_page, $status);
    $stmt->execute();
    $result = $stmt->get_result();

    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
            // Display the section based on its type
            switch ($row['type']) {
                case 'Vision':
                    echo '<section class="vision">';
                    echo '<h2>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h2>';
                    echo '<div class="vision-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                case 'TeamMember':
                    echo '<section class="team-member">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<div class="team-member-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                case 'Highlight':
                    echo '<section class="highlight">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<p><small>Posted on ' . date('F j, Y', strtotime($row['created_at'])) . '</small></p>';
                    echo '<div class="highlight-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                case 'DonationMethod':
                    echo '<section class="donation-method">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<div class="donation-method-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                default:
                    echo '<section class="generic">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<div class="generic-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;
            }
        }

        // Add a social media prompt if the page is current-campaign
        if ($current_page === 'current-campaign') {
            echo '<p>For more updates, visit our <a href="your-facebook-url">Facebook page</a> or <a href="your-youtube-url">YouTube channel</a>.</p>';
        }
    } else {
        echo '<p>No sections found for this page.</p>';
    }

    $stmt->close();
    $conn->close();
}
?>

What This Code Does

  • Get the Current Page:

    • $current_page = basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'], '.php') gets the page name (e.g., current-campaign from current-campaign.php).

  • Fetch All Sections:

    • Queries the special_pages table for all records with page = $current_page and status = 'Published'.

    • Orders by created_at DESC so the newest sections appear first.

  • Display Sections by Type:

    • Uses a switch statement to render each section differently based on its type:

      • Vision: Displays as a major section with an

        heading.

      • TeamMember: Displays with an

        heading (e.g., for a team member bio).

      • Highlight: Includes the date and content (e.g., for event photos).

      • DonationMethod: Displays donation method details.

      • Default case for unknown types.

  • Social Media Prompt:

    • Adds a link to Facebook/YouTube on the current-campaign page.

Example Output

  • On current-campaign.php:

    html

    <section class="vision">
    <h2>Our Vision for 2025</h2>
    <div class="vision-content">We aim to…</div>
</section>
<section class="team-member">
    <h3>Meet John, Our Pastor</h3>
    <div class="team-member-content">John has served…</div>
</section>
<section class="highlight">
    <h3>Event Photos – March 2025</h3>
    <p><small>Posted on March 20, 2025</small></p>
    <div class="highlight-content">We had a great event…</div>
</section>
<section class="highlight">
    <h3>Event Photos – Feb 2025</h3>
    <p><small>Posted on February 15, 2025</small></p>
    <div class="highlight-content">Another event…</div>
</section>
<p>For more updates, visit our <a href="your-facebook-url">Facebook page</a> or <a href="your-youtube-url">YouTube channel</a>.</p>

  • On donation-details.php:

    html

    <section class="donation-method">
    <h3>PayPal Donation</h3>
    <div class="donation-method-content">Use PayPal to donate…</div>
</section>
<section class="donation-method">
    <h3>Bank Transfer</h3>
    <div class="donation-method-content">Transfer to account…</div>
</section>
    • *

Updated Hooks in AppGini

Since we’ve replaced slug with page, update the hooks to lock the page field instead:

php

<?php
function special_pages_before_insert(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($data['type'] === 'Highlight' && $data['page'] === 'current-campaign') {
        // Shift existing highlights (limit to 4)
        $stmt = sql("SELECT id FROM special_pages WHERE type = 'Highlight' AND page = 'current-campaign' ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 3, 1", $eo);
        if ($row = $stmt->fetch_assoc()) {
            sql("DELETE FROM special_pages WHERE id = " . makeSafe($row['id']), $eo);
        }
    }
    if ($data['type'] === 'DonationMethod' && $data['page'] === 'donation-details') {
        // Optional: Limit donation methods to a certain number
    }
    return TRUE;
}

function special_pages_before_update(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    // Save the current content to last_version
    $original = sql("SELECT content, page FROM special_pages WHERE id = " . makeSafe($data['id']), $eo);
    $original_row = $original->fetch_assoc();
    $data['last_version'] = $original_row['content'];

    // Prevent page field changes
    if ($original_row['page'] !== $data['page']) {
        $data['page'] = $original_row['page'];
        $args['error_message'] = "The page cannot be changed after the section is created.";
    }

    return TRUE;
}

function special_pages_footer($contentType, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($contentType == 'detailview' || $contentType == 'tableview') {
        ?>
        <script>
            if (jQuery('#page').length) {
                jQuery('#page').prop('readonly', true);
                jQuery('#page').after('<p style="color: red;">The page cannot be changed after creation.</p>');
            }
            if (jQuery('#last_version').length) {
                jQuery('#last_version').after('<p style="color: blue;">This is the previous version of the content. Copy-paste to revert changes.</p>');
            }
        </script>
        <?php
    }
}

  • What This Does:

    • Shifts highlights by deleting the oldest one if there are more than 4 (instead of reassigning slugs).

    • Locks the page field to prevent changes after creation.

    • *

Next Steps

  1. AppGini:

    • Update the special_pages table:

      • Replace slug with page (dropdown: current-campaign, donation-details, about, contact, donate).

      • Update type options to Vision, TeamMember, Highlight, DonationMethod.

    • Update hooks/special_pages.php with the new hooks.

    • Add test records (e.g., a Vision section for current-campaign, a DonationMethod section for donation-details).

  2. Publii:

    • Ensure pages (current-campaign.php, donation-details.php, etc.) include <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?> in their content.

  3. PHP:

    • Upload the updated dynamic-special-page.php to your QNAP server.

  4. Test:

    • Regenerate the site, sync to QNAP, and verify that current-campaign.php displays multiple sections (Vision, TeamMember, Highlight) and donation-details.php displays DonationMethod sections.

Final Thoughts

This section-based design makes the system more consistent and modular:

  • The type field now always refers to a section type (Vision, Highlight, etc.), not a page.

  • Pages are composed of multiple sections, each stored as a record in special_pages.

  • The page field ensures sections are displayed on the correct page.

What do you think—does this refined design feel more consistent? Ready to update the table and test the new setup, or do you want to explore another idea? Let me know!

Original Chat

Q: I think the table name "special_pages" can be renamed to "web_content" and the "type" field to "section". One thing of concern here is "the newest sections appear first". I think the sections have to be ordered in a pre-defined way. It could be very weird for the donors to see first the donation information before they even learn about the work of the chaplaincy. Do you think it's a good idea to add a "position" field so that the sections will be order from small to large positions on the same page? I saw this design in the Bludit CMS, which you may research to confirm.

A: I’m glad you’re finding this refined section-based design easier to work with—it’s definitely a more intuitive and less “sluggish” approach, as you put it! I love the rename from special_pages to web_content and type to section, as it better reflects the purpose of the table and field. Your concern about section ordering is spot-on—displaying sections in a pre-defined order (rather than just “newest first”) is critical for a logical user experience, especially for something like the current-campaign page where donors should see the chaplaincy’s work (e.g., vision, team) before donation details. Adding a position field to control the order of sections on each page is a great idea, and it’s indeed a common pattern in CMS systems like Bludit. Let’s refine the design further, confirm the approach with a quick look at Bludit, and update the code accordingly.

Refined Design: Section-Based with Position Ordering

Renaming for Clarity

  • Table Name: Rename special_pages to web_content.

    • This reflects that the table stores content for various sections of the website, not entire pages.

  • Field Name: Rename type to section.

    • This makes it clear that each record represents a section (e.g., Vision, Highlight).

Adding a position Field

  • Why It’s Needed:

    • On the current-campaign page, you want sections to appear in a logical order (e.g., Vision first, then TeamMember, then Highlight), not just based on created_at.

    • On the donation-details page, you might want DonationMethod sections ordered by preference (e.g., PayPal first, then Bank Transfer).

    • A position field lets you define the order explicitly, ensuring a consistent and user-friendly experience.

  • How It Works:

    • Add a position field to the web_content table (e.g., an integer from 1 to 999).

    • Sections on the same page (same page value) are ordered by position (ascending: smaller numbers appear first).

    • The pastor sets the position when creating/editing a section in AppGini.

Confirmation with Bludit CMS

Bludit is a lightweight, flat-file CMS that uses a similar approach for ordering content. In Bludit:

  • Pages and posts can have a position field (stored in the metadata of each content file, e.g., position: 1 in a Markdown file).

  • The CMS sorts content by position (ascending) when displaying lists (e.g., a menu or a list of posts on a page).

  • If two items have the same position, Bludit falls back to another criterion (e.g., date or title).

This confirms that a position field is a standard and effective way to control ordering in a CMS, and it’s a perfect fit for your needs.

Updated web_content Table

  • Table Name: web_content

  • Fields:

    • id (Primary Key, Auto-increment)

    • title (Text, Required): Title of the section (e.g., “Our Vision for 2025”).

    • content (Long Text, Required): Content of the section (e.g., vision statement, donation method details).

    • created_at (DateTime, Auto-fill with Current Date/Time)

    • status (Options: Draft/Published/Archived, Default: Draft)

    • section (Options: Vision/TeamMember/Highlight/DonationMethod, Required): Type of section.

    • page (Options: current-campaign, donation-details, about, contact, donate, Required): The page this section belongs to.

    • position (Integer, Required, Default: 1): Order of the section on the page (1 = first, 2 = second, etc.).

    • last_version (Long Text, Optional)

    • page_code (Long Text, Optional)

Example Records in web_content

id

title

content

section

page

position

status

1

Our Vision for 2025

We aim to…

Vision

current-campaign

1

Published

2

Meet John, Our Pastor

John has served…

TeamMember

current-campaign

2

Published

3

Event Photos – March 2025

We had a great event…

Highlight

current-campaign

3

Published

4

Event Photos – Feb 2025

Another event…

Highlight

current-campaign

4

Published

5

PayPal Donation

Use PayPal to donate…

DonationMethod

donation-details

1

Published

6

Bank Transfer

Transfer to account…

DonationMethod

donation-details

2

Published

  • How It’s Ordered:

    • On current-campaign.php, sections are ordered by position:

      1. Vision (position = 1)

      2. TeamMember (position = 2)

      3. Highlight (March 2025, position = 3)

      4. Highlight (Feb 2025, position = 4)

    • On donation-details.php:

      1. DonationMethod (PayPal, position = 1)

      2. DonationMethod (Bank Transfer, position = 2)

    • *

Updated dynamic-special-page.php

This script now orders sections by the position field instead of created_at.

php

<?php
require_once '/path/to/qnap/secure/config.php';
$conn = new mysqli(DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASS, DB_NAME);
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    echo "Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error;
} else {
    $current_page = basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'], '.php'); // e.g., "current-campaign" or "donation-details"

    // Fetch all sections for the current page, ordered by position
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT section, title, content, created_at, page_code 
                            FROM web_content 
                            WHERE page = ? AND status = ? 
                            ORDER BY position ASC");
    $status = 'Published';
    $stmt->bind_param("ss", $current_page, $status);
    $stmt->execute();
    $result = $stmt->get_result();

    if ($result->num_rows > 0) {
        while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
            // Display the section based on its type
            switch ($row['section']) {
                case 'Vision':
                    echo '<section class="vision">';
                    echo '<h2>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h2>';
                    echo '<div class="vision-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                case 'TeamMember':
                    echo '<section class="team-member">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<div class="team-member-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                case 'Highlight':
                    echo '<section class="highlight">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<p><small>Posted on ' . date('F j, Y', strtotime($row['created_at'])) . '</small></p>';
                    echo '<div class="highlight-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                case 'DonationMethod':
                    echo '<section class="donation-method">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<div class="donation-method-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;

                default:
                    echo '<section class="generic">';
                    echo '<h3>' . htmlspecialchars($row['title']) . '</h3>';
                    echo '<div class="generic-content">' . $row['content'] . '</div>';
                    if ($row['page_code']) {
                        echo $row['page_code'];
                    }
                    echo '</section>';
                    break;
            }
        }

        // Add a social media prompt if the page is current-campaign
        if ($current_page === 'current-campaign') {
            echo '<p>For more updates, visit our <a href="your-facebook-url">Facebook page</a> or <a href="your-youtube-url">YouTube channel</a>.</p>';
        }
    } else {
        echo '<p>No sections found for this page.</p>';
    }

    $stmt->close();
    $conn->close();
}
?>

Key Changes

  • Ordering by position:

    • The query now uses ORDER BY position ASC instead of ORDER BY created_at DESC.

    • Sections with smaller position values appear first (e.g., position = 1 before position = 2).

  • Renamed Fields:

    • type is now section (e.g., section = 'Vision').

    • The table is now web_content.

Output Example

  • On current-campaign.php (ordered by position):

    1. Vision (position = 1)

    2. TeamMember (position = 2)

    3. Highlight (March 2025, position = 3)

    4. Highlight (Feb 2025, position = 4)

  • On donation-details.php:

    1. DonationMethod (PayPal, position = 1)

    2. DonationMethod (Bank Transfer, position = 2)

    • *

Updated Hooks in AppGini

Rename the hooks file to web_content.php and update the logic for the new table and field names:

php

<?php
function web_content_before_insert(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($data['section'] === 'Highlight' && $data['page'] === 'current-campaign') {
        // Limit to 4 highlights
        $stmt = sql("SELECT id FROM web_content WHERE section = 'Highlight' AND page = 'current-campaign' ORDER BY position DESC LIMIT 3, 1", $eo);
        if ($row = $stmt->fetch_assoc()) {
            sql("DELETE FROM web_content WHERE id = " . makeSafe($row['id']), $eo);
        }
    }
    if ($data['section'] === 'DonationMethod' && $data['page'] === 'donation-details') {
        // Optional: Limit donation methods
    }
    return TRUE;
}

function web_content_before_update(&$data, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    // Save the current content to last_version
    $original = sql("SELECT content, page FROM web_content WHERE id = " . makeSafe($data['id']), $eo);
    $original_row = $original->fetch_assoc();
    $data['last_version'] = $original_row['content'];

    // Prevent page field changes
    if ($original_row['page'] !== $data['page']) {
        $data['page'] = $original_row['page'];
        $args['error_message'] = "The page cannot be changed after the section is created.";
    }

    return TRUE;
}

function web_content_footer($contentType, $memberInfo, &$args) {
    if ($contentType == 'detailview' || $contentType == 'tableview') {
        ?>
        <script>
            if (jQuery('#page').length) {
                jQuery('#page').prop('readonly', true);
                jQuery('#page').after('<p style="color: red;">The page cannot be changed after creation.</p>');
            }
            if (jQuery('#last_version').length) {
                jQuery('#last_version').after('<p style="color: blue;">This is the previous version of the content. Copy-paste to revert changes.</p>');
            }
            if (jQuery('#position').length) {
                jQuery('#position').after('<p style="color: green;">Smaller numbers appear first on the page (e.g., 1 = first, 2 = second).</p>');
            }
        </script>
        <?php
    }
}

  • What’s New:

    • Renamed the hooks to match the web_content table.

    • Added a message for the position field to guide the pastor.

    • *

Next Steps

  1. AppGini:

    • Rename the special_pages table to web_content.

    • Update the fields:

      • Rename type to section (options: Vision, TeamMember, Highlight, DonationMethod).

      • Add position (Integer, Required, Default: 1).

    • Rename hooks/special_pages.php to hooks/web_content.php and update with the new hooks.

    • Add test records with position values (e.g., Vision with position = 1, TeamMember with position = 2).

  2. Publii:

    • Ensure pages (current-campaign.php, donation-details.php, etc.) include <?php include 'dynamic-special-page.php'; ?> in their content.

  3. PHP:

    • Upload the updated dynamic-special-page.php to your QNAP server.

  4. Test:

    • Regenerate the site, sync to QNAP, and verify that sections on current-campaign.php and donation-details.php are ordered by position.

Final Thoughts

This refined design is much cleaner and more intuitive:

  • The web_content table stores sections, with section (formerly type) defining the section type (e.g., Vision, Highlight).

  • The page field determines where the section appears (e.g., current-campaign).

  • The position field ensures sections are ordered logically (e.g., vision before donation methods), improving the user experience for donors.

What do you think—does this feel like the right direction? Ready to update the table and test the new ordering, or do you have another idea to explore? Let me know!

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Claudio
Claudio
liclaudio38@gmail.com
Claudio

About Me

Li
系統開發 AppGini/內容管理 Grok

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