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The Guide to Craft CMS Development
Craft CMS professional Ryan Masuga shares a practical method for developing Craft CMS projects and version controlling them with Git.
Be a better Craft CMS developer right now.
Masuga Design has developed sites on Craft CMS since 2013, and is an official Craft Partner. I'm sharing everything we know about setting up Craft projects and versioning them with Git. We have continually refined our approach from one project to the next, and now you can immediately benefit from our trial and error by reading The Guide to Craft CMS Development.
Make More Money With Craft
If you can competently and efficiently produce a solid product and market your Craft skills with confidence, you're going to be able to charge more money for your services. Our average project quote has grown significantly over the last few years, and our efficiency in setting up Craft projects means we are more profitable on those projects.
I believe after reading this guide you'll feel confident enough to charge what you're worth, and be more efficient so that each project nets you more profit.
Separate your Craft From the Cruft
Your client isn't just buying a Craft site - they're buying a better version of themselves - and they're trusting you to deliver. So what separates you from any other Craft developer? It's the details. With my practical advice on efficiently setting up and deploying Craft projects, you can turn out your best work and make your clients sing your praises.
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Practical Development
- Chapter 3 Security
- Chapter 4: Setting Up Craft
- Chapter 5: Version Control
- Chapter 6: Updating Craft
- Chapter 7: Customization
- Chapter 8: Optimizing Craft
- Chapter 9: Coming From ExpressionEngine
- Chapter 10: Matrix and Long Form Content
- Conclusion
- Craft CMS Resources
Topics Covered In The Craft CMS Guide
How can I get a site up and running quickly? How should I structure my project? What security measures can I implement? How can I best customize the CMS for the client? I answer these questions and more by drawing from our experience developing with Craft.
Project Organization
I show you a sensible way to structure a Craft site for secure, no-nonsense development. It's the method Masuga Design uses to build Craft sites.
Version Control
How do you version control a Craft site with Git? What should you ignore? I answer these questions and more.
Multiple Environments
Config settings, environment variables, and .env files. A setup for working locally and deploying remotely that isn't overly complex.
Resources
From Craft Stack Exchange to Craft Link List and beyond, I discuss various Craft resources and their relative merits.
Automating Installs
Save a ton of time and whip up new Craft sites very efficiently by automating the installation and setup process. I share how we start new Craft projects. You're sure to learn something new!
Coming from ExpressionEngine
Many ExpressionEngine developers have taken an interest in Craft, just like us. For those people, I have a whole section of info that contrasts and compares the two systems.
What Readers Say
I’m blown away by how useful, well written and worthwhile it's been – it’s already leveled up my Craft game by an astonishing amount. Many thanks for an excellent guide!
Sid O'Neill, Developer
Huge congrats to @masuga for getting this out! Just got my copy & I’m stoked to dig in to see where I can improve my own #CraftCMS projects
Paulo Elias, Developer
THANK YOU for the guide. Already implemented several things to our basic build.
Jae Barclay (@ejaedesign)
Having read @masuga’s Guide to #eecms, if you’re working with #craftcms, would recommend
Andrew Armitage
Get the Guide to Craft CMS
For $49 you'll get a 165 page PDF with your order (no-nonsense stuff!)
Want to check it out first? Download a free sample (28 pages).
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Get notified about updates or new releases to The Guide to Craft CMS Development. (Very infrequent emails.)
About the Author
Ryan Masuga
I've used Craft CMS professionally since 2013. View our Craft CMS page for more info on Masuga Design's experience using Craft CMS.
I live in West Michigan with my wife and three kids.
Changelog for the Craft Guide
Version 3 (July 24, 2019)
- Fixed out of order pages.
- Fixed broken link.
Version 2 (June 22, 2017)
- Clarified keeping .git directories on the production server (whether in public folder or above webroot).
- Fixed numerous typos. (Thanks for Andy and Jae for pointing those out.)
- Improved the Table of Contents (It now shows chapter names, and they're clickable right to the chapter).
Version 1 (June 16, 2017)
- Initial release!