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Using flat files only solves half the problem, in order to truly be able to host anywhere, you also need to be able to ditch PHP and server side processing requ

Using flat files only solves half the problem, in order to truly be able to host anywhere, you also need to be able to ditch PHP and server side processing requirements. (Wonder CMS, highlighted in this article, requires PHP with a couple of mods.) That’s why I think static site generators are the more interesting code in this space. I’m a big fan of Gatsby, but there are several other great ones as well. This allows you to host your blog on even an old school “tilde club” type site, and it works just fine.

WalterGR 4y ago
> Using flat files only solves half the problem, in order to truly be able to host anywhere While that may be a problem for some, I don't think it's the problem for the purposes of this article and discussion. Different situations have different requirements.
- Danborg 4y ago
  Still, it is a consideration, and it all factors in. Copying your WonderCMS files to another host, great… oops, it doesn’t have PHP mbstring extension, sorry, won’t run. (And if you’re trying to use “free” hosting, you probably don’t have privs to install the missing requirements.)
  - WalterGR 4y ago
    What I mean is that being able to host anywhere is a constraint you're adding, not one that's in the original article. If you have zero control over your environment and no ability to inspect it, then I agree that static files are probably the way to go.
    - Danborg 4y ago
      I disagree, it was touched on, and glossed over, in the article. >> “… means being able to start your website by dumping everything into a folder and you're pretty much done (1 step installs).” >> “Dumping everything into a folder and it just works (1 step installs) makes it easy for even beginners to get a website running, but also it makes your website, blog, forum, journal, or whatever, portable. Very easily portable. You need to put your website on a thumb drive and/or move it to a different domain? Done. Easy. It's just like backing up any folder.”

WalterGR 4y ago

> Using flat files only solves half the problem, in order to truly be able to host anywhere While that may be a problem for some, I don't think it's the problem for the purposes of this article and discussion. Different situations have different requirements.

Danborg 4y ago
Still, it is a consideration, and it all factors in. Copying your WonderCMS files to another host, great… oops, it doesn’t have PHP mbstring extension, sorry, won’t run. (And if you’re trying to use “free” hosting, you probably don’t have privs to install the missing requirements.)
- WalterGR 4y ago
  What I mean is that being able to host anywhere is a constraint you're adding, not one that's in the original article. If you have zero control over your environment and no ability to inspect it, then I agree that static files are probably the way to go.
  - Danborg 4y ago
    I disagree, it was touched on, and glossed over, in the article. >> “… means being able to start your website by dumping everything into a folder and you're pretty much done (1 step installs).” >> “Dumping everything into a folder and it just works (1 step installs) makes it easy for even beginners to get a website running, but also it makes your website, blog, forum, journal, or whatever, portable. Very easily portable. You need to put your website on a thumb drive and/or move it to a different domain? Done. Easy. It's just like backing up any folder.”