Tour de DecapCMS
Join us on a scenic ride from Netlify CMS to its rebranded and enhanced version, Decap CMS. Netlify CMS has been a content management system for a while now – described super simply as: A content management system that gives users a simple way to manage their content on any site built with a static site generator (Gatsby, NextJS, Hugo).
Why are we on a tour anyway?
Netlify open-sourced this cool little CMS which it made “for the community“, with that said, and like with any other open-source projects, there was an issue queue for bugs, improvements, and opportunities. We’re an open-source community right, so we help where we can to get a project as close to perfect as possible.
More users began to adopt the use of Netlify CMS as a simple solution to managing their site content which did cause some growing pains. As the user base grew, so did the need for more advanced features and customisation options.
To ensure the continued support, investment and maintenance this project deserved, Netlify transferred its ownership to one of its trusted partners. Users of Netlify CMS were assured everything would be okay by Netlify themselves.
While this move may come as a surprise to some users, it's important to remember that it is part of Netlify's broader strategy to become an even more powerful and versatile platform. Users of Decap CMS can expect to enjoy the same high-quality product they've come to love, with even more investment and development.
Transformation phase
Package names change.
This project's official repository now becomes GitHub - decaporg/decap-cms: A Git-based CMS for Static Site Generators
This led to the evolution of the CMS into a sturdier and more adaptable platform, catering to a wider range of content management needs. You will now see a brand-new, shiny logo, but don't worry, everything else remains the same. The future of this project has become clearer, with improvements made and the support team comfortably in place.
Here are some community links to reiterate the above maintenance vision.
Community | Decap CMS | Open-Source Content Management System
Same foundation, new look
Now let's talk a little about how things work.
Decap CMS is a different kind of content management system to others like Drupal which we use for more complex data management solutions.
It's a single-page application that is written in React which you can download as a npm package. This script-like app runs on a static page and lives in your repo acting like a wrapper for your git workflow.
Decap gives content editors a simple dashboard in which you can manage your site content . Try out a demo here, the user would define which content types would be managed depending on your website's needs.
Content editors manage content directly from a Git repository without relying on a centralised content management system backend, content editors essentially write to .json / .md / .yml files depending on how Decap is set up. When you edit a piece of content in Decap and hit save and publish it essentially writes a commit to your repository updating that content file described above. This happens under the hood and then the site can be set up with Git actions to redeploy on commit pushes.
Data storage structure
- Content Storage: Content is stored in a Git repository, not in a traditional centralised database.
- Version Control: All content changes are tracked through Git, providing a detailed history of changes and the ability to revert to previous versions.
- Collaborative Editing: Multiple contributors can work on content simultaneously, leveraging Git's branching and merging capabilities.
Fun fact
The Amazee Labs blog is currently managed through Decap CMS, so I have been writing this blog about Decap – using Decap 😊
The future of Decap CMS
Now rebranded and sporting some new features, Decap CMS is geared in the right way to change how we look at managing data within our sites. Read more on their site and a list of all there is to offer, and explore the more technical ins and outs of how the setup works here.
Have questions about Decap or need guidance on choosing the right CMS for your next project? We can help – get in touch and let’s chat!