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Posts
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Hi–
I need to rewrite the websites using current methods.
I’ve only done some websites using 1990s technology using a wysiwyg website developer app. I know very little html but can work with it somewhat. I know nothing about WordPress. I have not started anything yet.
If I go with WP I had planned to add Genesis from Studio Press for theme management. I just found and read about BoldGrid. Do both frameworks work properly together? Not even sure if I need both, but I’m looking into it.
Thanks!
Kroy
Hi Kroy-
Thanks for reaching out, and welcome to modern web development! First let me say that regardless of which one you end up picking, we’re always happy to help here at the BoldGrid Forums.
While it’s possible to use our products with a Genesis theme, and vice versa, it’s a bit like trying to hit one nail with two hammers. They’re both tools to accomplish the same goal, if that metaphor makes sense.
For example, you can use the BoldGrid Post and Page Builder with a Genesis theme, and you can use Genesis Blocks with a BoldGrid Theme, but you’ll most likely have a better experience if you use the same set of tools together.
Some of our tools are completely framework-agnostic, like Total Upkeep for updates and backups, and BoldGrid Easy SEO as a writing coach.
Since you’re just getting started, I’d recommend giving BoldGrid’s suite of WordPress tools a spin in our Cloud WordPress demo environment. Your first Cloud WordPress installation is free with an email signup. Click this link to fire up your own demo site right now.
Thanks. This was helpful.
So the main purpose of the Genesis framework (framework vs theme?) is to give you the ability to manage child themes without having them fail when there are WP updates, true? (I still am struggling to understand the WP ecosystem.)
“Genesis is a special kind of WordPress theme: a theme framework designed to build child themes on. As a result, it is super powerful. Genesis is also the world’s most popular theme framework.”
https://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2018/08/09/genesis-child-themes/
I’m interested in BoldGrid because of the wysiwyg editor along with some of the other plugins. Genesis doesn’t have that. I’m interested in Genesis because of the website/theme management. The “framework” seems to provide theme/website management that I’m not sure BoldGrid has. I see that the BoldGrid themes seem to be an important part of the website creation/editing system.
So just double-checking on your metaphor — two hammers to hit one nail — is it more like one hammer that works best to start and different one that works best to finish? (Kind of messes up the metaphor, but you get the idea.) Is BoldGrid a theme “framework” as is Genesis? Do they both mostly do the same thing? Would you consider Genesis a competing product? (I see one question on here from a customer how is using both, not much said about why he’s doing it.)
They’re about to release the block editor version of the framework. Is BoldGrid going in this direction as well?
I’m really trying to determine if these two products mostly do the same thing. If so BoldGrid alone will be fine. If not I may want to get familiar with and use both. I don’t know enough yet to decide before I dive into redoing our websites. Better to start out the best way now (I definitely want wysiwyg) rather than getting into it and then decide I want to add one of these later.
“While WP Engine and StudioPress have bet big on the block editor with products like Genesis Blocks, the Genesis Block Theme will be a game-changer when it launches as a finished product, likely sometime next year.
“This is not necessarily because StudioPress will offer a better product than what many others are creating. It is about one of the largest theme development companies shifting toward a block-first approach. Others will fall in line. Or be left behind.”
Genesis Block Theme Beta, StudioPress Pursuing a Block-First Future
Thanks for helping with this!
Hi Kroy-
You’re absolutely right that Genesis provides one of the best child-theming experiences. I think one of the things you mentioned bears a little clarification, regarding “without having [themes] fail when there are WP updates.”
I think what you’re referring to is the fact that any custom coding modifications you make to your theme are overwritten when the theme gets an update. That’s true. If you’re planning to do a lot of custom PHP development for your website, a child theme approach would likely be the best way to go.
However, BoldGrid’s approach to our theme framework is to give you the most customizable theme without modifying the theme’s code directly.
Technically speaking, BoldGrid’s open-source Theme Framework is very similar to Genesis in that it is meant to build child themes upon.
However, our commercial products, like the Crio SuperTheme and Post and Page Builder are meant to give you full WYSIWYG control over every aspect of your site without any PHP coding. These customizations don’t get overwritten on updates because they’re stored in your database and compiled CSS, not in the theme’s PHP files.
Of course, there are commercial Genesis child themes that offer similar capabilities. We prefer to make sure that our theme is fully compliant with WordPress standards and open-source philosophy, which is why you can find Crio in the WordPress.org Repository, but not Genesis-based themes.
Your second major question about the WordPress Block Editor (also known as Gutenberg), and the future of writing and site-building in WordPress, is a big question.
Right now, we believe that the site-building capabilities of Crio, and the page-building capabilities of the Post and Page Builder are more mature and offer a better user experience than their counterparts in the block editor and block-enabled themes. You can see evidence of this by the huge, and growing, active installation count of the Classic Editor plugin, which the BoldGrid Post and Page Builder is built on-top of.
Site-building, or “Full Site Editing” in WordPress lingo, is still very much in its early phases, with the first “stable” release planned to come out in WordPress 5.8 this summer.
That being said, I think it’s probably true that the block-first approach you mention is the wave of the future, and we do have this in our roadmap. Our primary focus, however, is providing our users with the best experience getting from “square one” to a successful, complete website. And with that goal in mind, we’ll probably hold off on making the transition until the technology matures a little further.
I’m going to give it a try. One more thought — BoldGrid is almost impossible to remember — the name and what it’s for. Something like VisualBoldGrid or VisualGrid would be much better! (Assuming I understand what this does.)
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