How We Build Sulu CMS: 9 Tips for Creating an Excellent Developer Experience

Sulu is a system for managing content built on Symfony PHP, which provides highly customizable content administration and publishing environments on the backend. Symfony and Sulu are both open source and free, and they are supported by large expert communities that provide experts for assistance.

Sulu is the preferred CMS for various companies and developers in the PHP Symfony framework since it uses several components that can be used to build robust and flexible backend solutions.

Let’s take a dive to find out more details regarding Sulu CMS.

Does Sulu CMS compare with Other CMS Platforms?

Selecting a suitable CMS is a challenging decision. Sulu has several characteristics that distinguish it from the other Content Management Systems:

• It makes use of standard components
• It truly is separated.
• Its modularity allows for an increase in scalability.

Creating extensions for Sulu is not difficult and requires no specialization. Standard components and concepts throughout the entire process range from PHP and Symfony to the backend to Twig templating to the front end, as well as XML and JSON to configure.

Another advantage is the distinct distinction between the front and back ends. Sulu is indeed an open CMS with a separate front end. A Sulu backend developer just needs to develop functionality using PHP and Symfony and then expose an API, not manage frontend development issues. Frontend developers, on the other hand, can create an interactive interface built on a clear API. Separation of the concerns begins with this.

As a developer-focused CMS, Sulu is advantageous when building complicated content management systems. Its modularity and flexibility in programming extensions allow for simple scaling. However, Sulu does not provide a one-size-fits-all solution for every project. Significant development is required to get an essential website in place and operating. Other CMSs may be better suited for small sites with minimal requirements but no growth plans.

Sulu CMS and Symfony

The Symfony framework is a modular system that emphasizes reuse. Symfony favours bundles to aid in creating reused functionality. Sulu is designed in the form of bundles. In this way, Sulu makes use of the existing Symfony solutions while at the same time allowing Symfony developers to alter and expand the CMS.

Symfony’s vast and active developer community, which is brimming with wisdom and knowledge, greatly benefits Sulu.

Developers are drawn to an elegant structure that is simple to connect to other systems, which Sulu provides. This is partly due to the usage of Symfony bundles, which are standard and modular. Sulu architects have turned this advantage into an elegant design.

Why Choose Sulu CMS?

The unique features and performance of Sulu’s bundle make it a popular option for developers. This section outlines some main reasons to hire Sulu CMS developer and select Sulu as their top CMS.

Simple User Interface

Sulu’s user-friendly interface gives content teams the best experience. Developers can design an extensible backend that meets your business’s requirements.

Perfect for Enterprise Projects

Sulu is great for business applications that require extensive customization, such as

• Business applications that are driven by logic
• Multilingual, multi-channel as well as multi-portal infrastructure
• Platforms for news and media
• Corporate and brand Web presence
• Multi-channel platforms
• Collaboration and social websites
• Intranets and portals

Headless CMS Environment

Business websites have evolved into sophisticated software applications that require comprehensive integrations, data management capabilities, and business logic. Sulu gives developers an unmanned CMS environment for customized, data-driven functions and allows them to integrate with any advanced front-end development solutions.

Integrations

Sulu provides various integrations with marketing tools like Matomo, Google Analytics, and Google Tag Supervisor.

Sulu also works with Sylius, an open-source headless e-commerce platform based on the Symfony framework. Sylius products can leverage Sulu’s CMS functions to enhance content. Sulu can be utilized to build a complete website, using Sylius as a headless e-commerce platform.

Features of Sulu’s Structured Content Management System

Sulu is an organized CMS that differentiates presentation from content using standardized templating and Block systems. This modular structure allows for more efficient, simple, speedier, and more reusable rendering and modeling of content. These are the must-have capabilities of Sulu’s CMS.

The ability to template with Sulu CMS

In Sulu, every page comes with a template. The template governs two aspects: the structure of the webpage (via XML files) and the way that the structure is displayed (via the Twig file that contains HTML codes).

The structure of the webpage comprises properties, each one of which is a (content) form. The default template for pages includes, for instance, the following properties: 

text_line’s title URLs of the type resource_locator and article with the type editor. 

A Content Manager can modify the properties’ values if they access an admin interface. Frontend developers then have access to these properties and render them according to the design they want to create.

Modular components that include Blocks

Blocks are a way for Sulu to create a neat content structure that can be combined in any manner. Each block has different kinds of content, such as fields like text, date media selection, and text. The developer defines Sulu Blocks according to the website’s needs and information structure. Content managers can create and place orders for Blocks however they want.

Automating testing, deployment, and test

The Sulu CMS assists in the execution of automation of testing, deployment, and tests with CI/CD tools support, integration of the version control system with Configuration management, Docker integration, and the marketplace for extensions. These features allow developers to automate their builds, deployments, and tests, containerize their apps, and gain access to the features they require via the vast market of extensions.

Bring-your-own frontend development

Sulu is a frontend-independent application. Developers can use WebJS, Twig, React, Vue.js, Angular, Bootstrap, and many more. This gives developers the greatest freedom regarding their choices regarding the frontend stack (which is precisely why a majority of developers like this feature). This freedom in front-end design can also make finding developers and adapting the existing features easier.

Multilingual content management

Multilingual capabilities are a fundamental characteristic of Sulu and should have been added as an afterthought. For instance, Sulu can handle all languages, including characters and ones not read from left to right. The one Sulu installation gives you the ability to create unlimited websites, and you can include a translation for any content item -an article, page, or metadata for media. 

It is also possible to optimize search engines by implementing complete SEO-friendly features tailored to the needs of multilingual users. You can also set media and content (such as videos and images) as non-translatable so that they can be reused across different locales without translation. In addition, these could be duplicated and adjusted to each locality in the event that, for instance, the alt text differs.

The multilingual capabilities of Sulu maintain navigation and structure of content in sync since they’re the same in all languages. The editor can specify the language of a page to determine if it is displayed in the site’s navigation, but it cannot alter the position of a page.

API-first approach

Sulu encourages API-first development by using important features such as its content API and decoupled architecture, JSON representation and extensibility, custom templates and types of content webhooks, and event systems. These capabilities allow developers to quickly use and modify content programming automatically and create frontend applications with their preferred technology, connect with other systems, guarantee the same data consumption, and quickly respond to changes in content.

Benefits of Sulu CMS for Enterprises

Here are a few benefits that Sulu CMS offers Enterprises. Go through it below.

The ability to scale and the onboarding

Sulu’s back end is entirely Symfony, meaning Symfony developers have a flat development curve. This means that you have access to an international database of skilled developers to choose from and can get them on board more quickly. The time is the money!

Content managers can combine Blocks however they wish within your guidelines. This means there’s no bending of the branding guidelines, fewer errors, and the most imagination for editors and content managers. Sulu’s well-documented editor interface, with clear and helpful text, can help reduce the time it takes to bring on new editors.

Without a tangle between the backend and frontend stack, your backend Symfony developers can begin writing, updating, maintaining, and expanding your business logic. In contrast, front-end developers can concentrate on creating stunning user interfaces that are easy to navigate.

Production of high-volume content with the standardization

By implementing a site-wide standardization process, you will not have to enter the same data repeatedly. Additionally, you have one home base to edit each occurrence centrally. In addition, editors are free to organize the content in any way they like.

Uniform branding guidelines

Sulu’s features will help you enforce your brand’s unique guidelines. With fewer things that could go wrong, content managers will not waste time trying to track inconsistencies, and your developers will be happy to be able to focus on maintenance.

Content reuse across properties

Reusability of content provides uniformity in your messages that can help cement your brand more firmly in users’ minds and help reinforce Best SEO services practices. In addition, the increase in efficiency can cut down on time and expenses. 

If you change your opinion about a particular aspect of your website or need to start an entirely new campaign quickly and easily, you’ll have the flexibility to make adjustments rapidly across the entire site. If you’re eager to expand but your existing CMS hinders your growth and you want to reuse content, the capability to reuse content is an excellent way to ensure scaling.

Operational uniformity across markets and brands all over the world

Sulu’s features, including multisite and localization, will ensure consistency in operations and a consistent experience across multiple online properties. They help organizations efficiently manage numerous websites. They also allow organizations to adapt content to various markets and maintain the same approval process, monitor changes to content, impose guidelines for branding, and simplify the sharing of assets.

Automatic quality assurance and the deployment

Sulu’s well-organized setup is ideal for automation testing, monitoring, and deployment. The clear, standardized blocks help with monitoring. Furthermore, websites with high traffic depend on the availability of their servers to earn revenues, and you’ll need to be aware of the issue immediately if advertisements aren’t loading.

Step-by-Step Process: Building Sulu CMS

Based on results from a search engine, these are the steps required to build Sulu CMS.

Select Sulu and Understand its Fundamentals: Know the guidelines for agencies and Sulu CMS developer on how to select Sulu and its basic features. Be familiar with Sulu’s reuse architecture, admin interface, and developer flexibility.

Design: Plan your project, choose your webspace’s primary (unique identifier) since changing it later could cause problems. This will help you configure the default webspace configuration file (e.g., config/webspaces/example.xml) and rename it to match your project’s name.

Configure the database to support the Sulu project: Sulu’s content management component is built on web spaces, which manage the content tree. Each content tree may include translations for various locales.

Bootstrap a new Project: Make use of Composer to bootstrap your latest project that is based on the Skeleton of Sulu Skeleton:

(composer create-project sulu/skeleton my-project -n)

The command creates a brand new folder for the project (my-project) and Sulu Skeleton. Sulu Skeleton.

Configure Web Spaces: Rename the default workspace configuration file (config/webspaces/example.xml) to match your project’s name and update the name and key attributes accordingly.

Install Sulu CMS: Composer to set up Sulu CMS

(composer require sulu/sulu)

Configure Administration Interface: Configure the administration interface languages (if needed) in the config/packages/sulu_admin.yaml file. Then, use the command bin/console sulu:admin:download-language to download the languages.

Extension of Sulu (Optional): In the event that you require to expand Sulu to include custom features, you can install bundles with Composer. It is important to note that users cannot upload code using the browser this increases security.

Start version control (Optional): If you’re using Git, create a brand new Git repository and then submit the first version of your commit.

When you follow the steps, you can build an excellent foundation for the Sulu CMS project.

Modular Content in Sulu

The tools and functions offered by Sulu allow businesses to benefit from the power of modular content and make managing content more effective and flexible.

• Content blocks: Articles and pages are made up of content blocks. Content blocks can be one with text, an image gallery, or any other organized content. Users can design custom content blocks that are easily put together and organized to create templates and pages. “Sulu’s Blocks make it easy for the Sulu CMS Developer to create module-based components, and they give content managers the flexibility to put the different modules together the way they want to,” said Alexander Schranz.
• Snippets: Snippets are an element of a webpage that everyone can reuse, for example, an aspect of social media hyperlinks. Snippets are made using an XML template similar to a template page.
• Types of Content: Content types define content modules’ structure and behaviour, allowing users to specify certain field types validating rules and connections to other modules.
• Multilingual support and multisite: This feature allows users to easily build and manage modular content across various languages and websites, ensuring uniformity and efficiency for companies with global reach or who manage multiple brands.
• API-first method: Sulu exposes a powerful API integration for managing content and delivery, allowing effortless integration into other platforms, including web frameworks for frontends, mobile frontend sons, and third-party services. API-first technology allows for the reuse of content and distribution and allows modular content to be viewed and consumed in different settings and channels.
• Teamwork and Versioning: Groups can collaborate in creating and updating content by observing or rolling back changes to the content and implementing approval procedures to provide more effective content governance and control on publication.
• Customization and extensibility: Dedicated Sulu CMS Experts can expand and modify Sulu to meet their requirements, allowing companies to tailor the CMS to their processes and to integrate customized business logic or third-party integrations.

Best Practices for Effective Content Modeling

A few effective techniques will improve the efficiency of your model content and enhance the efficiency of the content that you have curated

• Collaboration is vital: For strategists, content designers, and developers. They must work together when formulating models that meet the requirements of all parties. This collaboration process will result in an all-inclusive model for content that can balance the users’ experience, technical viability, and strategic alignment.
• Be consistent and embrace the concept of consistency: Consistency is the key to a solid basis for content. Standardizing types, attributes, and relationships will ensure consistency across all content components.
• Refinement and evaluation regularly: Modeling isn’t a single-step process. It requires continual evaluation and refinement to adapt to the evolving requirements of the customers, the business environment, and industry trends. Continuously reviewing your content model will allow you to identify possible areas to improve as well as areas to improve.
• Prioritize accessibility: When you are in the process of creating content; accessibility shouldn’t be the primary consideration. Considering the different kinds of users, including disabled users, will interact with your site. Implementing accessibility aspects into your content model helps to increase inclusion and the exposure of your website and its content.

Future of Content Creation with Structured Content Management Systems

They are a new breed of tools for managing content. Due to their capability to efficiently and cost-effectively manage content, they play a significant part in the future of content creation.

• Controlling content more precisely This ensures accuracy, consistency, and quality across all content, big and small.
• Easy to reuse, reuse, and customize the content in order to accommodate the different needs of audience segments.
• Create one time and publish it everywhere rather than dispersing your efforts on different channels.
• Collaboration that is more efficient between content creators will help companies cut costs, improve productivity, and improve the quality of their work.

Conclusion

Through the use of structured content strategies, businesses can achieve consistency of content, reusability, scalability, and a better user experience, which will improve the overall process of managing content. The future of modeling content is full of potential and promises revolutionary improvements in the process of creating content, delivery, and management. Leaping these new technologies is essential for companies seeking to remain current and relevant in the digital age.