Following the announcement that Adam / Elixir is closing down I’ve reluctantly started looking for alternatives.
I’ve only ever used Foundry as a framework (used versions 1 to 3) so have no experience with other frameworks. I’ve come to the conclusion that Source + Addon pack is the one I’m going to buy soon.
Wanted to ask on here what’s Source like to use? Is the documentation good?
Source is very well documented — it’s the only Stacks product to have a proper manual, and Stuart maintains a comprehensive knowledge base on his site. I chose Source as the environment I want to work in (although I also have Joe’s Foundation, and that’s a very good, well-maintained product). Stuart’s implementation of CSS Grid was the reason I went with Source — for me, Grid replaced one of the two rationales for frameworks (Joe also now has a good Grid product, Bento). There are also excellent projects available for Source, very well documented in the files, and they show how to integrate other stacks such as Stuart’s own Splider and Instacks’ excellent Poster, both of which greatly extend what Source can do. I’ve not regretted choosing it.
I completely agree with James.
I should also add that Stuart is one of the most responsive devs – both here on the forum, as well as in private requests for a support.
One more thing. Combine Source and its companion stacks with Big White Duck’s free stacks and you got a fine toolbox that is extremely cost-effective, reliable and versatile. BTW, Andrew (BWD) is also providing a support that is one of the very best.
I can only say that if I am still waiting for the release of Stacks Pro it is only because I use and will only use Source.
With Source I have created (thanks to Stuart’s help and support at all hours and immediate/always present) websites that I would never have remotely thought of creating.
I would like to spend a few lines to thank Stuart, for every question I have he has always been there to find immediate solutions, even with downloadable example files, but the incredible thing is that he is always there to help by finding solutions, which solve any problem I have had. l
His projects are also fantastic, those that include FEED, POSTER, SPLIDER etc…
Honestly, and I say this sincerely, Source has changed my way of working for the better.
I forgot to say: with Source it’s simple, everything is simply simple…
THANK YOU STUART.
Hi @Jake11 Source project is excellent. It allows you to obtain projects that weigh 8 to 10 times less than with other frameworks. It is the one that allowed me to create one of my professional sites exactly as it should be, without “struggling”. I highly recommend this framework, the documentation is excellent and the support incredible. I know it’s too much but enthusiasm is also good.
Thanks everyone for your comments and support. Very much appreciated!
And thanks for your interest @Jake11
Foundry and Foundation have by far the 2 biggest user bases. What I was looking to do with Source was to provide an affordable alternative that offered most of what those big frameworks did but with a lightweight code base and a small collection of really flexible and powerful stacks. This has resonated with a large number of users who now use Source as their main framework.
In relation to support / documentation (and as others have referred to above) there is a lot. Here are some links:
Hope that helps. Thanks again for your interest.
Just a note from my personal experience, I’ve used Source through a couple of iterations of my company website and Stuart, Source’s developer, has be extremely helpful and generous whenever I’ve had an issue trying to figure something out. That said, I also find Source to be very intuitively designed and along with the other online resources, I been able to figure out most of what I want to do with just a little practice. Just great overall.
Yes Jake, it’s easy to use, fantastic and clear documentation and support. Im a home user and I love the clean simpleness of it. Stuart is solid, Source is modern and very capable beyond my needs.
This is my site built with Source : silence-of-touch.com
Thanks for the replies it’s helpful to hear the opinions of people who use it. I’m 100% sure this is the next framework for me. I just need the basic building blocks.
Was a shock that Elixir is shutting down as he’s been around for so long. Was surprised at how abrupt it was.
I have a 350 page website built with Foundry and although it will work fine for some time it’s important that I choose and learn a new framework asap.
To any Foundry users reading this Source + Addon pack is only £25 & includes Source Workbook if you purchase in October.
I haven’t had a chance to look through the Workbook properly but it looks comprehensive.
Hi @Jake11 I know that my remark will not please but for a site of such magnitude in number of pages, I do not know if it is a good idea for its reconstruction to do it currently in the RW/Stacks universe. For sites of a few pages it is without worry (rebuild 5 to 7 pages is easy and not too much time consuming), but for 350 pages, it seems “risky” to me. Unfortunately (and despite the very recent declarations of the “enemy brothers”) nothing guarantees the future at the moment for both “internal” and external reasons. I specify this by insisting on the number of pages but there is also the “blog articles” aspect. I use Poster 2 by Jannis in Markdown because it allows me to easily switch to another solution without having to redo all the links with the images for each article, in the event of a problem. It is in this spirit that for a large number of pages I would rather recommend another solution than our universe, unfortunately.
Source and all Stuarts other stacks are my go to framework of choice now when starting a new project, coupled with the outstanding and prompt support he offers is a no brainer. I particularly like the absence of bloatware in Stuarts stuff.
Thank-you for your concern Bruno but after 15+ years of using Rapidweaver + Stacks I like to think I’ve got some idea of what I’m doing. (or at least I hope I do lol)
I’m getting on fine with Source been reading the workbook & have already started rebuilding my website.
I only build websites for myself so there’s no pressure & I like the “lightweight” aspect of Source. Some of the frameworks come with a ton of stuff that I just don’t need.
I’m fully aware of what’s going on with Realmac’s Elements & YourHead’s Stacks Pro, neither of which have release dates.
The future is a little uncertain but I’m optimistic about both apps even though I’m going the Stacks Pro route.
Big late to the party but second all the good comments about Source on this thread. I’m a big fan of Joe Workman and also use Foundation 6 but, if I’m honest, Source is my go to product. It’s a lean, low code suite of stacks that build rocket fast websites. Hugely flexible and very well thought out stacks that sometimes require a steepish learning curve but deliver every time. Also work well with every other stack I’ve used. Support and documentation is top drawer.