Yes - there is another new kid on the block! It’s called ‘Source’ and it is a new lightweight CSS ‘micro’ framework for your RapidWever projects.
Why would you choose Source?
There are already some great frameworks available for RapidWeaver but there are a few reasons / scenarios where I think using Source might well appeal to you:
It’s FREE!
That’s right, it costs you nothing to get access to a framework that you can use to build great sites. Now, on top of having to buy RapidWeaver and the awesome Stacks plugin, you no longer need to also buy a framework before being able to build beautiful free form sites.
It’s lightweight
Source uses only the bare minimum code to set up your sites - e.g. to set up your colours and your fonts etc. (If that is all that you are currently using the likes of Foundry or Foundation to do then you are adding a lot of unnecessary code and bloat to your sites!)
It’s fast
Because it is lightweight, it operates really fast in Edit, Preview and Publish modes.
It’s powerful
Source comes with its own small set of stacks which are enough to build amazing sites. (There is also a completely optional addon pack which lets you make even more amazing sites!)
It doesn’t try to be all things to all people
Source is all about forming a base for your sites. It doesn’t (and never will) include a Slider stack or a Gallery stack or an Accordion stack or a Tabs stack or a Contact Form stack etc etc. Source is there to let you use all of the great (non-framework dependant!) stacks that you no doubt already have in your collections!
So, they are the main reasons why I think Source is awesome (I’ve also written a blog post with a bit more detail if you are interested). Go give it a spin and let me know if you agree!
This is a really significant new set of building blocks for RapidWeaver and finally we can build the layouts that were impossible until now. It’s fast in Edit and Preview modes and creates tiny code that will load quickly on your web sites.
Don’t be put off thinking that it is basic because it is free or is a micro framework, because it is isn’t basic in functionality. In fact it can create layouts that no other system (framework) available today can create. I have been lucky to have been part of the testing and it is rock solid and a joy to use.
Source really benefits from spending some time to learn how the Grid works but the included examples will get most users up and running quickly.
Stuart has done a great job of completing Source and has made a lot of clever decisions and choices along the way that give Source the power that it has.
Funny enough, that’s what I’m doing right now. When I saw what Source could do I realised that it would be very difficult to go back to using any other “framework”.
This sounds really interesting and I’ve just downloaded it. When I tried opening the welcome-to-source.rw file this message popped up. Is there a version that works with Stacks 3.6.8 and RW 7.5.7?
OK - just tried it and just hitting ‘Later’ when you get that message opens it fine. No Stacks 4 elements are used on the pages so I think it is fine to do this - for the demo anyway. Everything still seems to work as it should for me.
Also, I will say that I saw a good jump in performance when moving from RW7.5 to RW8.
I was lucky enough to get early access to Source, but it was before the menu stack was ready, so I built a few manual menus. I’ve just updated these pages to the release version of Source and made up the same page using the Source Nav.
That reminds me that I should really thank @tav here for his help with the Source Nav stack. There quite simply wouldn’t have been an included navigation stack without him.
The navigation is brilliant for those who struggle with other navigation systems. You can control exactly when you want the navigation to collapse to the mobile nav and the nav height and padding are super simple to use. Oh, and did I mention you can use buttons in the navigation too. This is hands down the easiest navigation out there.
Also, please be sure to download the latest version of the demo project file as I have made a few improvements.
If you are enjoying Source please consider leaving a like / review on the RW Community site (free account required). It would be much appreciated. (The listing is not live on the site yet but should still allow you to review.)
No - all the Source stacks require the main Source stack. I have had quite a few requests about making the 2 grid stacks available for use anywhere, and that may well come at some point, but for now my focus is just on Source.
Thanks for your interest in Source. And let me know if you have any other questions when testing it out :)
