Blog pages vs. website pages for a project overview page with filters and pagination

[DR_040]

I have a question regarding the use of blog pages on our website. 

We're using a nice theme for our website. 
But now we want to build a "project page" that shows a maximum of 100 projects and uses filters and pagination. 

I'm wondering if it's smarter to use the blog pages or to make a custom module for this?

We currently only have one blog (single post) template, with some limited functionality. But if we make a new blog template with full functionality, we can use the blog overview page, which already has the filter options and "load more" button. 

If we make a module, all this functionality needs to be newly customized, and I'm wondering if this is good practice.

We actually don't want the nested pages, so just a simple URL: www.website.com/projectname. 
I checked, and I can manually remove the blog part from the URL. So that's great.

Later, we do want to make an actual blog with news, etc., but we can just make a second blog for this and use the "single post" blog page with its limited functionality for that. 

So my question would be: Is there any downside to using blog pages for this? Is this the smartest way to do it, or should we make a new custom module?

[Anton]

Hi @DR_040, 

using the blog function for pages is a good idea - especially if it's a ressource page with  the same layout. 
If you have the HubDB - take a look at building a multilevel dynamic HubDB page. It's incredibly easy to maintain and you can build variables like "layout a" or "layout b" into HubDB so you can change the layout with ease(will require more developer work but possible)...

Nontheles - you can develop custom modules with the same functionality for the blog. 

I've done quite a few custom blog post modules in the past where the user could have a drag&drop like experience since there is/was no drag&drop for blog post (it's currently in beta; 02/14/23). Everything is possible 

best, 

Anton

[DR_040]

Thanks for the quick response, Anton!

So you're saying that using the blog functionality would be a good option, right?
And then we just copy and tweak our existing blog's "single post" page to give us full functionality.

HubDB is only applicable to normal pages and not blog pages, right? So when we choose that option, we would have to create a custom module?

[SNigam]

Hello @DR_040 ,

Using blog pages for your project page is a reasonable option, especially if you want to leverage the existing filtering and pagination functionality of the blog overview page. The ability to remove the "blog" part from the URL is also a plus if you don't want nested pages.

However, if you need more customization beyond what the blog pages can offer, creating a custom module may be a better option. This will require more development effort but can offer greater flexibility and control over the layout and functionality of your project page.

Ultimately, the decision should be based on your specific requirements and resources. Consider factors such as the amount of content and functionality needed, the level of customization required, and the expertise of your development team.

I hope this will help you.

Thank you 
Shubham Nigam

[DR_040]

Thanks for the quick and good response Shubham!

I only have one question left then.
What are the limitations of a blog page? Can't we make a blog page with the exact same functionality that a normal page has? Basically just copying a "normal" page.

What limitations does a blog page has compared to a normal page?