I am a very happy user of Webflow. I now have one project where I need to use PHP as server side language.
Webflow does not support it. I did find in this forum a couple of posts suggesting some workarounds to do that, but none satisfies me fully (e.g. use of embed element with PHP code, surrounded by HTML comment block that I then have to remove after exporting the code from Webflow, etc.)
Hence my question: do you know a good website builder which is WYSIWYG / drag & drop like Webflow, but which also supports PHP?
Or if not, HOW do people normally do to have the benefit of WYSIWYG drag & drop editor and use PHP too? The issue is, of course, that if one has to update the HTML in the WYSIWYG editor, it has to manually and painfully reinsert the PHP code where needed…
I would be very grateful for an answer – I am at a loss atm.
Normally if one has to use server side code, you would do it with a code editor and not have any limitations. There are still some WISYWIG editors around like Dreamweaver.
If a project requires a server side language and you want to do the design work in Webflow you would export the site. Then implement a language of your choice, PHP or other. You don’t indicate what the site requirements are so I can’t offer additional advice.
Normally if one has to use server side code, you would do it with a code editor and not have any limitations. There are still some WISYWIG editors around like Dreamweaver.
I read/think that Dreamweaver is at high risk of being discontinued at some point (but I know not everyone agrees about that). Could you recommend any other software like it, which is WISYWIG and which handles latest stuff like Flex and Grid, AND accepts and debugs PHP code?
The requirements of my website not complex (it’s not a big website).
I will have a MySql server
It will need to be a membership site
I am thinking of using Laravel, which comes with membership site features already.
If a project requires a server side language and you want to do the design work in Webflow you would export the site.
With this, I see two issues. Suppose I use PHP:
(1) There is no possibility of debugging PHP code on Webflow (nor to see the published site on mysite.webflow.io with the PHP output)
(2) Suppose that I design the website in webflow and export it, and then add the PHP code. If I later decide to make design changes in Webflow, and export the site, I then have to re-add manually the PHP code. It can become very difficult to maintain. As I said in my first email, I am not too happy with workarounds like PHP code in the Embed element.
Why is it that none of the wonderful WISYWIG editors like Webflow, Wix etc etc. have decided not to manage server code like PHP? It don’t really understand… it would have been the best of both world, addressing the needs of non-coders AND coders…
Why not look at Wordpress? There are tools to allow you to layout pages without code. It’s built on PHP. I do prefer to use Laravel and when combined with TailwindCSS it is pretty easy to design a site right in your code editor.
My guess is PHP is not supported on their platforms and there is no demand for a product that does both. Plus if you write bad code you crash the site, then who has to deal with support issues?
I almost forgot about Pinegrow. A visual designer with Animation capabilities through GSAP that supports lots of CSS frameworks and PHP. You can also convert Webflow sites to Wordpress if you want. https://www.pinegrow.com