Tutorials

Audiences
Any audience
End Users
Server Administrators
Site Administrators
Integrators, Customizers
Developers
Advanced Developers

Any audience

Contributing to plone.org: Writing Documentation for plone.org

Creating Documentation for Plone.org

Best practices and tips for writing good documentation for plone.org

Configuration and Set-Up: Add-on Products

mailtoplone: Integrate emails with plone

Mailtoplone's main purpose is to create plone content from emails. The emails are delivered to plone as plaintext containing the entire email including the envelope. Mailtoplone makes heavy use of the zope 3 component architecture and plone's content rules. The tutorial explains the approach and shows an example usecase.

Managing Content: Integrating External Content

mailtoplone: Integrate emails with plone

Mailtoplone's main purpose is to create plone content from emails. The emails are delivered to plone as plaintext containing the entire email including the envelope. Mailtoplone makes heavy use of the zope 3 component architecture and plone's content rules. The tutorial explains the approach and shows an example usecase.

End Users

Content Creation with Kupu and Other WYSIWYG Editors

This tutorial introduces the Kupu interface and explains how to insert images, create FAQ pages, and use Kupu's ResolveUID feature. It was written by Quintagroup content manager for end-users and is compatible with Kupu 1.4.x.

Server Administrators

Basic Use: General

Using Add-on Products

There are many third-party add-on Products for Plone that can give you additional functionality, often at the click of a button. However, not all Products are created equal. Knowing how to install, test, evaluate and extend them is important. Read on.

Installation

Managing projects with zc.buildout

Learn about eggs, setuptools and dependency management, and how to use zc.buildout to set up a development environment.

Installation: Linux

Installing Plone 3 with the Unified Installer

The Unified Installer is a kit for installing Zope and Plone from source on most Unix-like systems, including Linux, BSD, OS X and Solaris. This tutorial introduces its use and options.

Create, configure, and maintain a robust Plone and Zope installation

In this tutorial, Matt Rohrer from Prognostikos explains how to install and configure Plone and Zope from source for a public facing web site.

Install Plone 3 behind Apache and mod_wsgi using Repoze

Repoze allows Plone and Zope to run behind any WSGI server. This tutorial will show how to install Plone 3 behind the Apache web server and mod_wsgi using Repoze on a brand new Linux virtual server.

Installation: Mac

Hosting on Mac OS X

A discussion of production Plone installations on Mac OS X

Configuration and Set-Up: Add-on Products

Using Add-on Products

There are many third-party add-on Products for Plone that can give you additional functionality, often at the click of a button. However, not all Products are created equal. Knowing how to install, test, evaluate and extend them is important. Read on.

Configuration and Set-Up: Performance

Optimizing Plone Performance

This tutorial will show you a simple and effective way to use caching to make your Plone site a production-worthy setup capable of delivering in excess of 100 pages per second given proper hardware. (In progress)

Configuration and Set-Up: Plone With Other Web Servers

Install Plone 3 behind Apache and mod_wsgi using Repoze

Repoze allows Plone and Zope to run behind any WSGI server. This tutorial will show how to install Plone 3 behind the Apache web server and mod_wsgi using Repoze on a brand new Linux virtual server.

Developing for Plone: Tools and Processes

Managing projects with zc.buildout

Learn about eggs, setuptools and dependency management, and how to use zc.buildout to set up a development environment.

Site Administrators

Basic Use: General

Using Add-on Products

There are many third-party add-on Products for Plone that can give you additional functionality, often at the click of a button. However, not all Products are created equal. Knowing how to install, test, evaluate and extend them is important. Read on.

Installation: Linux

Install Plone 3 behind Apache and mod_wsgi using Repoze

Repoze allows Plone and Zope to run behind any WSGI server. This tutorial will show how to install Plone 3 behind the Apache web server and mod_wsgi using Repoze on a brand new Linux virtual server.

Configuration and Set-Up: Add-on Products

Using Add-on Products

There are many third-party add-on Products for Plone that can give you additional functionality, often at the click of a button. However, not all Products are created equal. Knowing how to install, test, evaluate and extend them is important. Read on.

Configuration and Set-Up: Other

Creating public websites with staging and custom skins

In this tutorial, Martin Aspeli plays investigative journalist, deciphering Alan's ramblings to find out exactly how Enfold deploy real sites with staging and different authoring and public skins.

Configuration and Set-Up: Plone With Other Web Servers

Install Plone 3 behind Apache and mod_wsgi using Repoze

Repoze allows Plone and Zope to run behind any WSGI server. This tutorial will show how to install Plone 3 behind the Apache web server and mod_wsgi using Repoze on a brand new Linux virtual server.

Developing for Plone: Writing Installation Scripts

Understanding and Using GenericSetup in Plone

A detailed look at GenericSetup, wherein we will learn what it is and how it can be used within Plone.

Users, Authentication, and Permissions: Permissions & Authorization

Understanding permissions and security

Plone uses a combination of low-level Zope permissions, roles, local roles and workflows to manage permissions on objects. Understanding these will help you manage how, and by whom, your Plone site is accessed.

Users, Authentication, and Permissions: Workflow

Creating Workflows in Plone

This documentation explains the purpose of the DCWorkflow product and how to make use of it. DCWorkflow is a CMF Product for Zope, and Plone's workflows are built using it.

Visual Design: Managing Themes

Using the Resource Registries to control CSS and Javascript

Plone has two neat tools for managing Cascading Stylesheets and Javascript in a handy way. This tutorial explains some whys and hows and even has a minimal practical example of how it works.

Integrators, Customizers

Basic Use: General

Using Add-on Products

There are many third-party add-on Products for Plone that can give you additional functionality, often at the click of a button. However, not all Products are created equal. Knowing how to install, test, evaluate and extend them is important. Read on.

Configuration and Set-Up: Add-on Products

Using Add-on Products

There are many third-party add-on Products for Plone that can give you additional functionality, often at the click of a button. However, not all Products are created equal. Knowing how to install, test, evaluate and extend them is important. Read on.

Configuration and Set-Up: Relational Databases

Plone and MySQL

How to integrate and manage MySQL data within Plone using TAL, MySQL, Python and Zope Page Templates (TMPZ)

Developing for Plone: Archetypes: Creating and Extending Content Types: Code Generation with UML

ArchGenXML 1.x- Getting started

ArchGenXML is a code-generator for CMF/Plone applications (Products) based on the Archetypes framework. It parses UML models in XMI-Format (.xmi, .zargo, .zuml), created with applications such as ArgoUML, Poseidon or ObjectDomain. This tutorial will help you get started developing applications with the aid of ArchGenXML.

Building Custom Content Types with ArgoUML and ArchGenXML and Permitting Anonymous Content Submission

And howto on creating a custom content type with ArgoUML and ArchGenXML, and allowing anonymous submission of that content.

Developing for Plone: Other

Introduction to the ZODB

An overview of the ZODB, Transactions and ZEO. Delivered at the Plone Conference 2007, Naples.

Developing for Plone: Overview

Customization for developers

This tutorial provides an overview of how to customise different aspects of Plone 3

Developing for Plone: Writing Installation Scripts

Understanding and Using GenericSetup in Plone

A detailed look at GenericSetup, wherein we will learn what it is and how it can be used within Plone.

Managing Content: Import

XML in Plone with Marshall

Marshall lets you save and load Plone content using XML. As a configurable system, it has lots of options. This hands-on how-to shows exactly what to do to make the basics work.

Users, Authentication, and Permissions: Workflow

Creating Workflows in Plone

This documentation explains the purpose of the DCWorkflow product and how to make use of it. DCWorkflow is a CMF Product for Zope, and Plone's workflows are built using it.

Visual Design

What controls what you see

This tutorial breaks down the main display elements in a Plone site, and shows you how to control and customize the appearance of each element.

Visual Design: Creating Theme Products

Creating a new theme for Plone: a real-world example

In this tutorial, Alexander Limi will show you how to take a default Plone site and put a totally different look on it. (Not updated for Plone 3.0 yet)

Creating Plone Skin Products with Plone Skin Dump

This tutorial is helpful for Plone skins designers who have some experience with creating custom look and feel for Plone and want to release their work as file-system Plone Skin Product. Plone developers might find this product useful as well.

DIYPloneStyle: Creating a Custom Style for Plone

This tutorial will teach you how DIYPloneStyle can be used as a base for creating a custom style product for Plone 2.1 or Plone 2.5 that adds to a portal a new skin selection and makes use of the new stylesheet and javascript registries.

Visual Design: Managing Themes

Switching Skins

This Tutorial describes how Plone chooses a skin when you open a web page, and then describes the multiple ways that you can intervene to switch the skin. The Tutorial also discusses two common use cases, switching skins based on URL and the type of user (e.g., Anonymous or Authenticated).

Using the Resource Registries to control CSS and Javascript

Plone has two neat tools for managing Cascading Stylesheets and Javascript in a handy way. This tutorial explains some whys and hows and even has a minimal practical example of how it works.

Visual Design: Minor Adjustments

Creating a new theme for Plone: a real-world example

In this tutorial, Alexander Limi will show you how to take a default Plone site and put a totally different look on it. (Not updated for Plone 3.0 yet)

Working with CSS

instructions on working with base_properties and stylesheets.

Creating Plone Skin Products with Plone Skin Dump

This tutorial is helpful for Plone skins designers who have some experience with creating custom look and feel for Plone and want to release their work as file-system Plone Skin Product. Plone developers might find this product useful as well.

DIYPloneStyle: Creating a Custom Style for Plone

This tutorial will teach you how DIYPloneStyle can be used as a base for creating a custom style product for Plone 2.1 or Plone 2.5 that adds to a portal a new skin selection and makes use of the new stylesheet and javascript registries.

Making your tables sortable

In this tutorial, Helge Tesdal from Plone Solutions will show you how to make your tables sortable with Javascript - just by using a simple declaration.

Visual Design: Slots, Portlets, Viewlets

Customizing the viewlets in main_template

Since Plone 3.0, main_template.pt calls viewlet managers instead of METAL macros. Learn from this tutorial how viewlets can be programmatically reordered, hidden or added (from a product on the filesystem).

Rounded Corners on Portlets using only CSS

Put the "Rounded Corners" look on your portlets using only custom CSS and three images.

Visual Design: Templates

Using Plone's built-in batching mechanism

In this tutorial, Helge Tesdal from Jarn (formerly Plone Solutions) shows you how to use the built-in batching utility in Plone to create a Previous/Next selector with pages when you have a lot of items you want to list.

Making your tables sortable

In this tutorial, Helge Tesdal from Plone Solutions will show you how to make your tables sortable with Javascript - just by using a simple declaration.

ZPT - Zope Page Templates

An introduction to how Plone's templating language works. Absolutely essential reading if you are going to customize Plone's templates. Originally written by the excellent Evan Simpson and published on zope.org.

Customizing AT View Templates

This tutorial describes the steps to produce a fully-customized view of an Archetypes object. This is applicable to tweaking little details of the default AT behavior as well as gutting and re-building the view from scratch.

Developers

Installation

Managing projects with zc.buildout

Learn about eggs, setuptools and dependency management, and how to use zc.buildout to set up a development environment.

Configuration and Set-Up: Relational Databases

Plone and MySQL

How to integrate and manage MySQL data within Plone using TAL, MySQL, Python and Zope Page Templates (TMPZ)

Creating SQL content types with collective.tin

collective.tin is a library for creating RDBMS backed content types on top of SQLAlchemy. collective.lead is used for transaction integration. collective.mercury supports the autogeneration of interfaces, model and db files by introspecting the RDBMS schema. This approach does not require zodb stubs. Versioning is optional. Workflow status and history (if required) are stored in the database. (This tutorial is very much a work in progress, but I figured it may be useful to make it public now)

Configuration and Set-Up: Site-Wide Settings

Converting text with Portal Transforms and the MIME Types Registry

In this tutorial, you will learn how Plone and Archetypes keeps track of content MIME types, and how PortalTransforms enables you to convert between content of different MIME types. You will learn how to register a new MIME type, and how to create new transforms.

Developing for Plone: Archetypes

RichDocument: Creating content types the Plone 2.1 way

This tutorial will teach you how to create content types the Plone 2.1 way, using the ATContentTypes library, by following the example of RichDocument, an extension of Plone's standard Page/Document type.

Choosing the correct Archetypes widget

A gallery of most of the edit form widgets that are available for Archetypes

Developing for Plone: Archetypes: Creating and Extending Content Types

RichDocument: Creating content types the Plone 2.1 way

This tutorial will teach you how to create content types the Plone 2.1 way, using the ATContentTypes library, by following the example of RichDocument, an extension of Plone's standard Page/Document type.

Slide Sorter

Create a view for sorting images (and potentially other content) which are displayed in a grid layout, where by each item occupies a single cell rather than a whole row. This uses a modified version of the javascript that powers the drag and drop functionality of folder_contents.

Developing for Plone: Archetypes: Creating and Extending Content Types: Code Generation with UML

ArchGenXML 1.x- Getting started

ArchGenXML is a code-generator for CMF/Plone applications (Products) based on the Archetypes framework. It parses UML models in XMI-Format (.xmi, .zargo, .zuml), created with applications such as ArgoUML, Poseidon or ObjectDomain. This tutorial will help you get started developing applications with the aid of ArchGenXML.

Developing for Plone: Archetypes: Widgets and Fields

Choosing the correct Archetypes widget

A gallery of most of the edit form widgets that are available for Archetypes

Developing for Plone: Other

Introduction to the ZODB

An overview of the ZODB, Transactions and ZEO. Delivered at the Plone Conference 2007, Naples.

Creating Content Rule Conditions and Actions

This tutorial shows how to create a new type of condition that site administrators can use to construct Content Rules in Plone 3.

Developing for Plone: Overview

Customization for developers

This tutorial provides an overview of how to customise different aspects of Plone 3

Best Practices for Plone development

Based on the talk given by Joel Burton at the Plone Conference in Vienna, this Tutorial discusses some of the best practices for Plone development. If you are doing site development with Plone and want to keep your sanity, this is a must-read. Requires some familiarity with Zope and Plone.

Common Plone programming recipes

Basics of accessing and modifying objects programmatically using Python, Plone's programming language.

Developing for Plone: Tools and Processes

Managing projects with zc.buildout

Learn about eggs, setuptools and dependency management, and how to use zc.buildout to set up a development environment.

Testing in Plone

This tutorial will explain how to write safer, better code that makes you look more professional. That's right - it's time to write tests, for everything you do. Don't worry, it's not boring or complicated, you just need to learn how.

Importing your product into the Collective

There are two strategies for introducing a new product in the Plone Collective when you already have it in your own repository: a simple svn export or a dump file that is loaded by the plone.org admins. This tutorial explains the differences and shows how to do both.

Listing Your Project in Plone Software Center

Plone Software Center allows you to list your product on plone.org, show releases, manage your documentation, handle improvement plans, and more--all without forcing you into any particular development process or repository. We intend for this to become the canonical repository for Plone products. This tutorial walks through the benefits of PSC and demonstrates how to make the most of it.

Releasing a Plone product

After months of hard labour you have finally finished your shiny new Plone product. You are ready to receive fanmail from happy users. So now what should you do?

Developing for Plone: Tools and Processes: Debugging

Developing and Debugging Plone Products with PIDA

Basic instructions on using the PIDA integrated development framework to develop and debug Plone (and Zope) products

Developing for Plone: Tools and Processes: Releasing

Listing Your Project in Plone Software Center

Plone Software Center allows you to list your product on plone.org, show releases, manage your documentation, handle improvement plans, and more--all without forcing you into any particular development process or repository. We intend for this to become the canonical repository for Plone products. This tutorial walks through the benefits of PSC and demonstrates how to make the most of it.

Releasing a Plone product

After months of hard labour you have finally finished your shiny new Plone product. You are ready to receive fanmail from happy users. So now what should you do?

Developing for Plone: Tools and Processes: Testing

Testing in Plone

This tutorial will explain how to write safer, better code that makes you look more professional. That's right - it's time to write tests, for everything you do. Don't worry, it's not boring or complicated, you just need to learn how.

Developing for Plone: Writing Installation Scripts

Understanding and Using GenericSetup in Plone

A detailed look at GenericSetup, wherein we will learn what it is and how it can be used within Plone.

Developing for Plone: Zope 3 Approaches

b-org: Creating content types the Plone 2.5 way

Plone 2.5 brings us closer to the promised land of Zope 3. Zope 3 brings us a new way of working. This tutorial will show how to marry the old and the new, to make Plone products that are more extensible, better tested and easier to maintain.

Benefit NOW from using GenericSetup and Zope 3 technologies

Impress your colleagues by using GenericSetup and Zope 3 views efficiently and with minimal effort! This tutorial shows you how to add a new view, how to use it, how to add a new content type and how to hook it all up.

Using zope.formlib With Plone

Display the use of the Zope 3 technology, zope.formlib, in a Plone based environment. A side goal is to help demonstrate some new practices with building new Plone based applications.

Walking through Five to Zope 3

In this tutorial we start you on your journey to the powerful Zope 3 Component Architecture (CA) by way of Five. You will learn about defining and configuring interfaces and adapters, and the CA programming model. You will also learn how to use our new TreeWalker, that helps you easily define recursive operations on object trees.

Creating SQL content types with collective.tin

collective.tin is a library for creating RDBMS backed content types on top of SQLAlchemy. collective.lead is used for transaction integration. collective.mercury supports the autogeneration of interfaces, model and db files by introspecting the RDBMS schema. This approach does not require zodb stubs. Versioning is optional. Workflow status and history (if required) are stored in the database. (This tutorial is very much a work in progress, but I figured it may be useful to make it public now)

Developing for Plone: Zope 3 Approaches: Five

b-org: Creating content types the Plone 2.5 way

Plone 2.5 brings us closer to the promised land of Zope 3. Zope 3 brings us a new way of working. This tutorial will show how to marry the old and the new, to make Plone products that are more extensible, better tested and easier to maintain.

Users, Authentication, and Permissions: User Management

Making a custom folderish type act as the member folder

This tutorial explains how to create your own portal_membership tool in order to override the creation of the member folder. Be warned: this tutorial is not for the faint hearted, but for advanced plone programmers.

Visual Design: Managing Themes

Using the Resource Registries to control CSS and Javascript

Plone has two neat tools for managing Cascading Stylesheets and Javascript in a handy way. This tutorial explains some whys and hows and even has a minimal practical example of how it works.

Visual Design: Slots, Portlets, Viewlets

Customizing the viewlets in main_template

Since Plone 3.0, main_template.pt calls viewlet managers instead of METAL macros. Learn from this tutorial how viewlets can be programmatically reordered, hidden or added (from a product on the filesystem).

Visual Design: Templates

ZPT - Zope Page Templates

An introduction to how Plone's templating language works. Absolutely essential reading if you are going to customize Plone's templates. Originally written by the excellent Evan Simpson and published on zope.org.

Advanced Developers

Developing for Plone: Writing Installation Scripts

Understanding and Using GenericSetup in Plone

A detailed look at GenericSetup, wherein we will learn what it is and how it can be used within Plone.

Developing for Plone: Zope 3 Approaches

Benefit NOW from using GenericSetup and Zope 3 technologies

Impress your colleagues by using GenericSetup and Zope 3 views efficiently and with minimal effort! This tutorial shows you how to add a new view, how to use it, how to add a new content type and how to hook it all up.

Embrace and Extend Existing Products: The Zope 3 Way

With Zope 3 techniques (also available in Zope 2) you can cleanly extend an existing product without changing any of its code directly. In this tutorial we add annotations to a content type based on keywords. The use case we have is: extending Quills. The code is in the keywordadapter product in the collective.

Visual Design: Slots, Portlets, Viewlets

Customizing the viewlets in main_template

Since Plone 3.0, main_template.pt calls viewlet managers instead of METAL macros. Learn from this tutorial how viewlets can be programmatically reordered, hidden or added (from a product on the filesystem).