Hi guys,
As I port over to Toolset Types and Views, I am using Beaver Builder & Beaver Themer to re-create our website. However, I am a little confused.
It appears there are two (or more?) ways to create reusable frontend UI layouts for Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies, both singular and archive.
1.) Using Beaver Themer
- It appears I can create using Beaver Themer layouts for the main content
- Use Field Connections to connect to Types fields in the WP admin. backend
- Use Views to create queries for specific (or even edge) cases, then use Beaver Themer / BB to add them into the layout
All of this WITHOUT using Toolset Content Templates: hidden link
2.) Using Toolset "Content Templates"
- I watched a video tutorial that showed how to do the same thing (?) as above, but by creating a "Content Template"
- Then using Beaver Themer (I assume it is Themer and NOT Beaver Builder because of the Field Connections option) to design it
So, my questions are:
a.) Are both methods viable?
b.) Is there an advantage to using the Toolset "Content Templates" workflow/approach to creating layouts for CPT/CTs over just using what I've been using - which is Beaver Themer by itself? Such as perhaps, better integration with / getting information pulled from Views?
c.) And vice versa - Is there an advantage of using Beaver Themer over Toolset "Content Templates"?
I feel that the workflow/UX of Beaver Themer is more "natural", intuitive and easy to work with than via the Toolset "Content Templates" method, and would prefer that, but not sure if I'll be losing functionality down the line if I went with that approach.
Thanks for your thoughts,
You can certainly use Beaver Themer to design your layouts, then insert Views or Types shortcodes, and so on. Or you can use the Beaver Builder plugin to design a Content Template, but not Beaver Themer. I do not recommend using Beaver Themer and Content Templates applied to entire post types at the same time if at all possible, because they can cause conflicts with each other.
Views will generally work equally well in a Content Template or a Beaver Themer layout - I can't think of a situation where Views rely on Content Templates applied to a post. Toolset products like CRED and Access are integrated with Content Templates in ways that are not possible with Beaver Themer. For example, the "Edit Post" link to a form requires the form is placed in a Content Template. When Beaver Themer is active, it may override that Content Template in a way that is not easy for us to overcome. The result is that it's not possible to show the Form with Beaver Themer. Access is able to show specific Content Templates when someone tries to visit a restricted area, but Beaver Themer layouts are not tightly integrated that way.
c.) And vice versa - Is there an advantage of using Beaver Themer over Toolset "Content Templates"?
I'm not really an expert in Beaver Themer so I'm not the best person to answer this question, but if you are more comfortable working in their templating system, and that makes you more productive, I'd say that's an advantage.
Thanks, Christian!
"Or you can use the Beaver Builder plugin to design a Content Template, but not Beaver Themer."
I made a quick video to try and make sure I understand what you're saying here: hidden link
Also, just for my own knowledge: If I went with the Toolset "Content Template" approach, and somewhere down the line decided to switch from BB to Elementor... Would this approach help mitigate my risk of having to re-create all of my layouts?
Thank you,
The red "plus" button is available in Beaver Builder Plugin interfaces without Beaver Themer, so you can select from the Types fields and other shortcodes. It's integrated without the Field Connections provided in Themer. So yes, this is what I'm referring to as using Beaver Builder Plugin to create a Content Template without Beaver Themer. Not sure what's going on with the Heading field in your screencast, that could be a bug or a compatibility issue with Beaver Themer. If you continue to experience that problem, please do create a separate ticket so we can investigate it in more detail.
Also, just for my own knowledge: If I went with the Toolset "Content Template" approach, and somewhere down the line decided to switch from BB to Elementor... Would this approach help mitigate my risk of having to re-create all of my layouts?
I think BB and Elementor use their own proprietary markup systems and modules to generate grid-based designs, and when you create Content Templates with either system they are mutually exclusive. BB modules probably do not automatically translate to Elementor modules and vice versa. You would most likely have to recreate your Content Templates if you start in one design system and switch to another, though I'm not an expert in BB and Elementor so I'm probably not the best source of information about conversion between the two systems.
Wonderful, thank you, Christian. That helped clarify quite a bit.
