Jump to main content

Help Me Choose: Which version of Fast Edit is right for me?

If you're having difficulty deciding which version of Fast Edit will best suit your needs, try placing yourself in the following situations and choose the closest scenario to you (getting progressively more advanced).



Scenario 1

I've made a website for somebody else and I only want them to update certain pages with basic text.

  • They're not at all technical and only need the basics like bold and underline - anything else will confuse them.
  • I don't want them to add new pages; I've made my own menu so I don't want that to change.
  • I also don't want them to upload things to my server.

You should choose: Fast Edit Micro

Additionally: Remove unwanted WYSIWYG editor toolbar buttons in the "fast_edit/js/fast_edit_toolbar.js" file.
 



Scenario 2

I've built a website for somebody who is quite keen to update their own content.

  • I'd like them to be able to edit some/all of their pages with standard WYSIWYG options to start with, but I maybe also want the choice to add more formatting buttons for them later down the line.
  • I don't want them to upload images or files to my server.
  • The website already has its own menu so they shouldn't be able to add new pages.

You should choose: Fast Edit Mini

Additionally: To enable even more formatting features in the editor's WYSIWYG toolbar, please refer to the TinyMCE examples page and cherry pick your favourites to add to the "fast_edit/js/fast_edit_toolbar.js" file.
 



Scenario 3

I've made a website for someone who is not hugely technical but they still want to manage their own content.

  • I'd like them to be able to edit all of their pages with standard WYSIWYG options to start with, but I also want the choice to add more formatting buttons for them later down the line.
  • They will need to be able to upload files and images and add them easily into their web pages.
  • I'd also like them to be able to make page backups and restore them if things go wrong.
  • The website already has its own menu so they don't need to add new pages.
  • I don't want them to change the colour of text or fiddle with my default site styling in any way.

You should choose: Fast Edit v1.0
- with the Template Manager turned OFF and the Page Manager running in "basic" mode.

Additionally: To enable even more formatting features in the editor's WYSIWYG toolbar, please refer to the TinyMCE examples page and cherry pick your favourites to add to the "fast_edit/js/fast_edit_toolbar.js" file.
 



Scenario 4

I've made a website for myself or someone else who already has some web editing experience so they want to manage their own website content as much as they can.

  • I'd like them to be able to edit all of their pages with advanced WYSIWYG options and give them all formatting choices from the word go.
  • They will need to be able to upload files and images and add them into their web pages easily.
  • They also need to add new pages that will automatically appear as buttons in the menu if they want them to, but they should also be able to hide page buttons from the menu if the pages are for sub-category content.
  • I'd also like them to be able to make page backups and restore them if things go wrong and also delete old or unwanted pages as they see fit.
  • I'd also like to let them change some CSS styles so they feel they are in control of secondary site styling.

You should choose: Fast Edit v1.0
- with the Template Manager turned ON and the Page Manager running in "advanced" mode.

Additionally: To enable the full set of advanced formatting features in the editor's WYSIWYG toolbar, please refer to the TinyMCE example page and add the whole shebang to the "fast_edit/js/fast_edit_toolbar.js" file.
 



Alternative Scenario

I just want something super-simple that I can use to easily edit web page content. No bells or whistles, thanks.

  • I'd like to have multiple editable regions per web page (if required) - I don't mind setting them up manually.
  • I'd like the option to upload files and images and add them into web pages easily.
  • I'm not bothered about a fancy menu - I've made my own.
  • I'm not bothered about in-page edits - a back-end admin panel, with everything in one place, is fine.
  • I'd like to make backups of individual content regions and restore them if things go wrong.

You should choose: Fast Edit BE (Snippet Manager)

Additionally: To enable/disable formatting features in the editor's WYSIWYG toolbar, please refer to the TinyMCE example page to customise the "fast_edit_BE/js/fast_edit_toolbar.js" file however you like.
 



I hope you found this advice useful. If you have any questions about which version of Fast Edit you should choose, please do not hestitate to contact me.

Last updated: October 2nd, 2013