# Integrating a CMS with an Existing Rails App. . .? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [August 30, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388 "2007-08-30T16:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/1 "2007-08-30T16:10:36Z")
Hi All, I’m looking for the best way to integrate a CMS with an existing rails site. Basically I want to leave all of the existing database driven content untouched and _ONLY MANAGE STATIC PAGES_ with a CMS. Is it possible to have this half-and-half type integration? Any recommendations? Regards ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/2 "2007-08-30T17:46:48Z")
gberz3 wrote: > Hi All, > > I’m looking for the best way to integrate a CMS with an existing rails > site. Basically I want to leave all of the existing database driven > content untouched and _ONLY MANAGE STATIC PAGES_ with a CMS. Is it > possible to have this half-and-half type integration? Any > recommendations? > > Regards You could run Radiant separately on a different subdomain of your site if that meets your requirement. Note though that Radiant is also database-backed naturally. Cheers, Mohit. 8/30/2007 | 11:45 PM. ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/3 "2007-08-30T23:53:59Z")
This is to apstract question in order to get some meaningfull answer. Is it possible? In this world that we build anything is possible. Is it doable in your particular situation depends on how both sites are organized and how should they interact. In general case it’s doable. Give a little thought how this two systems should interact in consideration with existing DB driven application and the solution will come your way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/4 "2007-08-30T23:31:58Z")
Excellent suggestion, but really not an option. I need it all to be 100% transparent to the end user (and to the CMS Admin as well) if at all possible. Thanks, Michael ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 7:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/5 "2007-08-31T07:25:31Z")
Hi Michael, It can be (almost) 100% transparent since we’re using hypertext. All users need is that the content comes to them when the click on the URLs they expect. You could have a page that is the landing page for the static content which redirects to the CMS and in the CMS, you can refer to the dynamic pages by URL to bring the user back. It should be possible, I imagine. On the other hand, I’m told (and I was told cos I asked) that Radiant can run out of a directory but you would need to change the settings on your web server to forward requests to your Radiant site when a hit to that directory is requested and so on. More: [http://lists.radiantcms.org/pipermail/radiant/2007-August/006118.html](http://lists.radiantcms.org/pipermail/radiant/2007-August/006118.html) Hope this helps. Cheers, Mohit. 8/31/2007 | 1:24 PM. ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/6 "2007-08-31T15:55:52Z")
go look at comatose for an embedded, minimal cms in your webapp. [http://comatose.rubyforge.org/](http://comatose.rubyforge.org/) -Andrew On 8/31/07, Mohit S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Mohit. > > > Michael > > > > > > possible to have this half-and-half type integration? Any > > > > 8/30/2007 | 11:45 PM. – Andrew K. ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/7 "2007-09-18T14:29:58Z")
Hi, On 30-Aug-07, at 10:02 AM, gberz3 wrote: > Hi All, > > I’m looking for the best way to integrate a CMS with an existing rails > site. Basically I want to leave all of the existing database driven > content untouched and _ONLY MANAGE STATIC PAGES_ with a CMS. Is it > possible to have this half-and-half type integration? Any > recommendations? Did you get anywhere with this? If not, I can make a couple of suggestions. Cheers, Bob > Regards > > > * * * Bob H. – tumblelog at http:// www.recursive.ca/so/ Recursive Design Inc. – weblog at [http://www.recursive.ca/](http://www.recursive.ca/) hutch [http://www.recursive.ca/](http://www.recursive.ca/) – works on [http://www.raconteur.info/](http://www.raconteur.info/) cms-for-static-content/home/ ---
**Author:** ![gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f9ae1b/32.png) [@gberz3](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gberz3)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/integrating-a-cms-with-an-existing-rails-app/113388/8 "2007-09-18T18:58:11Z")
On Sep 18, 2007, at 5:28 AM, Bob H. wrote: > Did you get anywhere with this? If not, I can make a couple of > suggestions. Perhaps Comatose ([http://comatose.rubyforge.org/](http://comatose.rubyforge.org/)) is what you want. – Benjamin C. Founder, Catch the Best [http://catchthebest.com/](http://catchthebest.com/) [http://www.bencurtis.com/](http://www.bencurtis.com/) – personal blog