LillyCMS

LillyCMS is a lightweight, open-source blog Content Management System designed specifically for freelance developers who build websites using Next.js and deploy on Vercel. It provides a simple solution for adding blog functionality to websites without the need for complex setups or additional hosting services.

🌟 Features

• Simple Authentication: Utilizes Firebase Authentication for easy and secure user management.
• Rich Text Editing: Write blog posts using the user-friendly TipTap rich text editor.
• Markdown Conversion: Automatically converts rich text to Markdown for storage.
• Firebase Storage: Stores blog posts and other data securely in Firebase.
• Next.js Compatible: Seamlessly integrates with your existing Next.js projects.
• Vercel-ready: Deploy your entire website, including the CMS, on Vercel's free tier.
• Customizable: Easy to extend and customize to fit your specific needs.
• Open Source: Free to use and modify under the MIT license.

🛠️ Technology Stack

• Frontend: Next.js (React)
• Authentication: Firebase Authentication
• Content Storage: Firebase Storage
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Rich Text Editor: TipTap
• Markdown Conversion: Turndown.js
• Deployment: Vercel

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or later)
• A Firebase account
• A Vercel account (for deployment)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/theogenejr/lillycms.git
   cd lillycms
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Set up environment variables: Create a .env.local file in the root directory and add the following:

   NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_API_KEY=your_firebase_api_key
   NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN=your_firebase_auth_domain
   NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your_firebase_project_id
   NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=your_firebase_storage_bucket
   NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID=your_firebase_messaging_sender_id
   NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_APP_ID=your_firebase_app_id
   

4. Run the development server:

   npm run dev
   

5. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser to see the CMS in action.

📘 Usage

1. Authentication: Log in using Firebase Authentication.
2. Creating a Post: Navigate to the "New Post" page and write your content using the TipTap rich text editor.
3. Publishing: Click "Publish" to convert the content to Markdown and store your post in Firebase Firestore.
4. Editing: Access existing posts from the dashboard and make changes as needed.
5. Integration: In your main Next.js project, fetch and render the Markdown content from Firebase Firestore.

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions to LillyCMS! Please follow these steps to contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
3. Make your changes and commit them: git commit -m 'Add some feature'
4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/your-feature-name
5. Submit a pull request

Please read our Contributing Guide for more details.

🗺️ Roadmap

• Image upload and management
• Draft saving and preview
• Multi-user support with role-based access control
• Custom themes and layouts
• SEO optimization tools
• Analytics integration

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgements

• Next.js
• Firebase
• Tailwind CSS
• Vercel
• TipTap
• Turndown.js

📞 Support

If you have any questions or need help with LillyCMS, please open an issue in the GitHub repository or contact the maintainer directly.

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Happy blogging with LillyCMS! 🎉