Orchard CMS: Up and Running

Chapter 9. Conclusion

At this point in our exploration of Orchard we’ve validated the 80-20 rule, which suggests that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. As it relates to Orchard, 80% of the websites that could be built with Orchard could probably be built with 20% of Orchard’s functionality. While we’ve certainly covered more than 20% of what Orchard is capable of, many readers may have found that their needs were met after learning how to create content types and projection pages.

Along the way, we’ve certainly left some stones unturned. Queries and projections, for example, could have occupied an entire chapter. Module development could easily fill an entire book. To cover 100% of Orchard’s functionality would require a book with at least three to four times the number of pages that are found in this text. Still, we’ve been exposed to most of the common use cases for building sites with Orchard.

A few months ago when I started writing this book, the Daisy’s Gone website was the “killer” Orchard app for me. Now I realize that so many of the ideas I’ve had for hobby sites over the years could easily be cooked by Orchard with very minimal effort. I hope you’ve also come to the same conclusion—that Orchard is a great platform for building out your next idea.