Using WordPress + wpDataTables as a SaaS front end

by Dave G

Afternoon everyone,

I'm plotting how to build a charting / reporting frontend for my backend data collection process. It outputs to emailed CSV currently, I shortly plan to write data to into customer specific mysql databases if I can prove the wordpress+charting combo is viable.

Has anyone else previously used WordPress as their front end, with a table / charting plugin like wpDataTables?

Rather than spend weeks / months building a charting backend this would be a semi-MVP route to have some nice visuals in an easy to manage way.

My question is: Has anyone tried this approach previously, with a password protected page per website / customer to be able to provide value without building a complex system at the start?

Dave G

posted to

WordPress

on March 5, 2022

Say something nice to HeadsUpWP…

Post Comment

2
Not commercially. I played around with it, and I am planning to use a similar solution in the future.

I use 3 plugins:
- Clean Login - for easy frontend login
- Content Control - for to restrict page
- ReactPress (written by myself) - to embed my React app into WordPress
I prefer WordPress + Login + React to SSR solution because you have your content marketing covered, get the whole WP ecosystem and a full-featured user management solution. I think this solution is undervalued for single founders.

The downside is: WordPress plugin development is no fun.
rockiger

·
2 years ago
·
Reply
1. 1
  
  Thanks for the heads up on that. Just had a quick look and should cover what I'd need in a nice way for the login + control part. The react part has got me thinking as well, could be an interesting combo if I can learn that as well.
  
  Any chance of fixing the video on your how to page (https://rockiger.com/en/easily-embed-react-apps-into-wordpress-with-reactpress-plugin/)? Would a ReactApp build this way be a like a normal one and able to connect to API's outside of WordPress itself, for example I make a new backend to my data set and talk to that?
  
  Might need to start learning up some more to bake in charting myself :)
  
  HeadsUpWP
  
  ·
  2 years ago
  ·
  Reply
  1. 2
    
    I created 2 new videos:
    
    Get Started with ReactPress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY_qWygLwcU
    Deploy your React app with ReactPress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-uvTyUdm2M
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    rockiger
    
    ·
    2 years ago
    ·
    Reply
    1. 1
      
      Thank you, I have just watched them both and its a lot easier to follow along and rewatch afterwards.
      
      HeadsUpWP
      
      ·
      2 years ago
      ·
      Reply
  2. 2
    
    A new video is on my list. If you go to the plugin page the documentation is up to date.
    
    It is a normal create-react-app with the additions of the WordPress user object and an updated development index.html that looks similar to your WordPress page.
    
    So yes, you can access anything any third party API.
    
    rockiger
    
    ·
    2 years ago
    ·
    Reply