Be Responsible. Never Hack the Core.

This tutorial is over a year old and may not apply to your version of Concrete CMS.
Jan 13, 2016

Never hack core

In open source communities you’ll frequently hear the phrase “don’t hack core.”

What is hacking the core?

In general, “core” refers to the basic set of core files that make up a content management system. When you download Concrete CMS, the core files are what you download.

Why you never modify core files

No matter how easy it is to modify core files to make Concrete do what you want it to do, resist the temptation. Otherwise:

  • It will be nearly impossible to apply site updates
  • You could possibly leave your site vulnerable to security exploits
  • It will be difficult to maintain the site
  • Developers won't like you

The Concrete core has been designed to be flexible. Any changes you make to core files will be overwritten when you try to update. See override almost any core file for information on how to override.

If there is a feature you want and it can not be accomplished outside of modifying core, consider submitting a patch. Create an issue on github and tell the community what you want to do. It will then be tested and your feature may become part of Concrete.

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