With this article I am completing a cycle dedicated to 1C. In the article What is 1C. I promised to devote a separate article about a complex system in simple words to 1C-Bitrix software products, and now I am fulfilling this promise. The article is a review, in it I will not delve into the technical details and features of the application of the program code, for this there is detailed documentation available to everyone on the official website of the company.

Here I will tell you about the important features of the Bitrix Framework platform, as well as about the software products created on this platform. The article is intended primarily for users who are trying to understand whether certain Bitrix developments are needed for their business, and what their features are. Also, the information from this article may be useful to developers who work with other CMS, but also want to get some idea about Bitrix.

Recently, I have often come across the integration of websites with CRM systems and accounting programs for the movement of goods and funds. Most often in our country integration is required with different versions and configurations of 1C. Also, customers often have already managed to create a Bitrix site by the time they contact me, or are interested in the possibility of switching to this engine, since 1C recommends it as a system that has everything necessary to automate data exchange. Numerous questions and accumulated practical experience with Bitrix sites were the factors that made me remember a long-standing promise to talk in detail about Bitrix and yet I wrote this article.

What is Bitrix?

I suggest starting with the definition of the very concept of Bitrix. Usually this name is used in two ways:

Bitrix is the name of the software developer's company.
Bitrix is an environment for developing web applications, the so–called Bitrix Framework.

A little history

To begin with, let's talk about the company in order to understand where the Bitrix software product came from and why its name turned out to be exactly that. The company "Bitrix" was founded back in 1998 immediately after the financial crisis as a web studio specializing in the development of Internet sites to order. In the early 2000s, the company creates and begins to develop its own CMS system, which is also called "Bitrix". The first versions of the CMS Bitrix did not differ in principle from many other site engines, until in 2007 1C bought out a controlling stake in Bitrix, after which the site management system was named 1C-Bitrix.

It is important to understand that after such a merger of companies and the subsequent change of the product name occurred at the level of business and marketing, i.e. the companies merged, the brand merged, and the technical solutions for the most part remained the same – each software product (1C and Bitrix) has its own.

Very often, users, focusing on the name and advertising from 1C, come to the conclusion: if a company uses 1C and seeks to create an online store, then it is best to choose CMS Bitrix for this, because these are products under the same brand and 1C developers also recommend this engine as the best for data exchange with the program 1C.

Similarly, and vice versa, if there is an online store on Bitrix and the owner comes to the conclusion that sales automation is necessary, then out of all the options for accounting systems, he will most likely choose 1C software products.

In fact, Bitrix and 1C are different products created by different companies, and the developers of these products work absolutely independently of each other. It cannot even be said that 1C developers are guided in their work by the needs of Bitrix users, or vice versa, that Bitrix developers take into account some innovations from 1C in their work. And combining the names is exclusively a marketing move, admittedly, very successful. That is, this move can be considered a successful move from the marketing side, from the technical side, I cannot give positive examples from the association.

Bitrix as a software product

All Bitrix software products are based on the Bitrix Framework. If you refer to the help section on the 1C-Bitrix website, you can see this definition:

Bitrix Framework is a PHP—based platform for developing web applications. 1C-Bitrix has created two popular products on this platform: 1C-Bitrix: Website Management and 1C-Bitrix: Corporate Portal.

This definition is understandable for web developers, but does not tell users anything. Therefore, I will try to explain in a simplified way what is being discussed.

Framework is a kind of "framework", a platform for creating software products.
PHP is the programming language in which this "framework" is written.

On the basis of this "framework", this platform, Bitrix has created software products "1C-Bitrix: Site Management" and "1C-Bitrix: Corporate Portal". These are ready-made CMS that you can install on hosting, configure and work with them, just like with any other site management system.

From a technical point of view, Bitrix software products (websites and mobile applications) are created on the basis of its own Bitrix Framework.

Today, these software products are represented by the following solutions:
1C-Bitrix: Site Management. A system for creating websites and online stores.
1C-Bitrix: Corporate portal. A platform for creating powerful corporate portals.
Mobile applications based on Bitrix Framework (mobile versions of websites, etc.)
Various ready-made industry solutions.

In addition, Bitrix maintains its own “App Store” called MarketPlace, where you can also buy or download various solutions for free, for example, templates, add-ons, add-ons for software products, ready-made solutions for connecting telephony, integration with other services, etc.

The development of software products on the Bitrix Framework platform is carried out by a narrow circle of programmers, consisting of specialists of the company. This is a commercial product, and therefore such a restriction can be considered an advantage. Software updates are predictable and understandable, a comprehensive approach to work is practiced, and new functions usually work exactly as stated.

The company also takes a very responsible approach to the work of its add-on store and MarketPlace applications. Not only employees of the company, but also third-party developers can offer development for this store. But any proposed product undergoes strict pre-moderation, the solution is tested by Bitrix specialists, and only after their approval appears in public access.

Of the disadvantages of this approach, it should be noted that the number of extensions (modules) is much less than that of products with a free license, and they are much less diverse. It is understandable — the number of developers is not limited by the size of the company.

What is a "framework"? Learn more about Bitrix Framework

Bitrix Framework is a set of ready–made modules and components, i.e. "bricks", from which Bitrix programmers create software products. In principle, any programmer can use the Bitrix Framework platform, if desired, to create their own software solutions, and it is also possible to modify the finished Bitrix products as the user needs it.

Bitrix Framework is an open source solution, i.e. a programmer can modify your Bitrix software product any way, there are no restrictions on access to software modules and their code in this system. But at the same time, Bitrix Framework is a solution supplied on the basis of licenses. That is, you can install and use software products based on Bitrix Framework on as many computers as the number of licenses you have purchased.

For comparison: 1C software products are also supplied with licensing, but only the configuration can be modified in them, the core (the basis of the software product) is not available for programmers. In Bitrix, a programmer can make any changes, including to the kernel. And, for example, DRUPAL is an open source system, but without licensing.

In order to understand how Bitrix software solutions work, you need to know that each of them consists of a core (platform) and add-on modules. I.e. there is a programming language (php) in which the core is written. The core contains certain features, rules, and tools that the developer can use. When creating a software product, the necessary tools are connected and configured, if necessary, the kernel can also be modified. And when working with a ready-made software product, you can also adjust the platform, but more often it remains untouchable, and improvements are made using various external modules.

It should also be borne in mind that the platform already includes a list of basic modules that can be connected or disconnected if necessary. That's why, for example, there is a shopping cart module in the corporate portal, which would seem to be completely unnecessary there. But, since it is included in the basic set, it is present in all Bitrix software products.
Further, the user can work with ready-made tools (moderator, site administrator, etc.), and use them to create content, upload products, and so on.

Bitrix software products

Bitrix software products differ from each other mainly by a set of modules that are included in the ready-made solution, and are divided into categories according to the type of site that may be required in one case or another:

The 1C-Bitrix: Site Management solution is a software product that is used to develop online stores, business card sites and similar projects.
The 1C-Bitrix: Corporate Portal solution is best suited for large companies and for any business where a corporate portal is needed to work.
Industry solutions are specialized solutions based on the Bitrix Framework, which provide modules for organizing work in a particular industry.