Reusing Users in a custom element overview?

[janhenckens]

We need to build an extensive member management system for an upcoming project, where users need a login to the site to view protected content, but whose user account also needs to be an object in a mini-crm system where our client can keep track of memberships, payments , etc.

My initial idea was to create a new element, Member, that extends Craft's User element. That way I can give it its own index page in the CP, custom sources based on fields & categories, custom actions, custom detail URLs, etc.

But I was wondering if extending User is a good idea, and if there is a way to make a separate overview from the existing element?

Thanks for your input on this, I hope my explanation is somewhat clear :)

[brandonkelly]

I would make Member its own element, with a 1-to-1 mapping between members and users. You can trigger a Member create after User save, or vise-versa, and give Member a $userId property/foreign key that points back to its proxied User element.

[janhenckens]

Thanks, that's what we had in mind as well 👍