if i knew then what i know now
DESCRIPTION
Presentation for DrupalCamp Boone.TRANSCRIPT
If I Knew Then What I Know Now...
Christina Dulude
DrupalCamp Boone
August 28, 2010
One
• While Drupal can be used for many types of sites, it might not be the best tool for every site
Two
• Use a book or tutorial; don’t just dive right in.
• I recommend Using Drupal by Angela Byron, et al. Published by O’Reilly.
Three
• Drupal can be thought of more of a "framework" than a CMS.
Four
• In the beginning, you spend a lot of time researching modules
• But after a while, you’ll have a default set that you always install right off the bat
Here are mine:• CCK: http://drupal.org/project/cck• Views: http://drupal.org/project/views• Admin: http://drupal.org/project/admin• Vertical tabs:
http://drupal.org/project/vertical_tabs• Pathauto: http://drupal.org/project/pathauto (and
Token)• CKEditor: http://drupal.org/project/ckeditor• IMCE: http://drupal.org/project/imce• Nodequeue: http://drupal.org/project/nodequeue• Realname: http://drupal.org/project/realname
Five
• Modules are a way of life in Drupal.
• Face it: You will use them.
• Drupal modules are much better supported than WordPress plugins– (yes, that is a gross generalization)
• But, don't go overboard
Six
• Don't give new Drupal users full permissions.
• It's not doing them any favors.
Seven
• Caching is your friend
• Cache in Drupal, cache on the server
Eight
• Theming goes beyond graphic design
Nine
• Using a base theme is a huge time saver
• Rather than creating your own theme from scratch
• Examples: Zen, Blueprint, Fusion
• Extend them with your own customizations
Ten
In order of difficulty, least to greatest:
1. Using an existing Drupal theme
2. Working with a designer familiar with Drupal, or building your own theme
3. Taking existing HTML/CSS/JS and Drupalizing it
Eleven
• You can theme Views.• And output from other modules.
Twelve
• Drupal Multisite allows you to run several sites off of one codebase
• Share modules, themes
Thirteen
• Setting up a development and production environment is a challenge
• Especially if you want them synced
Fourteen
• Drupal is very flexible• You can build a dynamic website that’s
easy to navigate and a breeze to manage
• Or a supremely terrible one that lies dormant because it’s too difficult to manage
• Plan, plan plan
Fifteen
• It gets easier
• Took about 3 Drupal sites before I really got in my groove
Sixteen
• The Drupal user community is awesome.