ten things i've learned about drupal
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given to the DU ASIS&T student chapter's TechBytes session on January 30, 2102.TRANSCRIPT
Ten Things I’ve Learned About DrupalNina McHalemilehighbrarian.net
Thing 1: Talk the Talk
Thing 1: Talk the Talk Take the time to learn the terminology You will save time in the long run You will be able to follow documentation
more easily Resource: Drupal Glossary
drupal.org/glossary
Thing 2: Start with a Sandbox
Thing 2: Start with a Sandbox Drupal Gardens:
Free, hosted sandbox:drupalgardens.org
Acquia Dev Desktop: A bundle of Drupal, Apache, MySQL and PHP
to download to your computer: network.acquia.com/downloads
Caution: Do NOT use bundled software in production, as they are often not secure enough out-of-the-box for live environments
Thing 3: I Probably Have Too Many Content Types
Thing 3: I Probably Have Too Many Content Types Create content types conservatively Avoid modeling content types on the org
chart Take a user-centered approach to content
External users (customers) Internal users (staff)
Resource: “Tips for Creating Drupal Content Types for Library Web Sites”
milehighbrarian.net
Thing 4: If I Can’t See It, Permissions Are Set Wrong
Thing 4: If I Can’t See It, Permissions Are Set Wrong As you’re developing, you may often
find yourself surprised that what you (thought you) just created isn’t there
Every time you add a module, permissions need to be granted accordingly
If your user can’t see it, be sure to check the permissions of role that user is assigned to
Thing 5: “Build First. Then Theme.”
Thing 5: “Build First. Then Theme.” Stephanie Pakrul, Foundation Drupal 7 Develop custom content types first You can’t hang the curtains until the
house is built Tip: Use a highly configurable theme to
change colors, font, and add your logo when developing so that the site “feels” like yours.
Thing 6: Make Life Easy for Content Creators
Thing 6: Make Life Easy for Content Creators Give them exactly what they need, and no
more, to do their jobs on the web site Use the “principle of least privilege” While very few people might actually set out
to sabotage the library’s web site, when they have too many options, they can become overwhelmed
Resource: “Improving the Drupal User Experience”
journal.code4lib.org/articles/4578
Thing 7: There’s a Module for That
Thing 7: There’s a Module for That To date, there are 9545 modules If you seek functionality beyond what’s
included in core, check modules Most popular:
Views Pathauto WYSIWYG Google Analytics
Thing 8: Keep It Up, Back It Up
Thing 8: Keep It Up, Back It Up When you adopt a CMS, you adopt a
maintenance and backup regime Maintain core, modules, at planned, regular
intervals Back up directory structure and database as
needed A site that is not regularly maintained will break
beyond repair A site that is not kept current will eventually
become a security threat unto itself, and possibly it’s home environment
Thing 9: Get Connected Find out who in your local community
develops in Drupal Join their mail list Go to local meetups
Find out what libraries (everywhere) similar to yours are doing
Create a professional network in which you can get help, ask questions, grow ideas, and collaborate
Thing 9: Get Connected Make an account on drupal.org:
Join the “Libraries” group: groups.drupal.org/libraries
Join the drupal4lib mailing list: drupalib.interoperating.info/node/88
Watch for ALA LITA Drupal IG activities: connect.ala.org/node/71787 GO TO DRUPALCON DENVER!
Thing 10: Do it “The Drupal Way”
Thing 10: Do It “The Drupal Way” Drupal is very flexible, extensible, and
modular; respect this! Design: create a subtheme rather than
altering theme files directly Function: Do not hack core!
If you wish to develop functionality that is not in core, see if there’s a contributed module
If not, develop the module
Questions? Comments?
@ninermacmilehighbrarian.net