ten things i've learned about drupal

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