Presentation given to the DU ASIS&T student chapter's TechBytes session on January 30, 2102.

1. Ten Things I’ve
Learned About
Drupal
Nina McHale
milehighbrarian.net

2. Thing 1: Talk the Talk

3. Thing 1: Talk the Talk
 Takethe 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

4. Thing 2: Start with a Sandbox

5. 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

6. Thing 3: I Probably Have Too
Many Content Types

7. 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

8. Thing 4: If I Can’t See
It, Permissions Are Set Wrong

9. 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

10. Thing 5: “Build First. Then Theme.”

11. 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.

12. Thing 6: Make Life Easy for
Content Creators

13. 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

14. Thing 7: There’s a Module for That

15. 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

16. Thing 8: Keep It Up, Back It Up

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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!

20. Thing 10: Do it “The Drupal Way”

21. 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

22. Questions? Comments?
@ninermac
milehighbrarian.net