This presentation covers creating a custom content construction kit (CCK) field in Drupal that contains multiple elements, interacts with third party services, and can move or create content on a remote Drupal site. It discusses CCK terminology and breaking fields into two parts: fields and widgets. The presentation provides an overview of the CCK field and widget application programming interfaces (APIs) and functions used to implement a custom CCK field, including hook_field_info(), hook_field_settings(), hook_widget_info(), and hook_widget(). It also discusses installation functions like content_notify(), and other miscellaneous functions like hook_content_is_empty(). The full code examples for implementing these functions are available online

1. CCK For Code JunkiesCCK For Code Junkies
DrupalCamp - ATLDrupalCamp - ATL
Presented by: Geoff Maxey (cntlscrut)
1o.2.2o1o

2. This presentation will be available at:
http://maxeydevbox.org/news/camp/cck-code-junkies-session
Feel free to visit and download the slides.

3. Overview

To create a CCK field that contains multiple
elements, interacts with 3rd
party services,
and can move/create content on a remote
Drupal site.

Understand basic terminology of how CCK
breaks down fields and widgets.

To cover the CCK field/widget API and how
to implement it. Plus, cover the caveats and
other roadblocks that may occur.

4. Elements

Title

Gallery ID

Featured Links

Search Engine Keywords

Selectable Results

Embed Code from Remote Site

5. CCK Terms
CCK breaks things down into two different
parts: Fields and Widgets
Fields – The namespace and container for
data.
Widgets – The interaction space wherein we
collect data from the user.

6. API Overview
Install:

content_notify()
Field:

hook_field_info()

hook_field_settings()

hook_field()

7. API Overview
Widget:

hook_widget_info()

hook_widget_settings()

hook_widget()
Misc:

hook_content_is_empty()

8. API Overview
AHAH:

hook_menu()

callback_js() (callback for AHAH actions)

9. Installation Functions
content_notify() -
Informs CCK of our
field and which
stage in Drupal's
module
install/uninstall
process we are in.

10. Field Functions
hook_field_info() -
Provide basic info about
our field including the
machine name, display
name, and description.

11. Field Functions
hook_field_settings() - Allows us to provide data specific to
the set up of our field. We're looking at three different
operations:
'form' – create a settings form for the field.
'save' – perform any special actions when saving the settings
form.
'database columns' – define the schema structure for how
our widget data will be saved in the database.

12. hook_field_settings – 'form'

13. hook_field_settings – 'save'

14. hook_field_settings – 'database columns'

15. Misc Functions
hook_content_is_empty() -
Perform any action if the
field is empty.
Though this is declared an
“optional” function, it is
actually needed.

16. Field Functions
hook_field($op, &$node, $field, &$items, $teaser, $page)
Defines how the field will actually store and display its contents.
Possible values for $op:

'delete'

'delete revision'

'insert'

'load'

'prepare translation'

'presave'

'sanitize'

'update'

'validate'

17. hook_field()

18. Widget Functions
hook_widget_info() -
Define basic info about our widget.

19. hook_widget()
Here we can define our form
elements using the FAPI! This
is where the action happens.
Put on your 忍び装束 (shinobi
shiozoku) it's Drupal Ninja
Time!
(code available on site. Too big
for slide.)