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IBM Drupal Users Group Discussion on Managing and Deploying Configuration
The document discusses managing and deploying configuration in Drupal, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between configuration and content to improve development workflows. It presents the Features module as a solution to capture configuration into code, allowing for version control and reducing errors during development. The document also outlines best practices and distribution methods for sharing features, highlighting the use of ctools and feature servers for effective deployment.
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IBM Drupal Users Group Discussion on Managing and Deploying Configuration
- 1. Managing and deploying configuration ...withexportables and the Features module http://drupal.org/project/features
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- 4. We build webapps
- 5. “...we decided tohost our Drupal environment using virtualization. This allowed us to build and test the Drupal environment locally and easily ship the entire virtual machine to the production hosting platform.” 19 Dec 2006 http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/ibm/library/i-osource12/
- 6. Using open source softwareto design, develop, and deploy a collaborative Web site, Part 12: Hosting and deploying http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/ibm/library/i-osource12/
- 7. This presentation isabout making Drupal better at dealing with these problems.
- 8. In four parts 1.Problem 2. Solution 3. Best Practices 4. Distributing
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- 10. Drupal’s strength isits weakness.
- 11. No distinction between configuration& content.
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- 13. Development: where the actionhappens.
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- 16. FYI, developing onthe live site is a bad idea, always.
- 17. This is astory... http://developmentseed.org/blog/2009/jul/09/development- staging-production-workflow-problem-drupal
- 18. Round one goesfine. Developer, designer & client get the site out the door.
- 19. Round two isa PITA. New views build on development Rebuild on staging Rebuild on development Rebuild on staging Rinse, Repeat. Rebuild on production.
- 20. Round two isa PITA. Requires extensive note taking Prone to human error Loads of repeated tasks
- 21. Not having a distinctionbetween configuration and code is bigger that just this one aspect.
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- 23. Make a distinction betweenconfiguration & content
- 24. ...and write the configurationto code.
- 25. What’s in codegoes in version control.
- 26. fig 1: Configurationcomponents of a feature. This belongs in your codebase.
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- 28. Feature: module thatcontains collection of Drupal parts that do something specific.
- 29. Features: Drupal module thatallows for the capture of configuration into code.
- 30. feature: something you wantyour website to do.
- 31. features: a setof things you want your website to do.
- 32. Yes, I’m sorry.It seemed like a good idea at the time.
- 33. The Features module makesFeature modules, which have...
- 34. Core exportables DRUPAL6 DRUPAL 7 Content types Content types Permissions Fields Input filters Permissions Menu items Input filters Menu items Image styles Vocabularies
- 35. Contrib support Contexts Views ImageCache Ctools* * Ctools is special
- 36. Ctools is special Strongarm,Panels, Feeds, Data, etc...
- 37. Features is asystem to capture these components,
- 38. ...these components are theconfiguration that describes how your site behaves.
- 39. Features should be usedthroughout the development process,
- 40. ...it won’t fightback, once you get the hang of it.
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- 46. Drush commands features List all the available features for your site. features-export Export a feature from your site into a module. features-update Update a feature module on your site. features-revert Revert a feature module on your site.
- 47. How this canwork in development:
- 48. Alex makes afeature. Jeff adds a couple views. Young adds theme overrides. Alex fixes Jeff’s and Young’s bugs Rolled out. Jeff makes views adjustments Rolled out. Alex makes views adjustments, to fix Jeff’s... Young touches up the views styling Rolled out.
- 49. Views changes are madeonly once. Each change has a commit log.
- 50. Less room fordumb errors. More accountability.
- 51. It’s easier todo things right.
- 52. Not having a distinctionbetween configuration and code is bigger that just this one aspect.
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- 54. First: sequential IDson configuration is the enemy.
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- 56. Machine name (poorman’s UUID)
- 57. Second: when indoubt, use Ctools http://civicactions.com/blog/2009/jul/24/ using_chaos_tools_module_create_exportables
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- 59. Your job: * Databaseschema * Saving * User Interface
- 60. Ctools’ job: * Loading *Exporting
- 61. Q: What’s left? Dependencydetection.
- 62. hook_features_export() * add modules *add components * delegation
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- 65. “The goal isto offer a straightforward base package for building state-of-the-art Drupal sites while specifying how Features built on top of Kit can be compatible.”
- 66. Specifications: Feature Specification(kitf 1.0-draft) Theme Specification (kitt 1.0-draft)
- 67. kitf Namespaces User roles & Permissions Variables Paths & Menu items Block visibility & theme regions Dependencies Problematic components
- 68. kitt Regions Page template variables Element attributes
- 69. These are working documents,based on developer feedback.
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- 71. How do Ishare a feature?
- 73. Are Open Atrium’s featuresappropriate on drupal.org?
- 74. Can I alwaysshare my configuration?
- 75. How can Iget that nifty update status thing behind the firewall?
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- 80. Feature Server allows youto create projects, make new releases... subscribe to updates via the Update status module...
- 81. It is simpleby design... For greater integration with version control systems or for automatic packaging consider using the Project module.
- 84. Based on Drupal’s implicitstandards. * update status xml * exportables * drush make
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