The Rules module allows administrators to set up event-based automation of certain system tasks. Events like content creation or user login can be used to trigger conditions and subsequent actions, like modifying content or sending emails. Common uses include updating content on save, notifying administrators of new comments, and bulk operations like unpublished content using Views. Real-world examples were provided using characters BA and Murdock from The A-Team TV show to illustrate configuration of rules for title updating, comment notifications, and unpublishing nodes with Views Bulk Operations.

2. In 1972, a crack web development team was
sent to prison by a military court for a module
they didn't commit. These men promptly
escaped from a maximum security stockade
to the php underground. Today, still wanted
by the community, they survive as soldiers of
fortune.
If you have a problem, if no other module can
help, and if you can understand it, maybe you
can use...

6. Tweet me, fool:
@willhallonline
Starring
Will Hall
as
b.a. baracus

7. Miaow.
and
Will's cat Eliza
as
“howling mad”
Murdock

8. Rules for Fools
● What is the Rules module?
● What are Events, Conditions and Actions?
● Using the Data Selector
● Components and Scheduling
● Looping Actions
● Real world examples (with BA and Murdock)
● A tank building montage(!)

9. I love it
when a rule
comes
together

10. What is the rules module?
● Rules consist of Events, Conditions and Actions
● Simply it looks for an event
● When that event happens (under certain
conditions)
● It fires off an action

11. What is an event?
● Events are linked to things happening on your site
● Comment (viewed, created, deleted)
● Node (viewed, updated, created)
● System (cron, bootstrapped)
● Taxonomy (create term/vocabulary)
● User (log in/out, created, updated)
● Extended by other modules (Profile, Feeds etc)

12. What is a condition?
● Conditions check what the specifications of the
event are
● Data (comparison, empty)
● Entity (field exists)
● Content (load all fields)
● Path (check path)
● User (check role)

13. What is an Action?
● Do something
● Data (add variable, set value)
● Entity (create entity, fetch entity)
● Node (publish content, make sticky)
● System (redirect, send email, set message)
● User (add role)

14. Drupal
Causality

15. Because this EVENT happened,
under these conditions, this
action will take place.

16. The data selector
● Choosing the data you want to interact with
● Direct input mode
– Using tokens
● [site:current-date]
● [site:current-user]
● [node:title]
● [node:nid]
● Data selection mode
– Interactive browse through tokens

17. What are components?
● A set of rules/actions
● To be used either by Rules or other modules
● Views Bulk Operations
● Drupal Commerce

18. What is scheduling rules?
● Set your rules to be activated based on time
● Set nodes to be unpublished 2 weeks after
publishing
● Disallow comments 1 year after publish date

19. What are looping actions?
● Do the action for multiple items
● Send email to all users
● Unpublish referenced items

20. REAL World Examples
with BA and Murdock
Hey. I don't use Rules yet.

21. Can I use Rules to change the
article node title to
include the node id?

22. R.w.e with BA and Murdock 1
● Go to Rules (Administration > Workflow > Rules)
● + Add new rule
● Name it
● Event: Before Saving Content
● + Add Condition
● Content is of Type
● Value = Article
● + Add action
● Set a data value
● Data - “node:title”
● Value - “node:title – node:nid”
● Save

23. Can I use Rules to email the
administrator when a new
comment is created?

24. R.w.e with BA and Murdock 1
● Go to Rules (Administration > Workflow > Rules)
● + Add new rule
● Name it
● Event: After a comment is saved
● (+ Add Condition) Not needed for this rule! Fool!
● + Add action
● Send an email to all users of a role
● Select role - “administrator”
● Values – Subject, Message (can include tokens)
● Save

25. How can I use Rules with
Views Bulk Operations to
unpublish nodes?

26. R.w.e. - BA and Murdock 3a
● Go to Rules (Administration > Workflow > Rules)
● Select components
● + Add new component
● Rule set (or action if no conditions needed)
● Name it
● Data type – Node
● Label, and machine name
● Continue...

27. R.w.e. - BA and Murdock 3b
● + Add rule
● Name rule - “Unpublish node”
● + Add condition (if required)
● + Add action
● Unpublish Content
● Data: node

28. R.w.e. - BA and Murdock 3c
● Go to your view (or create a new one)
● Add Bulk operations: content
● Choose the required component “Unpublish nodes”
● Save
● It will then use the rule on all the id's you send to it!

29. Can Rules make me a sandwich?

30. Montage!

31. What have we covered?
● What is the Rules module?
● What are Events, Conditions and Actions?
● Using the Data Selector
● Components and Scheduling
● Looping Actions
● Real world examples (with BA and Murdock)
● A tank building montage(!)

32. Background by Subtle Patterns
licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.