Planet Drupal

When the value of the placeholder is the same as the value you need in the field, it just looks like a disabled field.

Drupal core development offers developers both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, it keeps them updated with the latest API changes, ensures their skills stay sharp, introduces fresh ideas and solutions by reviewing contributions from other smart developers and helps developers optimize their code for various scenarios they might not have considered before. On the other hand, getting into Drupal development isn’t easy. Setting up Drupal correctly requires attention to detail and understanding its setup.

We Updated the Drupal User Guide for Drupal 11

Drupal 11 was released recently. Yay. And with it comes a bunch of minor (and sometimes major) changes to the way Drupal works and the need to update the documentation to reflect those changes.

joe Wed, 08/28/2024 - 15:35

Five Ideas for the Drupal Association mherchel Wed, 08/28/2024 - 15:50

Exciting news! Tag1 Consulting is proud to be a module sponsor at DrupalCon Barcelona 2024. Join us from September 24-27 for four days of Drupal innovation, collaboration, and community spirit. Our team will be presenting on Gander, Drupal Core development, LMS, DDEV, and more.

Read more Hank Wed, 08/28/2024 - 10:14

In this article, we delve into the process of migrating Drupal fields, building on the knowledge from previous discussions about Drupal fields and their database structures. We begin by addressing the two key components of field migrations: storage and instance settings. This is the first step in a multi-stage migration process that will ultimately involve four different migrations.

Read more mauricio Wed, 08/28/2024 - 07:41

Drupal GovCon wrapped up with actionable insights from Rod Martin on non-coding solutions for site builders and Bree Benesh on navigating leadership challenges. Explore their sessions for practical strategies to apply in your Drupal projects.

Setting up a multilingual website in Drupal opens the door to a global online marketplace, allowing businesses to reach different cultural audiences by presenting content in multiple languages. In this article, we will discuss the process of configuring a multilingual site on Drupal.

At Drupal GovCon 2024, an analysis of Federal government websites revealed Drupal as the leading CMS, powering 55% of identifiable sites. The presentation highlighted Drupal’s superiority in accessibility, with 9 of the top 10 most accessible government sites using the platform. Emphasizing the importance of Web Vitals, the discussion urged agencies to prioritize customer experience through performance improvements.

The back-end heart of Experience Builder (XB) is its two-property field type. Thanks to Ted “tedbow” Bowman, the tree field property is now strictly validated, which is essential to ensure both data integrity and the ability to evolve the codebase rapidly and confidently. Crucially, this validation constraint is used to validate both content and configuration, just like the validation that was added in week 10.

That validation finally unblocked #3446722: Introduce an example set of representative SDC components; transition from “component list” to “component tree”: now that Ted landed the necessary validation, it makes sense to add Kyle “ctrladel” Einecker’s set of Single Directory Components (SDCs) that Lauri has confirmed to well represent the spectrum of SDC functionality XB must support.
Ted will change the default component tree that XB configures for articles, so that we’ll start seeing Kyle’s two_column SDC by default!

To assist Ted, I updated the XB field type’s computed hydrated property to support hydrating component trees instead of just component lists, and updated the “preview” route to use that logic 1.
Ted already landed validation, I took care of rendering, so now Ted can focus on the remaining bits … because until now, we’d been testing/developing XB with only a handful of sample components — we fully expect this to reveal a bunch of missing things. That’s exactly why getting a representative set of SDCs into the XB codebase is important, even if eventually they may only be used in tests.

Hopefully that will land next week!

Missed a prior week? See all posts tagged Experience Builder.

Goal: make it possible to follow high-level progress by reading ~5 minutes/week. I hope this empowers more people to contribute when their unique skills can best be put to use!

For more detail, join the #experience-builder Slack channel. Check out the pinned items at the top!

Hearing the term “routing” in a Drupal context typically means “server-side routing”. But for an extensive JS application, client-side routing is important too: it allows sharing a URL with a friend/colleague to invite them to collaborate on a particular bit in the content being created. That’s why Jesse “jessebaker” Baker and Ben “bnjmnm” Mullins landed client-side routing for XB, after having asked for feedback from the community on which direction to take (thanks Bálint “balintbrews” Kléri, Ronald “roaguicr” Aguilar, Kyle and Lee “larowlan” Rowlands for your input!), landed on React Router. The implementation will likely evolve, but a basic implementation is now in place, and includes test coverage.

Related to routing, but on the back-end side: Lee updated XB’s server-side routes to expect an entity type + ID, rather than hardcoding them all to node one. This is a welcome improvement, but would not have happened if not for Lee or somebody else in the community: for the team working full-time on XB this isn’t a priority yet, because we’re prioritizing the hard stuff — the known unknowns. Still, we definitely welcome MRs like these, and will happily review & merge them!

I know y’all are waiting for interesting progress on the experience of using XB — this week’s key progress on that front is brought to you by Ben!
Choosing a component to pick just based on the name might be okay … but an instantaneous visual preview would be better, right? That’s exactly what he landed in #3462636:

Previewing a component upon hovering it in the component list. Components temporarily have a loud background color. Issue #3462636, image by Ben.

The funniest bugfix of the week is brought to you by Utkarsh “utkarsh_33”: the SDC prop labels were present on field widgets, but were invisible :D

Finally, in the “improve DX & velocity” department, the eslint prettier configuration was updated, which gets us closer to Drupal core’s configuration for JS. Thanks to Ivan “finnsky” Berdinsky, Ben, Gaurav “gauravvvv”, Daniel “DanielVeza”, Lee and harumi “hooroomoo” Jang — Harumi captured the impact well:

Looks good! Will save headaches

:)

Computing a StorablePropShape

Back to the back-end side, to end this week’s update in a very deep place (but also a very interesting place!): XB gained the ability to compute a field type + storage settings + instance settings for a given SDC prop shape (the normalized subset of an SDC prop’s JSON schema that affects the shape of data it expects — the title, description, examples etc. in the JSON schema are irrelevant from this point of view; I named this a PropShape).
Until now, XB has only been using matching. But that can only get us so far — for example, SDCs often have props whose JSON schema looks like this:

style: type: string enum: - primary - secondary

To populate this SDC prop, XB must store a string (logical choice: Drupal core’s string field type), but not just any string: only primary or secondary. Drupal core has an answer for this too: the list_string field type. But the matching that was hitherto used requires either a field type that allows precisely those 2 values, or an existing list_string field instance that is configured to allow those 2 values. Clearly, that’s likely to result in zero matches, because the chances are vanishingly small that a Drupal site has a pre-existing field instance configured exactly like that. And that is just one example: many SDCs will have different allowed values.

That’s where computing rather than matching becomes relevant: use logic to compute what exact shape (in this case: a type: string that also specifies an enum: […]) requires which field type (list_string) and which corresponding field storage+instance settings (here only storage settings: allowed_values: [ {value: primary, label: primary}, {value: secondary, label: secondary} ]). The computed result is represented by a StorablePropShape.

And that is necessary for XB users to fully benefit from the work Ted is doing on #3446722: many of those representative SDCs are indeed using enum: otherwise you’d not be able to edit component instances that will be placeable once Ted’s done!

This infrastructure also paves the path to something else: allowing those computed field type + widget decisions to be altered. For example, when the Media Library module is installed and a media type that uses the image MediaSource plugin is present, an SDC with a prop that expects an image should no longer use the image field type + widget, but the Media Library widget. So I worked with Ted and Ben to introduce hook_storable_prop_shape_alter(), and made XB implement it on behalf of the media_library module.

This doesn’t mean that matching goes away: that will remain relevant for identifying which existing structured data can be used to populate an SDC prop. Much more work is needed to make XB’s matching ability complete, but that work is for after the 0.1.0 goals for DrupalCon Barcelona.

Week 12 was July 29–August 4, 2024.

1. Instead of having its own logic that was somewhat different: DRY. ↩︎

• Drupal
• Acquia
• Experience Builder

• Previewing a component upon hovering it in the component list. Components temporarily have a loud background color.

UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) design are the backbone of any successful digital product. They don’t just create pretty interfaces—they shape how users interact with your website or app. A well-crafted UX and UI keep users engaged, make their journey smooth, and leave them satisfied. When done right, they turn casual visitors into loyal users. In this article, you'll learn what UX is, how it differs from UI design, and why both are crucial in crafting engaging, intuitive experiences for users. We'll break down the UX design process, from research to testing, and highlight key goals like accessibility, usability, and delight.  What is UX UX is all about how someone interacts with a digital product. It’s the user’s thoughts, feelings, and actions before, during, and after they use it. Good UX meets their needs efficiently and leaves them with a positive vibe. It’s not just about usability—it’s about making sure it’s accessible, useful, and emotionally satisfying too. UX vs UI: The Ketchup Bottle Example To get the difference between UX and UI, think about a ketchup bottle: UI: This is the look and feel of the ketchup bottle—the shape, color, label design, and even the texture. UI design is all about making it visually appealing and easy to interact with. UX: UX goes beyond just the bottle. It’s everything about how you use the ketchup and how it makes you feel. From how easy it is to open, to the consistency and taste, to your overall satisfaction. UX design focuses on making sure every part of your experience, from start to finish, works smoothly and leaves you happy. Image Source: UXDesign.CC Image Source: Patrick Hansen.com In a nutshell, UI is all about the look and feel of a product's interface. UX, on the other hand, covers the whole user experience. It’s about making sure interactions are meaningful, intuitive, and match what users need and expect. Looking to boost engagement and increase conversion rates with expert UI/UX design and research services? Let’s create a website your users will love. Talk to us today. Goals of UX: Accessibility, Usability, Utility, Delight Effective UX design revolves around four key goals: Accessibility: Design for everyone. Accessibility means making digital products usable for people with all abilities. It’s about adding features that cater to diverse needs so everyone can access and use the product easily. Usability: Keep it simple and engaging. Usability is all about reducing friction and making sure users can accomplish their tasks smoothly and with satisfaction. Utility: Make it useful. Utility means ensuring the product does what users need it to do. It’s about understanding what users want and designing features that meet those needs. Delight: Add a little joy. Delight is about creating experiences that evoke positive emotions and build loyalty by surprising and exceeding user expectations. Now, let’s talk about the UX of a banana: Accessibility: The peel is easy to remove, whether you like it ripe or unripe. Usability: It’s straightforward to eat, with minimal mess. Utility: Bananas provide quick energy and nutrition. Delight: They smell great, taste good, and even come in biodegradable packaging. Green Banana: Not ready for consumption yet—still ripening. Best to wait for optimal flavor and texture. Brown Banana: Overripe—Not ideal for eating fresh; may be too mushy. The outside color clearly signals that it’s not suitable for immediate consumption. A perfect example of a banana. Image Source: accubits A perfect banana vs. rotten banana. UX Design Process A process is a mix of different methods all aimed at one goal: creating a delightful user experience. It’s a structured sequence of stages designed to understand what users need and improve the final product to go beyond their expectations. Research:The first step is research. This means talking to users through interviews and surveys to gather insights into their preferences, expectations, and challenges. We also analyze data from tools like Google Analytics to spot user patterns and behaviors. Checking out what competitors are doing gives us a look at industry standards and opportunities for improvement. Analysis:Next up is analysis. We take all that data and look for patterns and insights that can guide our design. Creating user personas helps us represent key user types. Journey mapping shows us the user experience step by step, highlighting where things go right or wrong. Defining user goals helps us focus on features that make the biggest impact. Design:Design is at the heart of everything. Here, we come up with solutions that meet user needs and align with business goals. We start with wireframing—simple sketches that outline key screens and interactions. Then, we build interactive prototypes to test how users will interact with the design. Finally, we add visual elements like branding, typography, and colors to make the design look and feel just right. Testing:Once the designs are ready, we move to testing. We let real users interact with the prototype to see how it works for them. Usability testing helps us spot any issues and gather feedback. We refine the design based on this feedback, ensuring it’s as user-friendly and satisfying as possible. By following this structured UX design process, teams can keep improving the user experience. The result? A product that not only meets but exceeds user expectations and aligns with business goals. Each stage adds valuable insights, making sure the design is user-centered and effective. Final thoughts UX/UI design matters because it affects how appealing and functional a product is. By focusing on accessibility, usability, utility, and delight, designers create experiences that resonate with users, boosting engagement and satisfaction. This approach is especially important in Drupal development, ensuring that websites and apps are not just visually appealing but also optimized for a great user experience.

Today we are talking about Producing content with Drupal, How Drupal can help content producers, and ways it could be better with guest Jerry Ta. We’ll also cover Stage File Proxy as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: www.talkingDrupal.com/464

Topics

• Brief overview of Urban Institute using Drupal
• What are the day to day responsibilities of a content producer
• Layout Builder or Paragraphs
  • What is your opinion
• You've been in content production for almost 2 decades, what was your first website editing tool.
• How long have you been using Drupal
• What is your number one wish the Drupal community would solve
• Drupalcon
  • What value do you look for for a content producer
• What is the hardest part of using Drupal
• Starshot reaction
• Predictions for Drupal in 5 years for content producers

Resources

• Modules for replacing files on Drupal - , Media Entity File Replace, etc.
  • File Replace
  • Media Entity File Replace
  • File Field Replace
• Content Sync
• Tokens with CKEditor module
• Shortcode
• Common Spot
• Scheduled transitions
• Experience builder
  • https://drupal.slack.com/archives/C072JMEPUS1
  • https://www.drupal.org/project/experience_builder
• Starshot
  • https://drupal.slack.com/archives/C072BF486FN
  • https://www.drupal.org/project/starshot

Guests

Jerry Ta - joshmiller

Hosts

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Josh Miller - joshmiller

MOTW Correspondent

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted to work on code or configuration changes to your Drupal site in a non-production environment, without having to copy over all the images and other content files? There’s a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Stage File Proxy
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Jan 2011 by netaustin, by recent releases are by Stephen Mustgrave, who listeners will probably recognize from the Needs Review initiative, among his many other Drupal contributions
  • Versions available: 7.x-1.10, 3.0.0-alpha2, and 3.1.0, the last of which works with Drupal 10.3 and 11
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Documentation - not a lot, but it has been the subject of numerous blog posts over the years
  • Number of open issues: 15 open issues, 2 of which are bugs against the current branch
• Usage stats:
  • 16,710 sites
• Module features and usage
  • Once you have Stage File Proxy site up on your non-production site, when the environment gets a request for a content file it doesn’t have like an image, it will query the production site to create a local copy
  • It also has a mode where those requests are served 301 redirects to their location on the production server, so no files are ever copied
  • Once you have the module installed, you can set the origin website URL using the admin UI, using a drush variable-set command, or you can add a line to your settings.php file.
  • Also, if you have simple HTTP authentication set up on the site you want to pull from (for example using the Shield module), you can add URL-encoded versions of the username and password to the origin URL, and the module will still be able to copy down the files.
  • This module was previously covered in this podcast way back in episode #33, but I thought it was worth bring back because it is so useful for working on site locally or across non-production environments

Authored by Nadiia Nykolaichuk.

It’s great to have a choice of different options when it comes to creating content pages. In addition to Drupal core’s Layout Builder and CKEditor, you are always free to consider installing alternative contributed tools if that’s what resonates with your team’s preferences. One of the prominent examples is Drupal Gutenberg.

Explore how Selwyn Polit, an experienced Drupal developer, created "Drupal at Your Fingertips" to serve as a quick reference guide for seasoned developers. Learn about the book's focus on providing concise, actionable information and how it continues to evolve with the Drupal ecosystem.

The Drupal community has taken another step forward under the Starshot Initiative. Recently, the team concluded a survey aimed at pinpointing the most desired out-of-the-box features and contributed modules for the upcoming ‘Drupal CMS’. This survey targeted ambitious marketers as part of the broader Drupal Starshot strategy, resulting in 60 detailed submissions and over 100 feature suggestions. These insights, now available on Drupal.org thanks to Pamela Barone's announcement, will play a crucial role in shaping the platform’s future.

The feedback received from the survey highlights a strong community interest in several key areas. Among the most frequently mentioned were enhancements to page-building tools, SEO capabilities, improved form builders, and content management functionalities. The desire for better security, media management, and multilingual support also stood out as significant themes. Interestingly, while many of these suggestions align with existing development initiatives, the survey also introduced several fresh ideas that are now under consideration by the Drupal leadership team.

Particularly noteworthy are the suggestions for modules that could elevate Drupal’s out-of-the-box experience. Modules like Metatag, Webform, and Admin Toolbar were repeatedly mentioned and are now being evaluated for possible inclusion in future releases. These modules, known for their functionality and ease of use, could significantly enhance the user experience if integrated into the out-of-the-box Drupal CMS offering.

While the survey is not being treated as a direct vote, it serves as a powerful validation tool. The results ensure that the Drupal development tracks are closely aligned with the needs and expectations of its community. As the leadership team assesses these suggestions, they are keenly aware of the balance between innovation and the consistency of user experience that Drupal is known for.

Curious about the detailed findings and how they might shape the next generation of Drupal? You can dive deeper into the survey results here: Community Demands Enhanced Out-of-the-Box Features in DrupalCMS. As the Starshot Initiative continues to gather momentum, the community eagerly awaits the next steps in this exciting journey.

As we turn our attention to the latest from The Drop Times, the focus has been on the ongoing Drupal Association Board Elections. As part of their "Meet the Candidate" campaign, several candidates have shared their visions and plans for Drupal's future.

Matthew Saunders discusses his candidacy in an interview with Alka Elizabeth, a sub-editor at The Drop Times. Focusing on improving governance, fostering inclusivity, and supporting neurodiverse individuals, Matthew outlines his motivations for running for the Drupal Association Board. His ideas provide valuable insights for voters as the election progresses.

Kevin Quillen, Practice Lead at Velir, brings over 16 years of experience to his candidacy. In his interview with Alka Elizabeth, Kevin emphasizes the importance of modernizing Drupal.org, attracting new developers, and enhancing Drupal's global appeal. His vision for the future could significantly impact the platform’s evolution.

Albert Hughes, Product Owner at Stanford University, offers a unique perspective on expanding Drupal’s reach. His candidacy is grounded in his diverse experiences and a strong commitment to innovation. As the election continues, Albert’s ideas for growth and development resonate with many in the community.

In the final installment of The Drop Times' campaign, Alejandro Moreno Lopez, Partner Manager and Developer Relations at Pantheon, shares his journey within the Drupal community. Alejandro is passionate about reducing the Association's dependency on DrupalCon and fostering collaboration and innovation. His interview provides a compelling case for his candidacy as voting continues until September 5th.

Discover why Drupal's latest product will be called 'Drupal CMS' and not just 'Drupal.' An insightful article authored by Sebin A Jacob, Editor-in-Chief of The Drop Times, explore the strategic decision-making, community feedback, and future implications behind this significant naming shift that redefines the way we think about Drupal's evolution. 

The Drupal Decoupled project, also known as headless Drupal, has introduced a new feature to simplify the adoption and implementation of decoupled architecture. This project, which separates the back-end content management from the front-end display, now leverages "Recipes" and can be easily adopted as a Composer Project Template. Jesús Manuel Olivas, Co-Founder and CEO of Octahedroid and Composabase, recently announced this update.

Morpht has launched its "Content Recommendation Playbook," showcasing how personalized content recommendations using Recombee's service can enhance user experiences. The playbook explains how to integrate these systems into Drupal and GovCMS to deliver tailored content based on user behavior, boosting engagement. 

During DrupalCon Portland 2022, concerns over the sustainability of free software led to the conception of Drupal Forge, a platform aimed at financially supporting project maintainers. The idea, sparked by Webform developer Jacob Rockowitz, was further developed by Darren Oh, who proposed adding a launch button for trial sites on project pages to generate recurring revenue. While the initiative has garnered interest, challenges remain in implementing and scaling this solution.

Sponsorship opportunities for BADCamp 2024, set for October 24-25 in Oakland, California, are now open, offering extensive visibility to organizations within the Drupal community. With packages ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, sponsors can gain exposure through speaking engagements, branding at summits, and hosting social events.

Chattanooga Open Source Camp, featuring DrupalCamp Chattanooga 2024, seeks sponsors for its November 2nd event at Chattanooga State Community College. Sponsorships range from $20 to $2,000, offering opportunities for businesses to gain visibility within the tech community. In-kind sponsorships are also welcomed, with a total event budget of $6,500.

The Drop Times has been named the official Media Partner for DrupalCamp Pune 2024, set for October 19-20 at Yashada, Pune. This partnership will ensure comprehensive coverage of the event, featuring sessions, workshops, and keynotes from industry leaders. Organized by the Drupalers Association Pune, the camp aims to foster innovation, learning, and networking within the Drupal community.

The Splash Awards will debut in Asia during DrupalCon Singapore 2024, with submissions open until September 27. The prestigious event, recognizing excellence in Drupal web development, will culminate in a ceremony on December 9 at the Garden Ballroom, PARKROYAL Collection Marina Bay.

The Drupal CEO Network and the Drupal Association have extended the deadline for the 2024 Drupal Business Survey to September 4th. This annual survey gathers crucial insights from Drupal business leaders, shaping an anonymized industry report to guide strategic decisions. The results will be unveiled at DrupalCon Barcelona 2024, with discussions set for September 25 and 26.

The Aten Design Group will host an online session on August 28, 2024, at 2:00 PM EDT to discuss the recent release of Drupal 11. Seth Hill, Senior Developer at Aten, will lead the session designed for Drupal site owners, content administrators, and developers who want to learn more about the new version and its potential benefits.

We acknowledge that there are more stories to share. However, due to selection constraints, we must pause further exploration for now.

To get timely updates, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can also, join us on Drupal Slack at #thedroptimes.

Thank you,
Sincerely
Kazima Abbas
Sub-editor, The DropTimes.

The rising costs of site ownership Aug 24, 2024 By John Locke

How much do you spend on your website? I'm not asking how much it cost you to create/build -- I mean day to day, what does it cost to own and maintain your site?

And what happens if you stop paying that?

Sustainable/Open Business Read More

In the final instalment of The DropTimes' "Meet the Candidate" campaign for the Drupal Association's 2024 Board Election, we sit down with Alejandro Moreno Lopez, Partner Manager and Developer Relations at Pantheon. Alejandro discusses his journey within the Drupal community, his vision for reducing the Association's dependency on DrupalCon, and his commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation. With voting open until September 5th, this interview offers key insights into how Alejandro plans to contribute to the future of Drupal.

The "Drupal Decoupled" project introduces a new Composer Project Template and Recipes integration, streamlining the setup for decoupled architecture. This update promises to reduce developers' development time and effort.

I've been spending some time recently trying to get the Umami demo message from toolbar into the navigation module.

Using React in Drupal Themes Editor Fri, 08/23/2024 - 11:39

React can rightfully be called a game-changer JavaScript library for Drupal developers, as it can completely change the way interfaces are built. By integrating it into Drupal themes, we can enter a completely new world full of creativity and convenient functions, thus improving user experiences significantly. 
With the help of React, interfaces of websites built on Drupal will no longer be static and boring: they become real, interactive, and fast. Less words, let's learn more details about how you can benefit from using React in Drupal themes.