Planet Drupal
Dries Buytaert: Sydney Opera House using Drupal
Across its 50-year history, the Sydney Opera House has welcomed musicians, dancers, actors, playwrights, filmmakers, contemporary artists, and thinkers who have both challenged and defined the cultural scene. As a result, the Sydney Opera House draws millions of visitors from around the world each year.
Not only is the Sydney Opera House of incredible cultural importance, it's also an architectural masterpiece. Its unique design makes it one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and has earned it a place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Last year, the Sydney Opera House chose to migrate its website to Drupal. Today, it is running Drupal 10. The decision by such a prestigious institution to relaunch their website on Drupal highlights Drupal's flexibility, security, and ability to manage complex websites.
A couple of weeks ago, during my visit to Australia, I met with the Drupal team at the Sydney Opera House. I was particularly impressed by the team's dedication to using Open Source to expand cultural access and their enthusiasm for collaborating with other arts and cultural organizations. Their focus on innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration perfectly aligns with the core values of Open Source and the Open Web. Drupal is such a great solution for them!
The Drop is Always Moving: Drupal 11 is now available! Check out the announcement video at https://youtu.be/Dw6_fBZ6D5Y
Drupal 11 is now available! Check out the announcement video at https://youtu.be/Dw6_fBZ6D5Y
Drupal Association blog: Drupal launches Drupal 11, the latest version of the Open Source CMS
PORTLAND, Ore., 1 August 2024—Drupal, the most powerful open source content management system for everyone from Fortune 500 enterprise companies to mission-driven nonprofits and entrepreneurial small businesses, is launching the latest upgrade to its popular software.
Drupal 11 continues enhancing the strengths of the platform. It makes structured content, workflows, and content governance more flexible and easier for ambitious builders.
Drupal 11 is designed to empower ambitious site builders to build exceptional websites and to accelerate Drupal's innovation,” says Dries Buytaert, Founder and Project Lead of Drupal. “With Drupal 11, we've made Drupal more intuitive, powerful, and flexible, ensuring it continues to lead in web development and digital experience creation."
This latest version of Drupal brings together code and design for a refreshed CMS navigation experience, with an updated toolbar and a collapsible left-hand menu, all designed to ensure a seamless development experience.
With new Recipes functionality, you can add new features to your website instantly by applying a set of predefined configuration. A recipe can provide anything that can be configured in Drupal, from a simple content type to a full suite of features. You can create your own recipes to share or reuse, or apply recipes created by other Drupal users. Recipes are experimental in this release but already usable and expected to be stable in 11.1.
Single-Directory Components simplify front-end development by consolidating all necessary code into a single directory, making components self-contained and effortlessly reusable.
Drupal’s high performance means it runs fast by default with swift page loading, and Drupal 11 is even faster than previous versions, running up to 50% faster on PHP 8.3.
Accessible for every userDrupal’s core strengths include its accessibility, security, multilingual capabilities, and flexible features.
Thousands of developers worldwide contribute their expertise to ensure that Drupal is continuously pioneering the industry in these strengths. Supported by a global community of domain experts, it offers multilingual support with over 100 languages.
Drupal 11 improves upon these core strengths with various features suitable for developing simple websites or complex web applications.
Accessibility is a key strength of Drupal,” says Tim Doyle, CEO of the Drupal Association. “The Open Web is for everyone, and our continual focus on accessibility, multilingual capabilities, and flexibility is intended to ensure that Drupal is a beacon of inclusiveness in an online world where many try to build walls and barriers to entry.”
With more features coming soonAutomatic Updates and Project Browser are two key features slated for a future release of Drupal 11 and are currently under development as contributed modules.
Drupal’s open source innovation keeps pressing ahead with the release of Drupal 11, including milestone features like Automatic Updates and Project Browser. These features will be key to the success of the new Drupal Starshot project, which will see Drupal become even easier to use for anyone wanting to unleash the power of the world’s leading enterprise CMS.” - Owen Lansbury, Drupal Association Board Chair
Automatic Updates module will apply patch-level updates to Drupal core in a separate, sandboxed copy of your site to keep you up and running without any interruptions. It can detect and report problems at every stage of the update process, so you don't have to discover them after an update is live. It automatically detects database updates and helps you run them during the process.
Project Browser will make it easy for site builders to extend the functionality, look and feel of Drupal. It provides a search interface in the Extend section of the Admin UI to find contributed modules and themes and research their capabilities. Once an extension is selected, instructions are provided on installing it on your site, all without leaving your website.
Next stepsTo start using Drupal 11, visit the Drupal 11 landing page. If you have questions about upgrading to Drupal 11, check out the FAQ page.
To get help onboarding to Drupal 11 or creating a digital experience from the ground up, connect with one of our Drupal Certified Partners located around the world.
About Drupal and the Drupal AssociationDrupal is the open source content management software trusted by millions of people and organizations worldwide. It’s supported by a network of over 10k professionals and over 100 Drupal Certified Partners. The Drupal Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating Drupal innovation and supporting the growth of the open source community. This work delivers value to businesses, the digital community, and users of Drupal, in alignment with Drupal’s commitment to the Open Web.
Golems GABB: Security and Speed Optimization in Drupal 11
Improved scalability and functionality are two promises of the anticipated Drupal 11, which is expected to be a dynamic and innovative release. Even before the release of Drupal 10, anticipation was built around Drupal 11 making it one of the most hyped versions in the history of Drupal.
Drupal 11 discussions and plans were already ongoing as Drupal 10 reached its final stages, showing how forward-thinking this community is. This proactive stance shows that Drupal 11 has a stride ahead towards progressiveness.
Yet, as it is not yet known when exactly Drupal 10 will reach its End-of-Life, one should note though that PHP 8.1, one of its dependencies become obsolete by the year 2024. Therefore, PHP versions starting from PHP 8.2 will have to be provided for compatibility purposes for Drupal 11.
Drupal blog: Drupal 11 released
This blog has been re-posted and edited with permission from Dries Buytaert's blog.
Today is a big day for Drupal as we officially released Drupal 11!
In recent years, we've seen an uptick in innovation in Drupal. Drupal 11 continues this trend with many new and exciting features. You can see an overview of these improvements in the video below:
Drupal 11 has been out for less than six hours, and updating my personal site was my first order of business this morning. I couldn't wait! Dri.es is now running on Drupal 11.
I'm particularly excited about two key features in this release, which I believe are transformative and will likely reshape Drupal in the years ahead:
- Recipes (experimental): This feature allows you to add new features to your website by applying a set of predefined configurations.
- Single-Directory Components: SDCs simplify front-end development by providing a component-based workflow where all necessary code for each component lives in a single, self-contained directory.
These two new features represent a major shift in how developers and site builders will work with Drupal, setting the stage for even greater improvements in future releases. For example, we'll rely heavily on them in Drupal Starshot.
Drupal 11 is the result of contributions from 1,858 individuals across 590 organizations. These numbers show how strong and healthy Drupal is. Community involvement remains one of Drupal's greatest strengths. Thank you to everyone who contributed to Drupal 11!
Promet Source: Choosing the Best Content Management System for Local Government
Aten Design Group: New Configuration Storage Options with Backdrop CMS
If you haven’t heard of it already, Backdrop CMS has a direct upgrade path from Drupal 7 - making it a viable and affordable option for sites lingering on Drupal 7. Backdrop’s recent 1.28.0 release brought a number of new features, including the ability to choose where your configuration is stored: in the file system or in the database. This can be very helpful, depending on where you are hosting your site. If you are hosting on a server with a writable directory on a solid-state drive (SSD), the default of storing active configuration files on the filesystem can be a very fast and efficient option. On some more specialized hosting where writable directories are on a distributed filesystem in which repeated reading and writing is slower than a SSD (Pantheon, for example), it can now be more efficient to keep the active configuration in the database. This is more in line with the way that modern Drupal handles configuration (with some notable exceptions between the two, such as the format that configuration is imported and exported in – JSON in Backdrop, YAML in Drupal).
Active and Staging Configuration StatesWhen discussing a Backdrop site’s configuration, there are generally two configuration states under discussion: active and staging. The active configuration is the collection of configuration settings that are currently in use for the site, and the staging configuration is composed of any new changes that you are preparing to synchronize with the active settings.
When you run the configuration synchronization process, the staging configuration overwrites the active configuration and any necessary database modifications (e.g. new database schemas for new fields) will be run so that the database state matches what the configuration is describing.
Backdrop will by default store both active and staging configuration files as JSON files directly in the filesystem, in directories that are defined in your settings.php file. Directories that are known to be writable are selected by default, but often these will be adjusted during the site creation process – to allow the staging directory to be kept in your version controlled repository for example. (Note that if you are going to keep your staging configuration in your repository, there is an additional setting in the settings.php file to tell Backdrop not to empty the staging folder after a synchronization action occurs.)
Configuration Storage on PantheonPreviously, in order to run a Backdrop site on Pantheon, the active configuration would typically be in the writable files directory, which, as was mentioned, can run slowly when reading or writing multiple times in succession. One other strategy for Pantheon was to keep the active configuration in the repository itself, in a non-writable directory. This provided the benefit of extremely fast loading of the configuration files, but had a significant downside in that you could not do any actions that required saving configuration. In fact, if you tried, you would get an error and run the risk of having a database that was out of sync with the configuration settings.
With the new config storage option, you can define where in the repository your staging folder will be, and keep the active configuration in the database. Periodically when you’re making changes locally, you’ll want to export the configuration from the live site into your staging folder and commit those changes to make sure you have saved the most recent configuration. As you make changes locally and commit changes into the configuration staging folder, you’ll be able to synchronize the configuration with each deployment to get the latest configuration changes added to your current database content.
Database Configuration Storage for Developing LocallyWhen developing locally, it can also be beneficial to store active configuration in the database because it makes it very easy to save snapshots of the site’s content and configuration in one step. This means you can do a “save game” at various points, test out various things to see if they work, and simply reload the saved database snapshot if you want to go back to the earlier version, without needing to worry about multiple moving parts – database plus active configuration files. (If you use DDEV, look into the built-in “snapshot” functionality.)
Typically the configuration storage setting will not be changed regularly, but a new module is in development that can make it much easier to switch between the two. If you are using storage on the file system in one environment and in the database on another (e.g. hosted vs. local installations), the Config Mover module could be a useful development tool.
Config Mover module Backdrop's FlexibilityThis is another case where Backdrop shines with its flexibility: you pick which configuration storage option works best for your current hosting environment.
Read more about this change in the official change record and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Laryn Kragt Bakkermark.ie: My LocalGov Drupal contributions for week-ending August 2nd, 2024
Here's what I've been working on for my LocalGov Drupal contributions this week. Thanks to Big Blue Door for sponsoring the time to work on these.
The Drop Times: DrupalCamp Ottawa 2024: A Convergence of Web Development Expertise and Community Spirit
mark.ie: How to use the LocalGov Drupal KeyNav Module
Here's a short video outlining the features of the LocalGov Drupal KeyNav module.
Sitback Solutions: Good Design for Housing – NSW Gov digital map case study
Balint Pekker: Drupal 11 is at the doorstep
The Drop Times: ECA is For Every Drupal Site Out There: Jürgen Haas
ImageX: AI Assistant, Real-Time Collaboration, and More: A Glimpse at CKEditor 5 Premium Features in Drupal
Authored by Nadiia Nykolaichuk.
CKEditor 5 has become a signature innovation in Drupal 10 and a symbol of cutting-edge content editing. As more Drupal websites upgrade, editorial teams can enjoy CKEditor 5’s new and vibrant design, where every detail is crafted for usability and efficiency.
The Drop Times: Thoughts on Drupal Starshot #2: A New Direction for Drupal
Matt Glaman: Trial experience for Starshot update
Earlier this month, I debuted a way to try out Drupal core and the Starshot prototype running in the browser using WebAssembly. It started as a passion project and fascination with new web technologies, something I had tried a year before but didn't find a fit for. Now, it's officially part of a Starshot initiative track.
Trial experience for Starshot trackI am the lead for the Trial experience for Starshot track. The track has three phases:
drunomics: Green UX
Specbee: Integrating Single Directory Components (SDC) and Storybook in Drupal
The Drop Times: Drupal 11 is Around the Corner
Dear Readers,
In November 2023, the Drupal community outlined potential release windows for Drupal 11, contingent on meeting specific beta requirements. Today, it is exciting to anticipate that Drupal 11 is on the verge of being officially released, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of this widely used content management system. This release includes crucial updates to key dependencies such as Symfony 7, jQuery 4, and PHPUnit 10 or 11, promising enhanced performance and stability.
Initial challenges, particularly with the update to PHPUnit 10, made the first anticipated release window in June unfeasible. However, with the completion of beta requirements by April, the development team has positioned Drupal 11 for a scheduled release this week. The release candidate, Drupal 11.0.0-rc1, was made available in the week of July 11, 2024, paving the way for the stable release. This new version introduces several features designed to enhance the overall user experience, including more intuitive content management tools, enhanced site builder capabilities, and streamlined processes for upgrading and maintaining Drupal applications.
Noteworthy features in Drupal 11 include an improved administration backend with a faster toolbar and better permission management. The introduction of Single-Directory Components (SDC) simplifies the creation and management of UI components, making it easier for developers to work with the platform. These enhancements reflect Drupal's ongoing commitment to providing a powerful and user-friendly platform for web development.
With that, let's move on to the important stories from last week.
Last week, Janne Kalliola, the Chief Growth Officer and Founder of Exove delved into the origins and evolution of the Drupal Business Survey, which he co-initiated in 2016. The survey, which is in its ninth year, gathers information about the state of Drupal businesses and agencies worldwide. In his conversation with Alka Elizabeth, Janne emphasizes why agencies should respond to the Drupal Business Survey.
In an interview with Kazima Abbas, Brad Jones discusses his "JSON data and schemas FTW!" initiative, which aims to modernize Drupal's data management capabilities by integrating JSON data types and schemas. He highlights the initiative's potential to enhance Drupal's flexibility and interoperability, particularly in decoupled systems. The interview also explores Brad's journey with Drupal and the challenges of incorporating his project into Drupal's core.
In a recent article published on The DropTimes, Grzegorz Pietrzak, a Senior Drupal Developer at the European Commission, outlines five basic rules to keep website dependencies secure. His advice aims to help site maintainers manage and mitigate the risks associated with using third-party dependencies in Drupal projects.
The DropTimes highlighted the key moments from DrupalCamp Asheville 2024, emphasizing the event's engaging workshops, diverse sessions, and inclusive community atmosphere. Organizer April Sides shared insights on the camp's commitment to creating a welcoming environment and the challenges of organizing such events. The camp concluded with a scenic hike, underscoring the community's emphasis on well-being and connection. Read here.
DrupalCamp Colorado 2024, held at the Tivoli Center Ballroom in Denver, provided a unique blend of learning, networking, and community engagement for open-source technology enthusiasts. The event featured keynotes by Lynn Winter and Matthew Saunders, covering topics from digital strategy to diversity in tech. The camp offered workshops, community sessions, and networking activities, including a coffee exchange and an after-party, creating a comprehensive and enriching experience for attendees.
Presently in the Drupal world, Drupal GovCon scheduled for August 13-15, 2024 has opened volunteering opportunities for the event. The deadline for submissions to the 2024 Splash Awards Germany and Austria is rapidly approaching, with entries closing on July 31. The annual event, which recognizes outstanding Drupal projects, will take place on November 7 in Berlin.
The A11yTalks session titled "Empowering People with Disabilities Using GitHub Copilot" has been postponed from July 23 to July 31. Hosted by Carie Fisher and Jesse Dugas from the GitHub Accessibility team, this session aims to enhance coding practices through GitHub Copilot’s accessibility features.
This week, the Drupal community has organized several meetups and events, taking place from July 29th to August 4th, 2024. Find the full list here.
Drupal experts Kevin Quillen and Matt Glaman have announced the forthcoming release of their new book, "Drupal 11 Development Cookbook." It is designed as a comprehensive guide for site builders and developers, building on the success of their previous "Drupal 10 Development Cookbook." The new edition aims to help users navigate the latest features and updates in Drupal 11.
Provus® 2.1.12, developed by Promet Source, has been released, offering advanced features that continue to revolutionize the content management experience for non-technical editors. Provus® is a content management platform that enhances Drupal's capabilities, making it easier for users to create and manage website content.
Acquia has announced the availability of Drupal exams in French, marking a significant advancement for the French-speaking Drupal community. This initiative, in collaboration with Wide | Switzerland, a leading digital agency with a strong presence in several Francophone regions, aims to enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
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
Alka Elizabeth
Sub-editor, The DropTimes.
Talking Drupal: Talking Drupal #461 - Distributions
Today we are talking about The Benefits of Distributions, If they have drawbacks, and what the future of distributions looks like with guest Rajab Natshah and Mohammed Razem. We’ll also cover Google Analytics Reports as our module of the week.
For show notes visit: www.talkingDrupal.com/461
Topics- What is a distribution
- How does this differ from profiles
- What does Varbase provide
- What types of users is Varbase geared towards
- Paragraphs or Layout Builder
- Vardoc
- How do you overcome fear of lock-in
- What do you think the future of distributions look like considering recipes
- Any plans to move Varbase to recipes
- Starshot
- Varbase Distribution
- Vardoc
- Google analytics counter
- United nations refugee agency
- George washington university
- City of Detroit
- Bootstrap Layout Builder
- Bootstrap Styles
- Visual Distribution Operator
- Profile inheritance issue
- Starshot work tracks
- Linux from Scratch
Rajab Natshah - rajab-natshah Mohammed Razem - mohammed-j-razem
HostsNic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Josh Miller - joshmiller
MOTW CorrespondentMartin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu
- Brief description:
- Have you ever wanted to display Google Analytics charts directly within your Drupal website? There’s a module for that.
- Module name/project name:
- Brief history
- Created in Apr 2011 by raspberryman, but recent releases are by today’s guest Rajab Natshah
- Versions available include 7.x-3.2, 8.x-3.2, and 4.0.0, that last two of which support Drupal 10 and 11
- Maintainership
- Actively maintained, recent releases were less than a month ago
- Security coverage
- A documentation guide for older versions, and a README with detailed instructions to get it set up
- Number of open issues: 76 open issues, 9 of which are bugs against the current branch
- Usage stats:
- 4,272 sites
- Module features and usage
- To set up this module, you first need to set up the API connection in the Google Developers Console, and download the client secret JSON
- You’ll then upload that into the Google Analytics Report API submodule along with the property ID to enable the connection
- Next, you need to install the Charts module, and either the Google Charts or Highcharts sub-module to see graphical reports
- You will now have a new Google Analytics Summary in your site’s reports menu, and new "Google Analytics Reports Summary Block" and "Google Analytics Reports Page Block" blocks available
- I haven’t had a chance to try the 4.0 version of this module yet, but I have used older versions with a variety of dashboard solutions, including Moderation Dashboard and Homebox
- One of the many benefits of using a powerful, open source framework like Drupal to build your site is its ability to act as the “glass” for a variety of other systems, and this module is a perfect demonstration of that