An An informationinformation systemsystem forfor teachingteachingand and researchresearch usingusing DrupalDrupal

ByBy Manuela Hugger, FIT 4. Sem. 2007Manuela Hugger, FIT 4. Sem. 2007

OverviewOverviewSoftwareSoftwareLayoutLayout

IntroductionIntroduction

Planning of a bilingual internet database Planning of a bilingual internet database for treesfor treesInterdisciplinary knowledge made Interdisciplinary knowledge made accessible to students onlineaccessible to students onlineInformation available willInformation available will ccover over photographic teaching material photographic teaching material

ProblemsProblems

Study of phenological characteristics Study of phenological characteristics Only acces to study during few Only acces to study during few classes / opening hours of cabinetsclasses / opening hours of cabinets

ObjectivesObjectives

Additional support tool to give students Additional support tool to give students the possibility to revise and improve their the possibility to revise and improve their wellwell--founded abilitiesfounded abilitiesNot a substitute for practical studyingNot a substitute for practical studyingJoining the Joining the „„puzzle piecespuzzle pieces““ See the See the whole unit, namly the tree.whole unit, namly the tree.

SoftwareSoftware

Why using a Content Why using a Content Management System (CMS)?Management System (CMS)?

Website with a high amount of pictures and a Website with a high amount of pictures and a large collection of dynamic informationlarge collection of dynamic informationContent is separate from the visual Content is separate from the visual presentation presentation Project is continuous with frequent Project is continuous with frequent expansions expansions Data stored in a database will be compiled Data stored in a database will be compiled into html pagesinto html pages

DrupalDrupal

Web Content Management System (CMS) Web Content Management System (CMS) and framework developed by D. Buytaertand framework developed by D. BuytaertUses MySQL as database; written in PHPUses MySQL as database; written in PHPLicensed under GNU General Public Licensed under GNU General Public Licence (GPL) Licence (GPL) licence for free software, licence for free software, released by the Free Software Foundationreleased by the Free Software FoundationOpen source since 2001; maintained and Open source since 2001; maintained and developed by a community of thousands developed by a community of thousands of users and developersof users and developers

DrupalDrupal

Offers an individual or a community of Offers an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and users to easily publish, manage and organize a great variety of content on a organize a great variety of content on a websitewebsiteVery extensible; modules can be easily Very extensible; modules can be easily implemented into core functions of a implemented into core functions of a websitewebsite

Comparison of different CMS (IBM)

ExampleExample of of websiteswebsites usingusing DrupalDrupal

http://www.mtv.co.ukhttp://www.mtv.co.uk, British MTV's site, British MTV's sitehttp://kerneltrap.orghttp://kerneltrap.org, a computing news , a computing news websitewebsitehttp://www.ndp.cahttp://www.ndp.ca, a social, a social--democratic democratic political party in Canadapolitical party in Canadahttp://moby.comhttp://moby.com, the band's official , the band's official websitewebsite

What you need to get startedWhat you need to get started

XAMPP*XAMPP*; a free & easy; a free & easy--toto--use serveruse server((Apache HTTP Server, MySQL database Apache HTTP Server, MySQL database and interpreters for scripts written in PHPand interpreters for scripts written in PHP))77--Zip*Zip*;; file archiver with high compression file archiver with high compression ratioratioNotepad++*Notepad++*; ; open source editoropen source editor

*Licensed under GNU General Public Licence (GPL)*Licensed under GNU General Public Licence (GPL)

http://localhost/xampp/http://localhost/xampp/

How to get Drupal ready to useHow to get Drupal ready to use

UnzipUnzip all of the installation files inside the htdocs all of the installation files inside the htdocs folderfolder ((default settings are storeddefault settings are stored ))Look for Look for drupaldrupal\\sitessites\\defaultdefault in xampp directory in xampp directory and open the file and open the file settings.phpsettings.php in notepad++in notepad++$db_url='mysql://username:password@localhost$db_url='mysql://username:password@localhost/databasename'; /databasename';

and change it toand change it to$db_url = 'mysql://ur user name:the password u $db_url = 'mysql://ur user name:the password u set@localhost/ur dbname';set@localhost/ur dbname';http://localhost/drupal/install.phphttp://localhost/drupal/install.php

http://localhost/drupal/http://localhost/drupal/

The most important thing to do now is to The most important thing to do now is to create the first account, as this account create the first account, as this account will become the administrator. Do not will become the administrator. Do not forget your password!forget your password!

LayoutLayout

Most of the usability hints I got from the Most of the usability hints I got from the homepage of Jakob Nielsen which is said homepage of Jakob Nielsen which is said to be the leading expert on webpage to be the leading expert on webpage usability (http://www.useit.com).usability (http://www.useit.com).““Perhaps the bestPerhaps the best--known design and known design and usability guru on the Internet" (Financial usability guru on the Internet" (Financial Times)Times)

ConclusionConclusion

SimilarSimilar sitessites alreadyalready existexist <> <> closeclose relationrelationto to contentscontents of of teachingteachingNeverNever bebe totallytotally completecomplete <> <> beingbeing allall--embracingembracing isis notnot thethe goalgoal

DrupalDrupal guaranteesguarantees maintenancemaintenance byby different different personspersons workingworking on on itit

ReferencesReferences

BorntrBornträäger, A.: MySQL 4 echt einfach. ger, A.: MySQL 4 echt einfach. Franzis Verlag GmbH, Poing 2004Franzis Verlag GmbH, Poing 2004Homepage which tested Drupal: Homepage which tested Drupal: http://www.ibm.com/us/ http://www.ibm.com/us/ http://wwwhttp://www--128.ibm.com/developerworks/ibm/librar128.ibm.com/developerworks/ibm/library/iy/i--osource1/, recent access osource1/, recent access 2007/03/182007/03/18One of many ways how to install One of many ways how to install Drupal: http://freeme.in/ Drupal: http://freeme.in/ http://freeme.in/node/14, recent access http://freeme.in/node/14, recent access 2007/03/182007/03/18Homepage of Jakob Nielsen on Homepage of Jakob Nielsen on usability and web design: usability and web design: http://www.useit.com/http://www.useit.com/Nice site to compare up to 10 different Nice site to compare up to 10 different CMS at once: CMS at once: http://www.cmsmatrix.org/matrixhttp://www.cmsmatrix.org/matrixhttp://www.wikipedia.orghttp://www.wikipedia.org

Pictures provided by Prof. Dr. Pictures provided by Prof. Dr. FrommholdFrommholdDownloadsDownloads, , recent access recent access 2007/03/182007/03/18Download of Download of XAMPPXAMPP: : http://www.apachefriends.org/de/inhttp://www.apachefriends.org/de/index.htmldex.htmlhttp://www.apachefriends.org/de/xhttp://www.apachefriends.org/de/xampp.htmlampp.htmlDownload of Download of DrupalDrupal: : http://drupal.org/http://drupal.org/Download of Download of 77--ZipZip: : http://www.7http://www.7--zip.org/zip.org/Download of Download of Notepad++Notepad++: : http://notepadhttp://notepad--plus.sourceforge.net/de/site.htmplus.sourceforge.net/de/site.htm