drupal7 enterprise web application framework

7/30/2019 Drupal7 Enterprise Web Application Framework

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Drupal 7 as an enterprise webapplication framework

Why as a developer you should use

Drupal to build web applications?

Klaus Harris

DrupalCon Munich 2012


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Brief bio

Who am I?

Whats my Drupal story?


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Why this talk?

1. Address some preconceptions that developers

have about Drupal

2. Why should I as a developer use Drupal 7


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Part 1

Preconceptions


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Developer preconceptions

1. Drupal is just a CMS

2. Drupal isnt suitable for large enterprise sites

3. Its old fashioned procedural code

4. Ill have to learn some hideous plugin architecture

5. Ill have to fit around the Drupal data model

6. What I can do is limited (its just a CMS)

7. Theming is difficult8. Drupal is slow

9. I can write something like this but better


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1. Drupal is just a CMS

We see a lot of comparisons like this:

Drupal vs Joomla vs WordPress

Open Source CMS Comparison

CMS Comparison: Drupal, Joomla and Wordpress

by Ashleigh Davis on 27 March 2011 | 6 Comments

CMS-Battle: TYPO3 vs Drupalfight over 20 rounds


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But not this:

Drupal vs Symfony

Drupal vs

Zend Framework


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And according to Wikipedia a web framework has:

Web template system

Caching

Security

Database access, mapping and configuration Url mapping

Ajax

Web services

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_application_framework
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_application_frameworkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_application_framework


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So why is Drupal is only seen as a CMS?

Drupals origins

Comparisons with Joomla, Wordpress and Typo3

No comparisons with PHP frameworks like Zend

Installable software on some hosters Very node centric data structure in < Drupal 7

Admin interface (horror!)

All those modules, it must be a CMS

Ignorance


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node

Teaser Full

Drupal 6 was less flexible

There was only really

one content data

type built in, namely

the node.

Nodes could be sub-

typed and had only

basic view modes. type

A page is a

node forexample.

type type type


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Node Node revisions

And that data lived in two tables


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Drupal 7 changes all this!

Entity API, make:

your own data table(s)

different view modes

sub-types fields

AND

you get all the goodneess

you know from node API


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So now..

node

TeaserFull

Entity

user custom

type

Top 5

RSS

comment

and

type type type type

TeaserFull

RSS


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We arent tied to the Drupal database

We can can override

the data operation

methods.

meaning


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node

Entity

custom

typetype type

custom

typetype

Drupal

DB

Another

DB

Web

service

Our data can come from anywhere


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Add fields

Control displayed fields depending on view mode

Get the data into search and define which fields to

index

Use our own view modes

Add custom sub-types

Be data source agnostic

Use all the hooks you are used to from nodes

Entities are new in Drupal 7


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BUT!

You arent tied to entities.

If you want, just write your own CRUD code.


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What else makes Drupal more web framework?


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URL routing / menu

Actions and triggers Queue mechanism

Database API

Caching Form API

Theme system

File API Roles and permissions

and more..

Internationalistion

Web services

Testing framework

Contrib gold such as..

Views

Flag

Rules

Search API


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We use actions and triggers extensively

Great fordecoupling


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2. Drupal isnt suitable for large enterprise sites

Wrong!

Look at big sites using it and explore case studies.

Look at the architecture.

http://www.examiner.com/http://www.acquia.com/resources/case-study/examinercom

http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-

Drupal.html?page=1

http://buytaert.net/tag/drupal-sites
http://www.examiner.com/http://www.acquia.com/resources/case-study/examinercomhttp://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://buytaert.net/tag/drupal-siteshttp://buytaert.net/tag/drupal-siteshttp://buytaert.net/tag/drupal-siteshttp://buytaert.net/tag/drupal-siteshttp://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/Why-Big-Sites-Run-Drupal.html?page=1http://www.acquia.com/resources/case-study/examinercomhttp://www.acquia.com/resources/case-study/examinercomhttp://www.acquia.com/resources/case-study/examinercomhttp://www.examiner.com/


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3. Its old fashioned procedural code

Its not all OOP

True. Is that bad? *

It has global variables

True, live with it.

There are so many arrays

So what? Its PHP.

* http://drupal.org/node/547518
http://drupal.org/node/547518http://drupal.org/node/547518


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4. Ill have to learn some hideous plugin architecture

You will find it:

Well architected

Simple

Powerful Intuitive

Wrong!

Yes!

You will need to learn

about hooks, overrides

and preprocessing but..


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It is easy, you will like it

For example, making a module:


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Menu hook

and

page callback


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Enable the new module.


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Simple!


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Lets make a block


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Simple!


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Form API is gold


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As a developer you will

write a LOT of form code

You should use a Form API

that you like.


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5. Ill have to fit around the Drupal data model

Wrong!

Think of Drupal as a web framework with some default

data structures set up for you.

Create data structures via Entities

Just make DB tables and write your own CRUD code

Get data from entirely different DBs

Get data from web services

Power to you!


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6. What I can do is limited (its just a CMS)

Wrong!

Anything you can build with:

Zend Framework Symfony

and so on

you can build with Drupal. With reduced development

time!


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This search uses Zend Framework Lucene libraries.

Dont forget! You can use Zend Framework

components in Drupal too!


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7. Theming is difficult

No its not.

Themer - http://drupal.org/project/devel_themer

Devel - http://drupal.org/project/devel

Examples - http://drupal.org/project/examples

Try simple starter theme

Zen theme - http://drupal.org/project/zen Basic theme - http://drupal.org/project/basic
http://drupal.org/project/devel_themerhttp://drupal.org/project/develhttp://drupal.org/project/exampleshttp://drupal.org/project/zenhttp://drupal.org/project/basichttp://drupal.org/project/basichttp://drupal.org/project/zenhttp://drupal.org/project/exampleshttp://drupal.org/project/develhttp://drupal.org/project/devel_themer


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Theming

is easy


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Renderable arrays, theming is even easier.


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Devel Themer module


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8. I can write something like this but better

Really?


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9. Drupal is slow

Full page caching

Partial page caching e.g. blocks

Static caching with function calls

More efficient Entity loading Javascript aggregation

CSS aggregation

Master / Slave database configurations

Different caching backends e.g. memcache


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Drupal performance greatly benefits from:

An opcode cache like APC

Memcache

Check out the Drupal performance group:http://groups.drupal.org/high-performance

and some performance related modules such as:

http://drupal.org/project/memcache

http://drupal.org/project/mongodb

http://drupal.org/project/varnish
http://groups.drupal.org/high-performancehttp://drupal.org/project/memcachehttp://drupal.org/project/mongodbhttp://drupal.org/project/varnishhttp://drupal.org/project/varnishhttp://drupal.org/project/mongodbhttp://drupal.org/project/memcachehttp://groups.drupal.org/high-performancehttp://groups.drupal.org/high-performancehttp://groups.drupal.org/high-performance


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Worth looking here..

on any module page.
http://drupal.org/project/memcachehttp://drupal.org/project/memcache


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Part 2

Why should I as a developer useDrupal 7?


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1. What is good about coding Drupal 7?

2. What should I be aware of?

3. What mindset change do I need?

4. Where do I go from here?


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1. What is good about coding Drupal 7?

It is amazing what you can buildjustwith modules

Rapid results

Fully featured

Code organisation Community and resources

Theres a module for that

Really nice APIs Developer tools

2 What should I be aware of?


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2. What should I be aware of?

Shock!!

Zend Framework Drupal


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Organising code

Up to you


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Configuration


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And..

Works the same


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Deployment can be easier and trickier

Easier through hooks and install pofiles.

Trickier with configuration in the DB. Explore

Features module.

Flush the theme registry after theme changes

Flush the menu registry after menu changes


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3. What mindset change do I need?

You will combine modules AND custom code.

Dont look for MVC, its more PAC *

Dont look for a Zend / Symfony file structure

Understand OO principles in the API ** and see past

the procedural code. Embrace the Drupal way

*

http://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pac

http://www.dossier-andreas.net/software_architecture/pac.html

** http://drupal.org/node/547518
http://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pachttp://www.dossier-andreas.net/software_architecture/pac.htmlhttp://drupal.org/node/547518http://drupal.org/node/547518http://www.dossier-andreas.net/software_architecture/pac.htmlhttp://www.dossier-andreas.net/software_architecture/pac.htmlhttp://www.dossier-andreas.net/software_architecture/pac.htmlhttp://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pachttp://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pachttp://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pachttp://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pachttp://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/mvc-vs-pac


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4. Where do I go from here?

Explore Drupal.org

Buy a book

Who uses Drupal?

Experiment Install Drupal

Try some cookbook site

builds

Experiment with programming

devel, drush, schema, devel_themer modules

Explore the examples module

Write a module


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Where could you use Drupal to get started?

Personal site

An intranet tool e.g. wiki / bug tracker / CRM

New business project

Part of a business presence

Or a hybrid form

The trick is to gain experience.

I started with Drupal via a hybrid model..


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DrupalAn established B2Cwebsite News, help

& FAQ

Main

DBMain

DBs

Drupal

DB

IntranetInternet

Views

Multi-lingual content for news,

help and FAQs built in Drupal.

I lik d D l h b il i f


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I liked Drupal so much we built on it for a startup


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It was a good decision

and is fun!


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Thank you for listening

Klaus Harris

[email protected]

www.distribly.com
mailto:[email protected]://www.distribly.com/http://www.distribly.com/mailto:[email protected]


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Appendix

Some good books

Drupal 6

Using Drupal - First edition 1, O'Reilly PressPro Drupal 6 Development - Second Edition Apress

Drupal 7

Drupal 7 Module Development - Packt

Pro Drupal 7 Development, Apress

The Definitive Guide to Drupal 7 - Apress


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Some links

http://drupal.org

Developer modules

http://drupal.org/project/admin_menuhttp://drupal.org/project/devel

http://drupal.org/project/devel_themer

http://drupal.org/project/schema

http://drupal.org/project/drush

http://drupal.org/project/examples
http://drupal.org/http://drupal.org/project/admin_menuhttp://drupal.org/project/develhttp://drupal.org/project/devel_themerhttp://drupal.org/project/schemahttp://drupal.org/project/drushhttp://drupal.org/project/exampleshttp://drupal.org/project/exampleshttp://drupal.org/project/drushhttp://drupal.org/project/schemahttp://drupal.org/project/devel_themerhttp://drupal.org/project/develhttp://drupal.org/project/admin_menuhttp://drupal.org/


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