Drupal and the Personal Website
For the final project, I experimented with content management systems, specifically Drupal. Using Drupal software in conjunction with Dreamweaver I created a website for the business I hope to one day have, MS Designs, designing custom wedding invitations. Perhaps one day this business plan will expand to freelance design of advertising and mdia documents.
What is Drupal?
Drupal is one of many free software packages using open source software. Open source software makes source code available to web designers under a copywright agreement that allows them modify, change, or improve the software. In other words, Drupal offers web designers pre-coded themes and modules that can be used to create a web site. Unlike basic web design software, such as Dreamweaver or Front Page, Drupal software gives designers a base from which to build upon.
Who can benefit from using Drupal?
Drupal offers a magnitude of themes and modules that help build an interactive web site for a community, a corporation, a discussion or blog forum, a resource site, a social networking site, or even an e-commerce website.Perhaps one of the best features of Drupal is its multiple authoring/user environment. Multiple users, both internal and external) can be given access to varying levels of authoring ability. My website needs only one administer; however, through Drupal I can limit or extend the actions available to my web site viewers.
The fact that Drupal provides pre-coded themes and modules opens a door to novice web designers, providing them with the tool to create useful and effective web sites. Dreamweaver and Front Page may have design interfaces, allowing users to create web sites without using source code; however, this could get them into trouble down the road if they never learn to understand the code that is being written. Changing and modifying Drupal themes still requires some knowledge of source code, but novice users could still create web pages without changing themes. They simply add content.
Advanced web designers will still find Drupal useful, because it eases the amount of work necessary. Rather than writing code from scratch, designers can build upon the work of others, creating sound web pages in shorter time.
My Journey with Drupal
When I began the project, I had absolutely no prior experience with open source software. I had worked with Dreamweaver on several occasions, and my knowledge of HTML code was very limited. I've been working with Drupal for just over three weeks now, and I've stumbled, quite literally, over a few helpful tips to make the transition from Dreamweaver to Drupal much easier for other novices.
I say transition, not because Dreamweaver and Drupal are opposites, in fact modifying Drupal themes involves using Dreamweaver, or other web design software. It is a transition because novice designers go from using a design interface to layout pages, to reading and scrolling through source codes and style sheets to make changes. Using Drupal is like diving head first into HTML, or travelling to a foreign country only knowing how to say "hello" or "good bye". If you're considering exploring Drupal, here are a few tips:
1. Read everything you can before getting started. Rather than browsing forums and about sections of the Drupal website, I jumped right in, downloaded the software, and found myself facing a road block at every turn. The slightest bit of progress turned up another obstacle. Thankfully I had a Drupal guide: a college professor who'd begun the journey himself much earlier.
2. Keep a wary eye for compatability and usability. There are many versions of the Drupal software, the most recent being 6.2. However, many of the themes and modules are only compatable with outdated versions. Keeping this in mind as you browse downloads will save a lot of time and hassle in the end. Since Drupal is compiled of open source, many of the themes and modules are written by other designers and could have glitches or bad coding. Drupal provides a "Bugs and feature" link to each theme and module outlining potential drawbacks. Not all have them, but it would be helpful to know about the ones that do.
3. Explore, explore, explore. Unlike Dreamweaver, and other web design software, Drupal themes have an extra layer. In addition to div tags that organize a web page, there are blocks. Without going into a lengthy how-to discussion on the usability of blocks, don't be afraid to edit and create content within the administration userface just to see what happens. In many cases, there are elements to a theme hiding because there is no content present. Before getting to crazy with content and changes, play around and learn about the structure of Drupal organization.
Drupal Help: Finding What You Need to Know
I came across several instances where I wanted my web site to function in a particular way, but wasn't sure how to go about accomplishes the desired action. On many occasions the Drupal website came in very handy. Using the general search bar in the upper right, I simply typed in what I wanted to do or what I was having a problem with. Seach results included forum discussions between other users that answered my questions in very simple terms. I didn't have to search an extensive help menu to find just the right description. I found the search bar to be the most helpful with solving problems.
The modules, or plugins that extend functionality, can be difficult to scroll through. If you have a general idea for a particluar function it's tough to find out if a module exists and what it is called. Thankfully, Drupal organizes themes by category (community, e-commerce, administration, media, etc.) that can help narrow your search down to what might typically used within a paritcular site. After selecting a category, you still need to scroll through the numerous modules reading descriptions, but many provide a demonstration to show you just how the module will function.