In the above livestream, we will demonstrate Drupal CMS v1. You will learn how to install it using DDEV, and we will examine some of its new features, focusing on AI and workflows using the ECA module.

Installing Drupal CMS using DDEV

There are two ways to install Drupal CMS: download it using Composer and run it on your stack, or download a packaged version and use DDEV.

Run the following command to download it using Composer:

composer create-project drupal/cms

Go to the Drupal CMS page and download the latest version:

Last week was quiet on the front end. This week there’s two big leaps forward!

Leap #1

XB’s right sidebar has two tabs:

1. “Settings” (for the per-component “settings”), which for Single Directory Components (SDCs) shows a form to populate its props
2. “Page data”, intended to allow modifying the the page you’re looking at if it’s a content entity. In other words: it should show the typical Drupal node form to edit the content entity’s structured data. But with a major twist: all field widgets must be rendered using React, and their values synced with Redux, to allow live updates in XB’s preview.

So, this week’s first leap is Bálint “balintbrews” Kléri and Ben “bnjmnm” Mullins having made that second point a reality:

This builds upon the infrastructure that Ben introduced. Pretty incredible to see the most canonical Drupal form we’re all (too?) familiar with rendered in a novel way, isn’t it? 😄

Leap #2

The second leap on the other hand is completely invisible: Jesse Baker, Bálint “balintbrews” Kléri and Harumi “hooromoo” Jang kept the live previews of the edited page looking the same, but overhauled almost the entire implementation! 😮 You may remember that in week 19, Jesse introduced the IframeSwapper to eliminate flickering.

But still plenty of challenges remained due to XB’s reliance on <iframe>s: all events occurring inside them need bubbling up (to allow for panning the canvas), interactions occurring near their boundaries feel off, correctly positioning the “hovered/selected” component instance affordances requires cross-frame communication, and more.

Jesse landed on an impressive solution: he built an invisible, overlaid, representation of the components present in the preview in the parent on top of the preview <iframe>, preventing the user for interacting with the iframe directly at all. The trade-off: now that invisible overlay must be perfectly in sync with the preview behind it, even while panning and zooming. He aptly named it mirror universe 🧙

Want more detail? Jesse’s page-preview.md is a fascinating read!

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!

Prep for the future

A tiny bugfix by Shyam Bhatt , Kyle “ctrladel” Einecker and Ben “bnjmnm” Mullins to fix the hardcoded dummy data for sections1. The use of dummy data hardcoded in the React UI allows XB’s front end to race ahead of its back end: there, a config entity plus HTTP API needs to be defined for them — that will happen in #3479643 and #3479982.

The PageTemplate config entity was added last week, this week Ted “tedbow” Bowman, Dave “longwave” Long and I added a HTTP API for the XB UI to create, read, update and delete XB config entities. Key bits of logic are lifted from Drupal core’s JSON:API, specifically from a core merge request: #2300677: JSON:API POST/PATCH support for fully validatable config entities , which did not land yet.
I was pleasantly surprised that ApiConfigControllers only took ~300 LoC, although (de)normalization is missing: the back end is racing ahead of the client here, and deciding on the ideal client-side representation should happen when the front end work happens. The config entity’s full lifecycle is tested, to ensure beyond the basics also correct cacheability, use of Dynamic Page Cache, and usable detailed validation errors.

Finally, for the third week in a row, adjustments were made to allow for multiple component types, this time in the HTTP API and UI internals. It’s coming soon now, I promise!

Week 24 was October 21–October 27, 2024.

• 1

  A “section” is a reusable pattern: a combination of components that is available to be reused.

Authored by Nadiia Nykolaichuk.

At the heart of the Drupal community lies our commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and positive environment. As part of this mission, the Drupal Community Working Group (CWG) Conflict Resolution Team is excited to announce quarterly open office hours.

Our open office hours are designed to create a safe and welcoming space where members of the Drupal community can connect with us. Whether you have questions about conflict resolution, need guidance on community challenges, or simply want to better understand how we support our community, this is your opportunity to engage with the team.

What to Expect

During these sessions, you’ll have the chance to:

• Ask questions about the CWG and its role in maintaining a healthy community.

• Seek advice or share concerns related to conflict resolution or community dynamics.

• Learn about tools and resources to help foster positive interactions in your own Drupal spaces.

This is a casual, open forum, so feel free to drop in and participate as much or as little as you’d like.

Details for the Next Session

📅 Date: February 28, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 - 6:00 PM GMT
📍 Location: ZOOM - https://drupalassoc.zoom.us/j/81673498809

We’re here to listen, provide support, and help strengthen the bonds that make the Drupal community so unique. Whether you’re a long-time contributor or new to Drupal, we welcome everyone to join us.

Why Open Office Hours?

The open office hours are part of our ongoing effort to ensure that every community member feels heard and supported. By offering this space, we hope to encourage open dialogue and provide resources that contribute to a healthier, more resilient Drupal community.

We look forward to seeing you there and working together to continue building the kind of community we can all be proud to be a part of. 💙

Today we are talking about The open university initiative, Drupal in academia, and Fostering Drupal Education with guest Jean-Paul Vosmeer. We’ll also cover Artisan as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/488

• What is the Drupal Open University Initiative
• How did this initiative start
• Why is it important to get Drupal into Universities and Classrooms
• What stage is the initiative at
• Is Drupal currently in any universities
• Is it better to approach schools or professors directly
• How is the curriculum being developed
• What are the main differences between this initiative and resources like Drupalize.me, Drupal at your fingertips, or Drupal TB
• What is next on the roadmap
• Where does Drupal CMS fit in
• Where does the initiative need help
• How can someone get involved

• Drupal Open University Initiative
• Metadrop blog about Artisan
• Drupal viking
• Do it with Drupal
• Drupal at your fingertips
• Drupal Open University
• OSPO
  • https://todogroup.org/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Program_Office
• Content Model & Site Documentation

Jean-Paul Vosmeer - reactonline.nl jpvos

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Avi Schwab - froboy.org froboy

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted to use the Drupal UI to configure numerous aspects of your Drupal site’s look and feel? There’s a theme for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Artisan
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Sep 2024 by alejandro cabarcos though recent releases are by crzdev, both of metadrop
  • Versions available: 1.3.8, which support Drupal 10 and 11
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained, release in the last week
  • Security coverage
  • Documentation: no, but a lengthy README that includes developer notes
  • Number of open issues: 7 open issues, 5 of which are bugs, but 3 are postponed
• Usage stats:
  • 170 sites
• Module features and usage
  • After installing the theme, there is a drush command to generate a subtheme, or you can manually duplicate an included starterkit. You also need to run a couple of npm commands to pull in all the front end libraries, and build the CSS files
  • Once you set the subtheme as your site default, you can customize a variety of ways the site looks, including the fonts and weights to use for heading and default text, the colour and padding of various elements, border weights, border radius, and more.
  • The customizations are grouped into tabs. The base tab includes a colour palette, base font, and link styling. Additional tabs include page layout, header, responsive, and footer, also breadcrumb, headings, display headings, buttons, forms, and components
  • Artisan also provides a toggle to expose extra customization options for dark mode, so if you want your site to give users the option to switch back and forth between normal and dark, this is extremely powerful, but does make for some very long configuration pages
  • You can create and save presets, for easy creation of reusable palettes
  • There is also a companion Artisan Styleguide module that provides a page that previews the theme style applied to an extensive list of elements
  • Last year I was considering making a more configurable subtheme of Olivero for the Event Platform initiative, so I was excited to read about Artisan in a metadrop blog post we’ll include in the show notes

Authored by Nadiia Nykolaichuk.

Dear Readers,

I have been involved with the Drupal Community for almost one and a half years now but it still gives me a little bit of goosebumps every time Dries shares one of my interviews or articles. Recently, I had the honor to interview Owen Lansbury, Chair of the Drupal Association and the Co-founder of PreviousNext. Owen quoted and Dries shared,

“The simplest question any agency leader needs to ask themselves is, “Does my business rely on Drupal?” If the answer is yes, then you need to put the policies in place to qualify as a Drupal Certified Partner or your business will become irrelevant in the Drupal ecosystem.” 

The Drupal ecosystem thrives on innovation, but its long-term sustainability depends on a crucial factor—ensuring that those who benefit from Drupal also contribute back to its growth. While the open-source model has always encouraged collaboration, a persistent challenge remains: too few organizations actively invest in the development and promotion of the platform. The Drupal Certified Partner program has made significant strides in addressing this by recognizing and encouraging businesses that contribute, but there is still a long way to go in shifting more organizations toward active participation.

The numbers tell a stark story—Drupal-related projects generate billions in revenue annually, yet only a small fraction of that is reinvested into the Drupal Association. This imbalance raises critical questions about how we sustain and scale an open-source project in an increasingly competitive CMS landscape. Without broader financial and development contributions, Drupal risks losing the momentum needed to drive innovation, maintain its infrastructure, and expand its reach. The challenge is not just about raising funds but about shifting mindsets—contribution should be seen as an essential part of doing business with Drupal, not an optional act of goodwill.  

As the ecosystem evolves, organizations that actively support Drupal’s growth will find themselves in a stronger position—both in terms of influence within the community and long-term business stability. All of us are responsible for ensuring that Drupal remains a thriving, innovative platform. By investing in contribution, we aren’t just supporting an open-source project; we’re securing the future of the businesses and communities that rely on it.

With that, let's move on to the important stories from the past week.

Interviews

• Making the World Take Notice of Drupal Through Innovation: Owen Lansbury
• Video Interview with DDEV Maintainer Randy Fay Now on YouTube

Discover Drupal

• Drupal Public Data, Statistics & Silver Linings? An Exploration #2
• Drupal Releases Recipe Installer Kit for Custom Installation Profiles
• Integrating DeepSeek AI with Drupal for Smarter Content Management
• Jacob Rockowitz on Webform’s Role in Drupal CMS and Its Future

Events

• DrupalCon 2025 in Atlanta: A Key Event for Local Drupal Professionals
• Drupal Mountain Camp 2025 Schedule Released
• DrupalCamp England 2025 Tickets Now Available
• Cristina Chumillas to Deliver Keynote on the Future of Drupal at Drupal Mountain Camp 2025
• Reminder: Call for Papers for Drupal Iberia 2025 Open Until End of February
• Events This Week: Feb 10 - 16, 2025

Organization News

• Exove, Piwik PRO and Cookie Information: A Collaboration Shaping the Future of Drupal and Privacy
• Agiledrop Surges Forward with Growth, Expansion, and Innovation in 2025

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.

2001: Birth of Drupal

In 2001, Dries Buytaert laid the foundation for what would become one of the world's leading content management systems. Initially conceived as a simple message board named Drop.org, this platform served primarily as a digital space for friends to connect and share ideas. However, its potential quickly became apparent, and it evolved beyond a mere forum into a robust framework designed for comprehensive web development.

The transition from Drop.org to Drupal was profound. The name Drupal derives from the Dutch word druppel, meaning "drop," symbolizing its humble beginnings. The involvement of early community members was instrumental, setting the stage for future growth. Contributors from diverse backgrounds participated in refining and expanding the platform's capabilities, laying the groundwork for an open-source project that thrives on collaboration and shared expertise.

2003: Drupal as an Open-Source Project

The year 2003 marked a pivotal transformation for Drupal as it embraced the principles of open-source development. This strategic shift was vital, as it opened doors for a global community to engage collaboratively in enhancing the platform. Open-source software thrives on collective engagement, which fosters innovation, encourages rapid iterations, and speeds up development cycles.

In the aftermath of this transition, a wave of organizations began adopting Drupal, recognizing its flexible architecture and the advantages of community-driven improvements. Notably, prominent institutions such as NBC and the European Commission were among the trailblazers in leveraging Drupal's capabilities, significantly impacting the content management landscape and contributing to its growing popularity.

2004-2008: Expanding Features and Reach

Between 2004 and 2008, Drupal underwent remarkable enhancements, particularly through the introduction of various modules and themes that significantly broadened its functionality. Key releases during this period included Drupal 5 in 2007, which introduced essential features such as improved taxonomy and an enhanced user permissions system. Following that, Drupal 6 debuted in 2008, bringing improvements in usability and a streamlined installation process.

Additionally, the CivicSpace project showcased Drupal's versatility for political campaigns and social movements, exemplifying its adaptability across different applications. An increasing number of organizations, including the European Commission and various non-profits, transitioned to Drupal during this era, citing its inherent flexibility and robust community support as pivotal factors in their adoption decisions.

2011: Drupal 7 - A Major Leap

The release of Drupal 7 on January 5, 2011, represented a transformative milestone for the platform, introducing a plethora of substantial enhancements tailored to both developers and end-users. Among the most notable features was an improved administrative interface, which streamlined site management and rendered it more intuitive for users, regardless of their technical expertise. Additionally, enhanced user permissions enabled fine-grained control over various roles, significantly elevating security and customizability for site administrators.

The acclaim surrounding Drupal 7 was extensive and widespread, earning it multiple industry awards and solidifying its standing within the CMS community. Post-launch feedback indicated a strong appreciation for the advancements made, with usage statistics reflecting a sharp increase in site transitions to the new version, underscoring its pivotal role in Drupal's ongoing evolution.

2015-2019: The Rise of Headless CMS and Drupal 8

The period from 2015 to 2019 was characterized by a significant evolution in Drupal’s architectural framework, culminating in the release of Drupal 8. This version introduced the revolutionary concept of a headless CMS, enabling the separation of front-end and back-end functionalities. By utilizing APIs, developers gained the flexibility to interact with data efficiently, facilitating seamless integration with a variety of front-end frameworks.

Drupal 8 also featured major enhancements such as improved multilingual support, the incorporation of a RESTful API, and an enriched authoring experience. Organizations harnessed these capabilities to build customized, scalable solutions that met the ever-evolving demands of the digital landscape. As enterprises began to adopt a headless approach, they experienced enhanced agility in delivering content across multiple platforms, firmly establishing Drupal’s position within the competitive CMS ecosystem.

2020: Drupal 9 - A Cleaner Foundation and Transition

In June 2020, the release of Drupal 9 marked a consequential upgrade focused on usability and streamlined performance. This version emphasized backward compatibility, ensuring users transitioning from Drupal 7 and 8 could do so with minimal disruptions. Among the crucial enhancements were a refined user interface and improved administrative tools, which significantly accelerated site management operations for both novice users and experienced administrators alike.

The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive, with many users commending the simplified upgrade process. Success stories emerged from organizations that seamlessly transitioned to the new version, highlighting how the latest features substantially improved their content management workflows. Overall, Drupal 9 laid a stronger foundation for future developments, setting the stage for innovations in versions to come.

2024: The Transition to Drupal 11

The highly anticipated release of Drupal 11 in 2024 marked yet another significant evolution within the platform, focusing on enhancing user experience and expanding capabilities. This version introduced functionalities such as structured content workflows and improved content governance, making site management more intuitive and accessible for users of all skill levels.

Early feedback from adopters conveyed a strong appreciation for these advancements, although some challenges surfaced during the transition period. It became apparent that continuous innovation, coupled with active developer engagement, was crucial to refining features and addressing transitional hurdles. The successful launch of Drupal 11 exemplified the ongoing commitment to enhancing accessibility and scalability within the ever-evolving CMS landscape.

2025: The Launch of Drupal CMS 1.0

On January 15, 2025, the debut of Drupal CMS 1.0 represented a transformative moment in Drupal's evolution, specifically designed to empower marketers and non-technical users. This version streamlined the website creation process through innovative features such as AI agents and pre-configured Recipes, enabling users to implement complex functionalities effortlessly, even without extensive coding knowledge.

This user-centric approach is poised to expand Drupal's market reach, attracting users who previously found the platform daunting or challenging to navigate. The community's active involvement in the development of Drupal CMS promises an exciting future, ensuring a pathway for ongoing innovations and enhancements aimed at improving the overall user experience.

2025 and Beyond: AI Integration in Drupal

The AI initiative in Drupal is centered around the AI module, which provides a cohesive framework for integrating various AI technologies into Drupal sites. This module allows developers to easily connect with multiple AI providers, such as OpenAI and Hugging Face, and offers tools for generating content, images, and performing content analysis. Its architecture includes foundational tools that cater to developers, site builders, and administrators, making AI integration accessible and efficient.

Moreover, the AI Agents module expands on this capability by enabling the creation of intelligent agents that can manipulate site content and configurations based on natural language instructions. Through the implementation of this framework, users can create agents tailored to specific tasks, such as adding fields or adjusting content types, enhancing overall site management and user experience. As this project evolves, future updates are expected to include additional functionalities and integrations that will further streamline AI usage within Drupal.