Sitback Solutions: Good Design for Housing – NSW Gov digital map case study

Image removed.Enhancing urban understanding through interactive mapping for NSW Government Project background In NSW, where the architectural landscape boasts a vibrant mix of low density single detached dwellings and high-rise apartment buildings, low- and mid-rise housing have become underrepresented  in new development planning. Recognising this gap, Government Architect NSW (GANSW), a part of NSW Department of Planning, Housing ... Good Design for Housing – NSW Gov digital map case study

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.

Balint Pekker: Drupal 11 is at the doorstep

The release of Drupal 11 is on the horizon, yet comprehensive information on its features, deprecated modules, and system requirements is scattered. While you can piece together details from documentation and community forums, it would be much more convenient to have everything in one place, hence this post. Since the release of Drupal 10.2, we've known about the deprecations and experimental modules, allowing us to prepare for the transition. With Drupal 10 receiving long-term support (LTS) until Drupal 12, possibly arriving in mid-late 2026, there's no immediate rush to upgrade. However, the benefits of the new features in Drupal 11 make the upgrade highly worthwhile.

The Drop Times: ECA is For Every Drupal Site Out There: Jürgen Haas

In an insightful interview with Alka Elizabeth, Jürgen Haas, Co-Founder of LakeDrops, delves into the development and impact of the ECA module, a tool for workflow automation in Drupal. Jürgen, an expert in technical solution architectures, discusses how the ECA module simplifies complex tasks through a no-code approach, making it accessible to developers and non-technical users. He also explores the module's potential future integration with Drupal core and its role in promoting sustainable, open-source practices within the digital community. This interview provides a comprehensive look at how the ECA module reshapes user experiences and sets new standards in the Drupal ecosystem.

drunomics: Green UX

Green UX illu_stromverrbauch_internet_drunomicscolors_1536pxteaser.png jurgen.thano Tue, 07/30/2024 - 09:44 Explore the profound impact of Green UX, which redefines digital experiences by placing sustainability at their core. Delve into how deliberate design decisions not only improve performance and accessibility but also reduce our environmental impact in the digital realm. Embrace the opportunity to contribute towards a more sustainable and user-friendly future online.

The Drop Times: Thoughts on Drupal Starshot #2: A New Direction for Drupal

In the latest installment of the "Thoughts on Starshot" series, The DropTimes captures the diverse perspectives of the Drupal community on the eagerly anticipated Drupal Starshot initiative. This article delves into the reflections, hopes, and insights shared by key community members, including Kristen Pol, Murray Woodman, Nicolas Loye, Martin Anderson-Clutz, and Tim Hestenes Lehnen. As the community eagerly awaits the release of Drupal Starshot, this series highlights the collective excitement and anticipation, offering a glimpse into how Starshot is expected to shape the future of Drupal and its broader community.

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 track

I am the lead for the Trial experience for Starshot track. The track has three phases:

Specbee: Integrating Single Directory Components (SDC) and Storybook in Drupal

While one lets you organize your UI components, the other lets you interact with them. Yes, we’re talking about Single Directory Components (SDC) and Storybook. Integrating them transforms your development process, making it revolutionary in how UI components are built and tested. Let's dive straight into this intriguing article and discover how leveraging the power of SDC and Storybook can accelerate build time and boost your efficiency. What is SDC Did you know that SDC was a contributed module but it is now included in Core from version Drupal 10.3?! SDC, also known as Single Directory Components, represents a new way of structuring and organizing components. What are components? Components in Drupal are reusable building blocks of code that can include Twig templates, metadata, styles, and scripts that needs to be embedded in Drupal templates. With SDC, developers can easily create components that are swappable and modular, enhancing the overall flexibility and reusability of their codebase. What is Storybook Storybook serves as a frontend workshop that helps developers and designers see and test everything in one place before using them in the actual site. What's better, it is opensource, extremely popular and has a user-friendly interface, making it a tool for modern development workflows! Storybook lets you develop and test components in isolation. This ensures they work independently before integration. It offers a visual catalog of components so it is easy to see and understand each component’s functionality. Why integrate SDC with Storybook in Drupal Integrating SDC with Storybook in Drupal brings many benefits. It keeps components organized and easy to manage JS and css files, templates, and data flow within components. You can see and test components in isolation, enhancing the overall maintainability and scalability of UI components. Speeds up development and ensures everything works perfectly. Improves collaboration between teams. Helps maintain a consistent design across the site. How to integrate SDC with Storybook in Drupal Setting up and configuring Storybook with Drupal is a straightforward process that involves creating SDC, enabling them, and installing the necessary dependencies. By following a series of steps, developers can seamlessly integrate SDC with Storybook, leveraging tools like Twig and Webpack5 to enhance the templating and rendering capabilities of their components. Step 1: Setting Up SDC Enable the SDC core module. It comes out of the box from Drupal 10.1 & above. If you want to learn how to create SDCs, you can follow this in depth article we wrote previously. Step 2: Configure Storybook Install composer require 'drupal/storybook:^1.0@beta' Setting up development.service.yml parameters:   # ...   twig.config:     debug: true     cache: false   # Disable development mode in production!   storybook.development: true   cors.config:     enabled: true     allowedHeaders: ['*']     allowedMethods: ['*']     allowedOrigins: ['*']     exposedHeaders: false     maxAge: false     supportsCredentials: true Run the command:drush role:perm:add anonymous 'render storybook stories' Under the root folder, run the below commands to set up the storybook:yarn set version berry   echo 'nodeLinker: node-modules' >> .yarnrc.yml# Install and configure stock Storybook.   yarn dlx sb init --builder webpack5 --type serverCheck out the Storybook Drupal module to learn more. Step 3: Create Stories for Components Develop stories for each SDC component to showcase its functionality and variations. Utilize Twig files to define the structure and content of each component story. Ensure that each story accurately represents the behavior and appearance of the corresponding component. Try it out with an example Here’s an example of the file structure to create an SDC component with Storybook integration. The component here is “formatted-text”. Here, the atomic component-driven approach is chosen. So, under atoms, we have placed the formatted-text component.Note: SDC components must be placed under the components/ folder. Coding snippets for the above component: 1. formatted-text.component.yml 2. formatted-text.css We can create an SCSS file and then compile it into a CSS file. Here's how to do that in a gulp.js file: gulp.src([‘.components/**/*.scss’]).pipe(gulpSass()).pipe(gulp.dest([‘./components’])) 3. formatted-text.stories.twig Here, we create the stories by adding them using the {% story <name> with { args } %} syntax. The {% stories %} tag serves as the wrapper for all {% story %} tags, as outside of it, the stories have no context. 4. formatted-text.twig The main template file of the SDC component. Step 4: Generate Component Stories The Storybook application doesn’t understand stories in Twig format. The stories must be compiled into *.stories.json files. To do so you can run:         drush storybook:generate-all-stories If you want to generate stories while watching for files. You can run this command:     watch --color drush storybook:generate-all-stories Step 5: Test and iterate Run the command to start the storybook server and test components:  yarn storybook Iterate on the design and functionality of components based on feedback and testing results. Continuously refine and improve the SDC components to enhance their usability and performance. This is how your storybook page will look like: Final Thoughts While integrating SDC with Storybook offers numerous advantages, it's important to consider potential drawbacks. Some systems may experience performance issues, and not all add-ons may work seamlessly with decorators (controllers of different viewport parameters). Complexities may arise when dealing with multi-nested embeds or higher-order components, requiring careful consideration during development. Despite these challenges, the integration of SDC and Storybook opens up a new level of possibilities for developers. By creating agnostic components that can be used across different platforms, developers can enhance component visibility via Drupal UI and explore future opportunities, such as integrating components via the layout builder API.

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
Resources Guests

Rajab Natshah - rajab-natshah Mohammed Razem - mohammed-j-razem

Hosts

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Josh Miller - joshmiller

MOTW Correspondent

Martin 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
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