In another Halloween-themed episode of Tag1 Team Talks, Janez Urevc shared a challenging migration story from his past. The project involved transitioning a media organization from an in-house proprietary CMS to Drupal, facing resistance from the existing development team attached to their custom system.

Read more michaelemeyers Tue, 10/31/2023 - 06:30

Cloud hosting solutions are cool until they ruin your multilingual website search. The search engine of this client's Drupal website was crashing and rebooting, but only on the dev and staging servers. How can that be?

Now there are two types of people in the sandwich universe - people who like to order a sandwich off the menu and people who like to customize their sandwich by choosing their bread, filling, and sauce. We’d like to call the latter, ‘Sandwich Mavericks’, who would (most likely) prefer their websites to be as unique as their custom sandwiches. They’re not tied down to a specific front-end technology, or limited by templates and themes provided by the CMS. A Decoupled Drupal CMS architecture lets you be the architect of your web destiny. If you’re not craving a sandwich yet, jump into this article right away to learn more about Decoupled Drupal and using React as the front-end technology to craft absolutely delicious web experiences that your audience will love. What is Decoupled Drupal? The term decoupled means to be detached or separated. In terms of Drupal, it refers to a detached frontend from the Drupal architecture. Hence in a decoupled Drupal architecture, the contents are managed by Drupal and the frontend can be any frontend technology like React, AngularJS, VueJS, etc. Decoupled Drupal is also known as headless Drupal. Traditional CMS VS Decoupled CMS Some key differences between traditional Drupal and decoupled Drupal: Traditional Drupal uses Twig as the frontend tool, while decoupled Drupal can use any of the previously mentioned modern frontend technologies. Traditional Drupal provides us with many out-of-the-box features like content preview, layout builder, etc. In decoupled Drupal, it will need extra effort to build these features. Traditional Drupal has average page speeds, whereas decoupled Drupal has average to fast page speeds. Traditional Drupal uses monolithic architecture, while decoupled Drupal can use both monolithic & microservices architecture. Tech complexity is average in traditional Drupal, whereas in decoupled Drupal it is highly complex. Image source: drupal.org Should you consider decoupling Drupal? Choosing between the two isn't a straightforward decision. It depends on various factors, with a key one being that decoupled Drupal is more intricate and requires additional effort to replicate many features that come prepackaged with Drupal. This can lead to increased development costs and heightened technical complexity. However, it also allows you to seamlessly incorporate Drupal into various modern technologies such as single-page applications (SPAs), mobile apps, configuration-based user interfaces, IoT and offers reusable content capabilities. How does Drupal support headless As Drupal employs an API-first architecture, we can utilize its backend structure to store and deliver content through APIs. Drupal's core natively supports JSON:API/REST API, enabling us to present content as JSON and communicate with front-end technologies via REST. To know which one to choose: JSON API vs REST API vs Graph QL, you can refer to this article. Creating a decoupled Drupal with React Let’s get down to business and start building a decoupled Drupal project with React. This is what your Project folder structure will look like: Under the root directory, we are placing our Drupal project and React app. Sidenote: here docker-compose.yml  is for managing the docker container created for Drupal and the React app. Our Drupal project is created using:  composer create-project drupal/recommended-project my_site_nameAnd our React app is created with: npx create-react-app my-appSetting Up the Drupal application Step 1: On the Drupal side we need to configure a few things to get started: a) Enable CORs settings in services.yml # Configure Cross-Site HTTP requests (CORS). # Read https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Access_control_CORS # for more information about the topic in general. # Note: By default the configuration is disabled. cors.config: enabled: true # Specify allowed headers, like 'x-allowed-header'. allowedHeaders: ['*'] # Specify allowed request methods, specify ['*'] to allow all possible ones. allowedMethods: ['*'] # Configure requests allowed from specific origins. Do not include trailing # slashes with URLs. allowedOrigins: ['*'] # Sets the Access-Control-Expose-Headers header. exposedHeaders: false # Sets the Access-Control-Max-Age header. maxAge: false # Sets the Access-Control-Allow-Credentials header. supportsCredentials: trueb) Enable Rest, Rest UI, Serialization modules By default, Restful Web Services & serialization modules are present out of the box in Drupal 9. You need to install Rest UI (which is a contrib module). composer require 'drupal/restui:^1.21'c) Click the configure settings on the Rest UI module. Then enable the “Content” Resource name.   When this is enabled, it converts the data received from Drupal into JSON. Step 2: In order to access it, go to any content page, like here we are opening an article page.   Now if you add ?_format=json query parameter, it will show the data in JSON format ( a feature of RESTful Web services). Step 3: Now let's create a view with the latest articles on Drupal (see screenshot) A few pointers on the creation of the view.a) Create a “rest export” view. This will be used for passing out our latest articles data to our React app. b) Under path settings, authentication is provided as a “cookie”. We can also use basic auth (i.e. verification with username/password). For that, you need to install the basic auth module. For this demo, we are only using cookie-based authentication since it is more user-friendly when working with mobile applications. Step 4: Once created, visit the view url (here: /articles/latest). You will see the data formatted into JSON. Note: You don't need the _format=json parameter for this view page. Setting Up the  Frontend Application (React) Now that we have set up our Drupal site, let's begin creating out React application. 1) Folder structureSince we are using create-react-app, it provides us with the boilerplate code to get started with react. Sidenote: It is better to use Vite than Create-react-app for improved performance. 2) Create the frontend scaffolding    React APP {setIsModalOpen(true)}}>Add Nodes {setIsModalOpen(false)}}>X Title setFormData({...formData, title: e.target.value})} value={formData.title}/> Short Description setFormData({...formData, shortDesc: e.target.value})} value={formData.shortDesc}/> Body setFormData({...formData, body: e.target.value})} value={formData.body}> If the structure feels overwhelming, worry not. There are mainly two components: Results - renders the result from the API call. Article - the article items on the listing. Results.js const Results = ({articleUpdated, setArticleUpdated}) => { // article listing state. const [articleList, setArticleList] = useState([]); useEffect(()=>{ const relative_path = "/articles/latest"; // adding intensional delay for UI. setTimeout(() => { getData(relative_path) .then(res => setArticleList(res)) .catch((error) => {console.log(error)}) }, 1000); },[JSON.stringify(articleList), articleUpdated]); return ( { articleList?.length === 0 ? : { articleList?.map((curr,index) => { return ( ) }) } } ) } export default Results;  Article.js // article item component. const Article = ({title,shortdesc,nid, ds, articleUpdated, setArticleUpdated}) => { const handleDelete = (nid) => { deleteData(nid) .then((response) => { if (response.ok) { setArticleUpdated(articleUpdated + 1) } }) .catch((error) => console.error(error)) } return (

{title}

{shortdesc}

{handleDelete(nid)}}>Delete ) }The Results component uses getData() and postData() to get/post data from Drupal. getData()  export async function getData(relative_path, query_params) { const hasQuery = query_params ? "?" + query_params : ""; const generated_URL = endpointUrl + relative_path + hasQuery; try { const res = await fetch(generated_URL); const get_response = await res.json(); return get_response; } catch(error) { console.error(error) } }postData() export async function postData(data_to_post) { try { const response = await fetch(tokenURL) const csrf_token = await response.text() const post_data = { "type": [{ "target_id": 'article', }], "title": [{ "value": data_to_post.title, }], "body": [{ "value": data_to_post.body, }], }; const generated_URL = endpointUrl + "/node?_format=json"; const post_response = await fetch(generated_URL, { method: "POST", headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json", "X-CSRF-Token": csrf_token, }, body: JSON.stringify(post_data), credentials: "include" }) return post_response; } catch(error) { console.log(error); } }State variables used const [formData, setFormData] = useState({ title: "", shortDesc: "", body: "", img_field: "", }); const [articleUpdated,setArticleUpdated] = useState(0);Form handler const handleAddSubmit = (event) => { event.preventDefault(); postData(formData).then((res) => { if(res?.ok){ setArticleUpdated(articleUpdated+1) }else { console.log('invalid form submission') } }) setIsModalOpen(false); }3) After adding all the React code and the CSS as per desired design (Note: CSS code is not included), Run npm start  This will start your React application. Now you can add data on the React app and it will get stored on Drupal. And via the get method, we can view the updated result on our React app. This is the final result: On the Drupal application, our test data is now stored. Final Thoughts In the current market trend for API-first architecture, the rise of modern frontend tools to better serve the customer, and the possibility to use Drupal capabilities along with other powerful architectures, the Headless/Decoupled Drupal is a step into that. Currently, the poor documentation for decoupled architecture using best practices and the complexities of extracting data from some commonly used Drupal features like layout builder, paragraph module, etc. make it challenging to implement a fully decoupled website. As Dries Buytaert (founder of Drupal) also suggests going with progressively decoupled is a better choice as of now. The decision to opt for decoupled architecture comes with both advantages and challenges, it’s a matter of which one weighs more as per the end product. Discover how Specbee can assist you in navigating these waters and building a tailored solution that meets your unique needs.

Today we are talking about Commerce Kickstart, Commerce in General, and What’s new at Centarro with guest Ryan Szrama. We’ll also cover Navigation as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: www.talkingDrupal.com/422

Topics

• High level overview of commerce kickstart
• Is it a distribution
• Will it move to recipes
• Why use commerce directly over kickstart
• Does kickstart lend itself to a specific type of site
• Compare with Shopify
• Do you ever recommend Shopify
• Are there additional conditions or events being added
• Can people contribute to kickstart
• What is Centarro focused on now
• What is the state of headless

Resources

• Selling File Downloads and certificates through Drupal Commerce
• Commerce Kickstart
• Driesnote
• Methodical coffee

Guests

Ryan Szarma - ryanszrama.com rszrama

Hosts

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Mark Casias - kanopi.com - markie

MOTW Correspondent

Martin Anderson-Clutz - @mandclu Navigation

• Brief description:
  • Would you like to try out and give feedback on a proposed overhaul to how Drupal’s administration menu works? There’s a module for that.
• Brief history
  • How old: project created in 2004, but the namespace was taken over earlier this year as a place to work on the proposed new navigation in the contrib space
  • Versions available: No releases yet, so you need to clone the repo into your custom modules
• Maintainership
  • Very active development, commits in the past day
• Number of open issues:
  • 46, 14 of which are bugs
• Usage stats:
  • Officially 1 site is using it, but not recommended for production anyway
• Maintainer(s):
  • Include Christina Chumillas, Sascha Eggenberger, Lauri Eskola, Mike Herschel, and more
• Module features and usage
  • At this point, really a prototype, trying to define what the user experience should be
  • Worth noting that the latest release for the Gin admin theme also includes this new updated navigation as an experimental feature that can be updated, but still best to leave feedback on the Navigation project
  • The main idea is that instead of having dropdowns that fly out for deeper level menu items, the navigation is in a sidebar, with menu items that expand to reveal child items when clicked
  • It’s worth noting that dropdown menus with multiple levels handled in flyouts are a known usability pain point, and are often cited by industry experts like Jakob Neilsen as something to avoid
  • There are still some usability issues to be thought through with this approach, for example there is no longer a way to reach the top page of a section or subsection, because clicking on the link shows or hides the child items instead
  • This was a subject of some very active discussions at DrupalCon Europe last week, so I thought it would be good to cover this week, so our listeners can add their voices

In a world filled with a cacophony of opinions on how we should live our lives, it's essential to develop a discerning filter. Pay heed to the voices and advice that resonate with your own vision, embracing what aligns with your path while respectfully disregarding the rest. MK Gandhi effortlessly puts it in words,

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

—Mahatma Gandhi, Proponent of 'Ahimsa' in Indian Freedom Struggle.

This reminder serves as a compass to guide us through the noisy maze of external expectations. By adopting this approach, we shield ourselves from the risk of losing our sense of self and falling into the trap of living according to others' standards. It empowers us to maintain our focus on personal growth and well-being, preventing the weight of others' opinions from leading us down a path of self-doubt or depression.

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.

—Marcus Aurelius, Former Roman Emperor.

Within the vibrant and diverse Drupal community, this reminder echoes with a special resonance. The Drupal community, like the broader world, is a place where a multitude of voices and opinions can sometimes overwhelm individuals. The Drupal community embodies a spirit of collaboration and open-source innovation, where individuals from all walks of life come together to contribute to a common cause. However, amidst this diversity of voices and ideas, it's easy to lose sight of one's unique path and values. In this context, it's crucial for community members to remember such sane voices as they navigate the land of Drupal.

By embracing the notion of prioritizing personal happiness and well-being, community members can strike a balance between embracing the collective wisdom of Drupal and staying true to their own vision. It reminds them to contribute and engage in a way that resonates with their unique strengths and passions, without falling into the trap of conforming to external expectations. In doing so, they can thrive in the Drupal community, finding fulfillment and purpose while contributing to the growth and success of the platform.

Let us look into last week’s stories by The Drop Times (TDT).

A new platform for generating and showcasing ideas within the Drupal community has emerged, drawing inspiration from the successful Pitch-Burgh Innovation Contest named "Innovation Ideas." I had the opportunity to converse with Ricardo Marcelino, one of the minds behind the project, for an insightful article.

Drupal is making strides towards presenting a more unified brand experience for local associations by introducing a shared codebase and theme for localized Drupal websites. At DrupalCon Lille, Binny Thomas, our committed volunteer, had an in-depth live discussion with Esmeralda Tijhoff on the concept of a shared codebase, which was subsequently crafted into an article.

DrupalGovCon, a two-day extravaganza, takes place in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. There is also an extended learning contest as part of this event, sponsored by Drupal4Gov, the NGO organizing the conference, through which you may gain up to 9 Acquia certifications. Join the GovCon for an illuminating session featuring Aten's CEO, Justin Toupin, as he showcases a user-friendly Drag-and-Drop Publisher. Promet Source is providing a free Drupal Crash Course for Non-Developers at the GovCon. 

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Berlin Drupal User Group Meetup on November 2, 2023. Local Drupal enthusiasts in Minneapolis are gearing up for a networking and discussion opportunity as they prepare for the November 2, Drupal Happy Hour event at Venn Brewing. 

In other great news, if you're considering speaking at DrupalCon Portland 2024, you have more time! The proposal submission deadline has been extended, offering a fantastic opportunity to share your expertise with the Drupal community.

As the end-of-life date for Drupal 9 fast approaches on November 1st, website owners and developers are actively gearing up for the crucial transition to Drupal 10. Annertech provides insights to ensure a smooth shift from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10. 

Drupal 10 is set to be a pioneering force, reshaping the web development landscape not only in 2023 but also in the years to come. Orion Web has thoughtfully compiled a list of Drupal 10's most essential features. Senior Backend Developer Juan Delgado Salmerón recently shared his experience of addressing a critical security issue in a Drupal 7 project through his blog post. Matt Glaman's crucial documentation represents a significant advancement in the development of Retrofit for Drupal. 

In a Halloween-themed conversation, Tag1 Consulting treated their audience to two eerie Drupal migration stories told by Benji Fisher in episode #102 of Tag1 Team Talks, a podcast series hosted by Michael Meyers. Additionally, Vardot has crafted a comprehensive guide for seamlessly integrating GA4 with GTM within Drupal, offering valuable insights for website optimization. RoseHosting provides a comprehensive guide on installing Drupal on Debian 12.

Altudo has introduced an eBook on the key considerations, benefits, and the journey involved in migrating from WordPress to Drupal.

So these are the highlights from TheDropTimes. Feel free to contact us with any suggestions, contributions, or feedback. Thank you for being a part of our community. Until the next edition, keep exploring, sharing, and embracing the power of knowledge! Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. 

Sincerely,    
Elma John    
Sub-editor, The DropTimes  

Did you know that 79% of shoppers shop online at least once a month? The comfort and convenience associated with the experience are two primary drivers behind the massive inclination toward digital purchasing. As we sail ahead in the ocean of time, the fondness for online shopping is only going to increase further. Drupal e-commerce CMS and other similar platforms are working day in and day out to make the digital shopping experience even more engaging and alluring. According to research, the e-commerce market is expected to total over around $8.1 trillion in 2026. Seems incredible, doesn’t it? 

Given the enormous appeal of digital shopping, a majority of businesses are planning to expand their presence online. If you also have similar plans, it is crucial to be mindful of the ferocious competition. To accomplish enduring success, you’ll have to outperform the competition and establish your unique presence. I was wondering how to do so. The answer is to tap into the potential of a cutting-edge CMS like Drupal. 

Rank up your Drupal site with these search engine optimization tips kanapatrick Mon, 10/30/2023 - 10:14

If you have a Drupal website, you may already be aware of the many benefits this content management system offers. However, having a great website is only half the battle – it also needs to be easily found by your target audience. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.

The Future of Drupal Theming: An Overview of Emerging Trends and Tools Editor Mon, 10/30/2023 - 09:32

Drupal started as a student project in Belgium. Initially, Dries Bytart devised a communication system between students living in dormitories. But the Drupal software and community have grown significantly over the years. For now, ten significant versions of Drupal have been released. 
In this article, we will talk about Drupal theming that makes our sites precisely how we see them. It is impossible to divide them into good and bad strictly. Some templates suit your project and those that look out of place. Drupal allows you to use both templates and customize themes individually. Developers constantly offer improvements and updates. Stay updated with emerging trends and tools to ensure you have a competitive edge in the changing landscape of Drupal themes.

Website migration is, for many people, changing to a new website. However, it’s worth understanding what this activity actually entails. It's not just switching or updating a CMS but also a process that can significantly affect the web page's performance, security, and alignment with modern standards. In this article, we’ll focus on the general approach to migration, but we’ll use Drupal as an example to provide a comprehensive perspective on the topic.

What is a website migration?

Website migration is the process of moving a website to a newer version of a CMS or another platform. In practice, this means, for example, upgrading Drupal 7, whose support is about to end, to the latest Drupal 10. It also includes changing from one system (such as WordPress or Joomla) or a less popular and no longer supported CMS to an entirely different system. 

During the migration, we consider data, functionalities, and integrations with external systems. We rewrite the website's frontend, taking advantage of the latest technical capabilities and taking care to maintain the page speed (for example, looking at the score in Page Speed Insights). From the perspective of the owner or editor of the web page, we really gain a lot, which we write about later.

Why you should migrate your website?

The migration process brings numerous benefits. It improves the website performance, increases its security, and aligns it with current programming standards. We’ll look at this process's advantages using a specific example – Drupal migration. 

Improving the website security and functionality 

Moving to a newer version of this system can significantly improve the functionality and security of the web page. We must remember that regular security updates are crucial, as they fix vulnerabilities, minimizing the risk of attacks and data loss or leakage. By choosing to migrate the website, we thus ensure protection against new threats. 

Changing the website design to a more modern one

Migration is an excellent opportunity to perform a website redesign, that is, to refresh its appearance. We can craft and apply modern design patterns at this stage and even change the entire visual concept of our web page. 

A design update not only attracts users' attention but can also improve the functionality and readability of the website, which is essential for the overall satisfaction of visitors. A refreshed layout is the most visible element to the end user, making the website no longer look outdated. 

Modification and possible archiving of data

During the migration, it’s possible to thoroughly review and modify the data. Outdated or redundant information can be archived to keep the database in order. During such a revision, we may conclude that some fields are unused, they can be merged with others, or the issue can be resolved in another way. This could include removing a separate field for an article summary or using a dictionary for tags. 

At the same time, adjustments can be made to the data, adapting it to the newer version of the CMS and Drupal modules. For example, since Drupal 8 we have had to deal with the Media module, which has changed the approach to images, documents, or videos placed on the website. 

Changing the way of data storage

Migration allows not only efficient modification or archiving but also thoughtful adjustment of data storage. Changing the system to a higher version of Drupal with all the new modules can allow you to store information optimally using content types, groups, or taxonomies. 

Examples of entities (groups), taxonomies and content types in Drupal 

Thoughtful management of entities and data allows for optimized website performance and the ability to make changes easier in the future, reducing costs over the website’s life.

Rewriting existing integrations and functionalities

When migrating a website, it’s worth re-evaluating existing integrations and features. Sometimes, at this stage, it turns out that certain elements are practically unused, and moving them is not justified. This may be, for example, a contact form that is no longer on the web page or a disabled integration with an external service whose subscription has long expired. They can be strictly housekeeping issues, such as pages whose content has been moved or deleted in the past.

At this point, we can also look for new, more efficient solutions to increase the website's functionality. We can write elements that are key to the web page’s operation more thoughtfully, thus increasing security, performance, and future extensibility with new features. 

How to perform website migration?

The process of migrating a site is relatively universal, regardless of the system. The most important thing is to think it through before creating a new look or writing the first lines of code. You should plan a migration, as it can save time in later changes. We must keep in mind that with higher versions of the system, such as Drupal 10, many modules have changed from previous ones, and some aren’t even supported anymore. 

So, we migrate the web page's content, which we need to test decently for any errors. We are keen to catch, first of all, incorrectly migrated or empty fields where data has not migrated. We deploy the website with the newly written functionalities in place of the old website, and it's done. But is it actually that simple? Yes and no. Let's look at the process in more detail.

Step 1. Planning the website migration

In the first step of migration planning, especially for Drupal 7, it’s important to determine exactly what will be moved and from where. Sometimes, it happens, for example, that the website owners no longer need old news items over 10 years old. Migration is, therefore, an opportunity to optimize the data structure and eliminate redundant information, making it easier to manage content later.

If the website uses an external integration, such as Mautic, it’s necessary to consider this in the migration process. This element can be implemented on the new website in accordance with current standards, which will positively affect security and ease of subsequent administration. 

Planning a proper list of tasks, breaking them down, prioritizing them, and indicating the relationships between them supports the development of the website. This not only facilitates effective task management but also provides clarity in the project's direction, allowing flexible responses to possible changes during the website migration.

Step 2. Preparing for website migration

The next step is to prepare for website migration, including creating a local environment and developing a suitable data structure. By creating groups, content types, or taxonomies with appropriate fields, we prepare a target environment to transfer data from the old website to the new one in an orderly manner. 

At this point, backup is also crucial. We make a backup of the previous version of the website, especially the database, because it’s from there that we will transfer the content. 

Step 3. Migrating website content

Regardless of the system, try to move the website's content even before implementing new features. This will enable us to detect early the so-called edge cases, i.e., specific situations that can disrupt the website. By following this sequence, we can address them immediately at a relatively early stage of the website's development. Thus, we minimize the number of errors before implementation. 

For Drupal, the critical aspect is to use migration modules and modify data using migration plugins. This allows you to adapt your data structure to the new version of Drupal. Migration from other systems can be more complex and requires an understanding of how the previous CMS, or rather its database, worked. 

Step 4. Testing website migration

Testing is key to verifying that all data has been migrated correctly. We prove that the data in the new database matches the previous one, which can help avoid problems down the road. After all, we don't want some articles to have any tags or authors assigned, for example.

A very important issue is the files that, after migration from the previous website, should also be available in the new one. It’s not only copying from one place to another, but also interfering with their paths. Therefore, we need to pay special attention when testing them. For example, PDF files that have a preview should be available with it, and images must have a migrated box with alternative text. There are a lot of these kinds of small elements that we need to take care of to minimize later adjustments. 

Step 5. Styling the web page

If we wish to change the design of our website during the migration, the initial styling of the website also takes place before the next step. 

This is the process by which we arrange the content on the web page, give it the right look, add the necessary animations, and so on. With this activity, we try to bring the website as close as possible to the design prepared earlier, keeping in mind its responsiveness. 

Example of a website with and without styling, source: Droopler Demo

The order here may vary depending on the complexity of the web page, but usually this process is already done when we have the data ready on the website. This saves us time because of the lack of need to add temporary or test content. This way, we can see how the new website, already with migrated data, looks in a completely new "outfit".

Step 6. Migrating the functionalities

The next step will be to move the more complex business logic that exists on the previous website. 

In the case of Drupal, at this stage, we’ll encounter challenges due to the differences between PHP versions, but it's also a great opportunity to refresh the code. In Drupal 10 using PHP 8, we write object-oriented code that is much more readable and open to new functionality. So we can't copy the old code to the new website in most cases, because it won't work. We can, however, model the old code, adapt it to the modern approach, and, on occasion, modify it to meet the additional business logic that was approved at the planning stage.

Functionality migration is also an ideal time to perform code refactoring. We can then optimize it, and refresh it to make it more readable. Often, during this process, we remove redundant parts of the code and use tools that take care of its quality from the beginning.

Many modules used on the old version of the website may no longer be available. Sometimes, however, it turns out that we don't need to write them on our own but just look for a similar one that performs similar tasks. This can save a lot of time and provide new features to the website. 

Step 7. Deploying the website

The final stage is the so-called deployment, which is implementing the website on the new platform. We test whether the functionalities work according to expectations and our assumptions. Here, we also have a reference point in the form of the previous website, and the test scenarios may look similar. 

We can take care of the separation of configurations so that after deployment, all API access keys are correct and all integrations are active. In addition, we activate file minification, enhancing website performance by reducing file size. This will make the website load faster, improving SEO performance. 

Migrating a Drupal website 

Website migration is a complex process of moving data, functionalities, and integrations, affecting performance, security, and alignment with modern standards. These include using the latest versions of programming languages and frameworks or writing object-oriented, secure code. Such code refreshes minimize the risk of errors or possible attacks. 

We've gone through this complex topic step by step to give you a better idea of how to prepare for the migration and what to expect during the process. Every phase of it – from planning to implementation – is necessary and incredibly important in creating a properly functioning website. The process looks quite similar regardless of the CMS. 

If you need support in transferring the web page, we can help. In carrying out such implementations, we have gained experience, what to pay attention to, and how to approach this topic. We’ll be happy to share our knowledge, and plan and carry out the migration of your Drupal website. 

Enhancing Application Stability, Performance, and Security: Best Practices

A round-up from our group discussion at DrupalCon Lille

Pavel Bulat Wed, 10/25/2023 - 12:20