With all the advancements in CSS over the past few years, it's surprising to discover a technique that's been available all along. If you're well-versed in CSS, you might already know this little nugget: selector > * + * {...}. Let's dive into it.

Lobotomized Owls 🦉 🦉

The Lobotomized Owl (* + *), or Owl selector, is one of my favorite techniques for managing document flow and achieving consistent spacing in a highly manageable way. While the Owl selector can be used for various style settings, my preferred use is to add spacing between sibling elements.

How does the Owl selector work?

The Owl selector targets elements that are preceded by an immediate sibling. This means that if you apply the Owl selector to a group of HTML elements, the styles will apply to all elements except the first one, as the first one doesn't have a preceding sibling. We'll see some examples shortly.

The Lobotomized Owl isn't a new CSS concept; it's been around since the beginning of CSS and was first discussed back in 2014 when A List Apart wrote about it. Read that article for a more in-depth description of the Owl selector.

Understanding the Owl selector

Concept

The Owl selector allows you to manage the document flow by using the next sibling combinator (+), along with the universal selector (*).

Example

Consider the following HTML:

Scoping the Owl selector

Using the Owl selector in its original form (* + *), could result in unexpected updates due to its broad scope. Narrowing the scope is prefered.

Chaining the Owl selector with .parent >:

Nesting it within .parent along with other rules that may exist:

By narrow the scope as shown above, and using the child selector (>), a 2rem top margin is added to "direct" children of .parent, but only if they have a preceding sibling.

Visual example

A more visual representation of what the CSS is doing can be seen here:

FIG 1: Each white box represents a div while the purple boxes represent top margin.

Instead of writing styles, we’ve created a style axiom: an overarching principle for the layout of content flow. - Heydon Pickering.

Traditional approach for handling margin

In the past I would do something like this to handle margin on a group of elements.

That's not terribly bad, but the problem with this approach is that it increases the specificity of the rule, which could complicate overrides.

Before :not was a thing, I would also do something like this (please forgive me):

There's nothing wrong with this example except that it's more code and you're overriding rules. Ultimately, it works, so don't feel too bad if you've done this. Just don't do it again 😉. Instead, do this:

A more complex example

The examples above are pretty simple, but in many cases, our HTML may not be as clean or uniform as the examples we've seen. Here's a more realistic example where our markup is a combination of different HTML tags.

The HTML above is actually the code used on each of the blog posts on this site. Let's break it down in an illustration form for a better visual representation.

FIG 2. Illustration of the markup structure of a Blog post.

From the code and FIG 2 above, we notice the following:

1. The <article> tag is the top parent element with four direct child elements (Tag, Header, Share, and Article content).
2. The <header> tag is also a parent element itself with three direct child elements (Title, Subtitle, and Date).
3. There is a mix of HTML tags.

Let's start with the <article> parent selector:

The result of this CSS rule is a 2rem top margin on direct sibling children of the .blog-post selector, except the first/top one. I have highlighted in purple how this looks in FIG 3. below:

FIG 3. The purple boxes represent the space added by the CSS above.

Now let's apply the same treatment to the <header>:

To make it easier to diferentiate, this time I highlighted the margin in direct sibling children of the <header> tag, in blue. See FIG 4. below:

FIG 4. The blue boxes represent the space added by the CSS above.

With very little CSS code we have been able to achieve consistent spacing in direct sibling children of the <article> as well as nested ones inside the <header>. In the spirit of staying DRY, we could even combine both rules to reduce code repitition.

What if the HTML structure changes?

It's not uncommon for the HTML of a document to change. Some of my blog posts, for example, have subtitle text while others don't. The beauty of the Owl selector is that it doesn't depend on specific HTML tags or structure in your document. If new sibling elements are added or some are removed, the spacing previously defined with the Owl selector will continue to work as intended without breaking the document flow.

What about Gap?

Oh yes, enough about Owls 🦉, Gap is a beautiful thing and can even be used similarly to the Owl selector for adding space in between sibling child elements.

Pros of gap

• The CSS block above will behave exactly as the Owl technique, as in it will only add space between sibling child elements.
• Another advantage of using Gap for spacing, is that when it comes to responsive design, the gap rules you apply to elements for mobile, will remain in place as you transition to tablet or desktop. No need to change the gap settings if the direction of your layout has changed. See FIG 5. below.
• Gap is great for menu lists where you may want to add spacing in between each menu item except the ones at the end.

FIG 5. Visual of Gap on column and row mode.

Cons of gap

If you opt to use Gap for spacing, this means you either need to use display: flex or display: grid on the parent element. This is not a bad thing if you are already using flex or grid on that parent element, but if your only reason for using gap is for spacing purposes, then I would recommend using the Owl technique instead as it requires not additional properties on your parent selector.

In closing

I don't think there has ever been a more exciting time to work with CSS than now. The capabilities of CSS and browser support have never been better. Sometimes however, using some of the most basic techniques can make a great impact in our projects.

If you found this post useful, stay tuned for more like it.

Resources

• What is the 'Owl selector' (* + *)? — Brand new video
• My favourite 3 lines of CSS
• The Stack
• Axiomatic CSS and Lobotomized Owls

Introduction

Maintaining a DDEV add-on is more than a one-time task. As DDEV evolves, so should your add-ons. This guide will help you stay in sync with recent changes and keep your add-ons up-to-date, reliable, and aligned with current standards.

As part of preparing this guide, I also updated all official DDEV add-ons to reflect the latest recommendations and improvements.

Recommendations for Add-on Maintainers

Here are some high-level practices to follow:

• Take inspiration from the official add-ons, see how they're structured and follow similar practices
• Keep an eye on updates in ddev-addon-template
• Track changes in DDEV releases
• Configure your add-on repository settings
• Add the ddev-get topic to your GitHub repository if it should be discoverable by the wider community. (If your add-on is currently just an experiment or a fork, wait until it matures to add the topic.)
• Write a clear description and include relevant keywords to improve discoverability
• Use #!/usr/bin/env bash instead of #!/bin/bash at the top of your command scripts, it's more portable and works better across different environments.
• Ensure your add-on cleans up after itself: both ddev add-on get and ddev add-on remove should be idempotent. All files added via project_files and global_files must include a #ddev-generated stanza to support proper removal
• Remember to publish a new release after any update (unless it's just a README.md change)

I'm currently working on a script to streamline the update process. It's a work in progress and available here. I'd appreciate any feedback!

What's New in the DDEV Ecosystem

DDEV development is moving fast, and new features are introduced regularly. Here are some recent updates you should be aware of:

ddev get Deprecation

The classic ddev get command is deprecated in DDEV v1.23.5 and replaced by ddev add-on get.

Huge thanks to @GuySartorelli for implementing this feature, and also for proactively updating many add-on README.md files. You've likely already seen a pull request for your add-on!

Better Testing with Bats Libraries

While all add-ons use the Bats framework for testing, many are still missing Bats libraries that simplify assertions and test writing.

Consider adopting these libraries to enhance test clarity and maintainability.

Example:

• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-addon-template/blob/main/tests/test.bats

Issue and PR Templates

Make sure your add-on includes:

• Issue templates
• Pull request template

These improve the quality of contributions and bug reports.

Recommending DDEV Version Constraints

Your add-on should encourage users to keep DDEV updated. The current recommendation is to add this stanza to install.yaml:

This ensures compatibility and resolves known issues, such as those related to the Mutagen Problem Report.

Add-on Badges

The old maintained badge required yearly updates, which became a maintenance burden, especially for contributors with many add-ons. It's now replaced by a last commit badge.

To improve visibility and engagement on the DDEV Add-on Registry, add the registry badge to your README.md.

Example:

• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-addon-template/blob/main/README.md

Advanced Customization with Flags

Starting with DDEV v1.23.5, you can now use ddev dotenv set to manage environment variables more cleanly. This allows your add-on to read custom environment variables defined in .ddev/.env.* files, and use them inside your docker-compose.*.yaml configuration.

This feature is especially useful for advanced setups where flexibility and dynamic configuration are needed.

Example:

• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-adminer#advanced-customization
• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-adminer/blob/main/docker-compose.adminer.yaml

Making Small Changes to Docker Images

If your add-on needs a customized Docker image, the typical approach is to create a separate Dockerfile and configure your add-on to use it. However, for minor tweaks, you can take advantage of the dockerfile_inline option in your docker-compose.*.yaml file.

This approach lets you define a small Dockerfile directly in the YAML, avoiding the overhead of maintaining a separate file.

Examples:

• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-solr/blob/main/docker-compose.solr.yaml
• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-opensearch/blob/main/docker-compose.opensearch.yaml

MutagenSync Annotation for Commands

With DDEV v1.24.4, custom commands can now use the MutagenSync annotation.

You should use this annotation if your host or web commands modify, add, or remove files in the project directory. It ensures that file sync is handled correctly when Mutagen is enabled, preventing unexpected behavior or sync delays. (It does no harm and causes no performance issues if Mutagen is not in use.)

Example:

• https://github.com/backdrop-ops/ddev-backdrop-bee/blob/main/commands/web/bee

Support for Optional Compose Profiles

The same DDEV v1.24.4 release introduced support for optional docker-compose profiles, which can be used by add-ons to offer more flexible configuration.

Example:

• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-mongo/blob/main/docker-compose.mongo.yaml
• https://github.com/ddev/ddev-mongo/blob/main/commands/host/mongo-express

Repository Configuration Best Practices

To keep your add-on repository tidy, safe, and aligned with community standards, consider adjusting the following GitHub settings:

General Settings

Go to Settings → General in your repository:

• Uncheck features you don’t use, such as Wikis, Discussions, and Projects
• Enable Allow squash merging with Pull request title
• Disable Allow merge commits and Allow rebase merging
• Enable Always suggest updating pull request branches
• Enable Automatically delete head branches

Branch Protection Rules

Go to Settings → Rules → Rulesets:

1. Click New ruleset → New branch ruleset
2. Set Ruleset name to main
3. Under Enforcement status, select Active
4. Under Targets, click Add target → choose Include default branch
5. Under Rules, enable:
   • Restrict deletions
   • Require a pull request before merging (set Allowed merge methods to only Squash)
   • Block force pushes
6. Click Create to apply the ruleset

Conclusion

Keeping your add-on current means less work for users and fewer issues for you to manage. Use this guide as your checklist and stay in sync with the DDEV ecosystem.

Have questions, suggestions, or something cool to share? Join the conversation in our Discord, open an issue, or reach out via email. Your feedback helps improve the tools we all rely on.

If DDEV is helping you or your organization, please consider supporting its ongoing financial sustainability. Every bit helps keep the ecosystem growing and maintained.

Happy maintaining!

In a move to empower the Drupal community, DXPR is providing free access to AI models through the release of DXPR Builder 2.7 “Baby AI.” This initiative allows developers and content creators to leverage the power of advanced AI tools without additional costs or complex integration.

By integrating top vendors including OpenAI's GPT-4o, Google Gemini 2.5 models, Anthropic's Claude 3.7, Grok 3 by XAI, Perplexity AI, and state-of-the-art EU based models by MistralAI. 

DXPR ensures that every Drupal user can experience enhanced content creation and management. This free access underlines our commitment to fostering innovation and creativity within the Drupal ecosystem.

These AI providers are integrated in "DXAI" — our own AI platform that ties it all together to provide superior web content writing capabilities.

Quick Tour of DXAI in CKEditor 5

1. Slash command: Type /write a blog post about future Drupal 12 release (or any prompt) in an empty paragraph.
2. Watch it stream: DXAI writes live, so you can stop, continue, or tweak on the fly.
3. One-click refine: Select any text → choose “Improve clarity”, “Shorten”, “Change tone”, or your custom commands.

"Shown don't Tell" — DXAI in 3 GIFS

1. Adding a new AI text to the DXPR Builder  page

Demo of writing new text in DXPR Builder landing page, the AI is aware of all contents around the new text and therefore requires only a very basic prompt.

2. Adding a new AI text to the DXPR Builder  page

Demo of rewriting a text section in a different tone of voice. The tone of voice dropdown is managed with a Drupal Taxonomy.

3. Writing a new text from scratch.

The DXAI AI server integrates with state-of-the-art AI providers including Perplexity AI which is used for web research, fact checking, and preventing hallucinations.
 

Where to Configure DXAI

Site builders can enable DXAI under /admin/dxpr_studio/dxpr_builder/ai_settings (run update.php first). Key options:

• Select primary and fallback AI vendors
• Set token limits per role
• Map taxonomy terms to command and tone menus

UI Refresh: Faster, Friendlier, Fully Accessible

2.7 ships a modernized editor chrome with clearer icons, higher contrast, and full keyboard / screen-reader compatibility. Mobile editing is smoother too—perfect for last-minute tweaks on the go.

Improved Drupal 11 Integration

• Resolved JavaScript crashes in the editor chrome
• Aligned media dialogs with new core markup
• Verified compatibility with Drupal 11’s CKEditor 5 update stream

Other Highlights

• Marquee element: Add scrolling announcements with fade edges and reduced-motion support.
• Saved templates UI: Filter by layout and see thumbnails at a glance.
• Inline editing upgrades: Edit buttons, alerts, progress bars, and more without opening popup windows (AI supported everywhere).
• Drupal Media Library & Acquia DAM integration: Browse all your assets in one place.

How to Get “Baby AI” for Free

1. composer require 'drupal/dxpr_builder:^2.7'
2. Grab a free product key—no credit card, free forever for smal sites.
3. Enable the DXPR Builder AI Agent module and run update.php.
4. Configure DXAI settings, assign permissions, and start prompting!

Roadmap Sneak Peek

Today’s release is just the first step. Coming soon:

• One-prompt landing pages: Describe your offer; DXAI designs and writes a complete page in DXPR Builder.
• Clone from URL / PDF / image: Rebuild existing designs in minutes with structured, editable content.
• Conversational refinement: DXAI will chat with editors to clarify goals, add citations, and align with strategy.

We Need Your Feedback

Because the AI beta is free, the only thing we ask in return is insight. Share your triumphs, glitches, and wish-list items on the issue queue or in our commercia support system. 

Ready to Build Smarter Drupal Experiences?

Test the Live Demo  |  Learn More About DXPR Builder

Happy building—and happy writing—with DXPR Builder 2.7 “Baby AI”!

Category

How do you find your niche and become a Drupal Core maintainer?

There are still roughly 23 subsystems of Drupal Core without maintainers. These gaps need to be filled. 

While some people may be daunted by this task, rather than trying to learn everything in Core, Daniel explains why it is more valuable to become an expert in one area. This was how he became a Drupal Core maintainer for Layout Builder.

In this video, you will learn about:

• The steps Daniel took to reach Core maintainership.
• Why he chose Layout Builder as his niche.
• How to identify areas in Drupal Core that need maintainers.

Watch the video

Drupal modules are primarily maintained in Git repositories controlled by the Drupal Association on Drupal.org. Before the DA added support for semantic versioning in March 2020, our modules had version numbers like 7.x-1.0 or 8.x-2.1, with the first portion identifying Drupal API compatibility and the second identifying the major and minor version of the module.

However, with modern Drupal (Drupal 8+), a module can support multiple major versions so long as it does not depend on any deprecated APIs in Drupal, its dependencies, or PHP itself. Using the Drupal version number in module version numbers means many of our releases that support Drupal 9, 10, or 11 still start with 8.x-, never mind the fact that we don't support Drupal 8 at all any more.

Semantic versioning allows us to use branch names and tag releases for our various modules based on their own lifecycles. We don't need a new branch for each new major version of Drupal, and we can distribute more predictable updates to end users through Composer with major, minor, and patch versions of our modules.

When we first switched to semantic versioning, we created new branches based on the minor version. Thus, we went from an 8.x-2.x branch off of which we tagged releases to a 3.0.x branch. We never quite knew when to tag a patch versus a minor release in this scenario (i.e., 3.0.1 vs. 3.1.0) and created a situation where we'd have more branches to maintain than we really cared to (3.0.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x, etc.).

We determined instead to start creating branches named only for the major version (3.x, 4.x, etc.) with release tags that still primarily use minor versions (3.0.0, 3.1.0, 3.2.0, etc.). This will permit us to focus on maintaining a single branch for each module until we need to introduce breaking changes while accommodating the occasional need to backport bug fixes to previous minor versions.

As the digital landscape evolves, organizations relying on Drupal 7 (D7) face a pivotal decision: opt for Extended Support or embark on a migration to Drupal 10 (D10)?

Both options have their pros and cons, depending on your timeline, budget, and long-term digital strategy. Let’s break it down so you can make the best decision for your organization.

Option 1: Extended Support – A Temporary Safety Net

Extended Support ensures your D7 site remains secure and functional beyond the official end-of-life deadline, giving you extra time to plan a migration.

Benefits of Extended Support:

• No rush – Your site remains secure, with critical security updates and patches, without having to migrate immediately
• Budget flexibility – Spread out costs instead of making a big investment all at once
• Strategic breathing room – More time to evaluate your business goals and plan a migrations in the future

Drawbacks of Extended Support:

• Not a permanent fix – In the long run you’ll need to migrate
• Potential rising costs – Maintaining older technology can become more expensive over time
• Limited innovation – You won’t benefit from the latest features and improvements in D10

Option 2: Migrating to Drupal 10 – The Future-Proof Solution

Migrating to D10 is a long-term investment in security, performance, and innovation. While it requires upfront effort, it ensures that your digital platform is modern, scalable, and ready for future growth.

Benefits of Migration to D10:

• Future-proof technology – Stay ahead with the latest security updates and performance enhancements
• Better User Experience (UX) – New features, improved accessibility, and a more flexible design
• Long-term cost efficiency – Reduce maintenance costs for outdated technology

Drawbacks of Migration to D10:

• Upfront investment – Migration requires planning, resources, and budget allocation
• Complexity – The process can be challenging, especially for highly customized sites
• Learning curve – Teams may need time to adjust to the new system

Dropsolid: Your Partner in Both Extended Support & Migration

At Dropsolid, we understand that not every organization is ready to migrate immediately. That’s why are part of the Drupal 7 EOL program.

What sets us apart?
Only 3 companies globally qualify for the EOL program and offer Extend Support for D7. We are the only partner in Europe, with offices in Europe and the US. This makes us the go-to-expert in the region for maintaining your D7 site securely while you work on a seamless transition to D10.

At the same time, we know that migration is inevitable—and when you’re ready, we can evolve your D7 and can help you migrate to D10 too.

What we offer:

• We keep your D7 site secure with ongoing updates and maintenance
• Migration to D10: customized migration roadmap, tailored to your business needs, covering everything from technical setup to team training
• Future-proof growth: our roadmap ensures that your site isn’t just D10-ready, but also DXP-ready, seamlessly integrating with your existing tools

Find all info about our related services here.

Key considerations: How to Decide?

When choosing between Extended Support and Migration to Drupal 10, ask yourself:

• What’s your timeline? Do you need more time, or are you prepared for transition?
• What’s your budget? Can you invest in migration now, or do you need to spread costs over time?
• What are your long-term goals? Do you want to future-proof your site, or is short-term maintenance enough for now?
• How complex is your current setup? A highly customized site may require extra planning before migrating.

Final Verdict: Should You Extend or Migrate?

• If you need more time to plan and budget, Extended Support can provide a temporary solution.
• If you’re ready to future-proof your digital platform, migrating to D10 is the smart choice.

Either way, Dropsolid has your back—whether it’s keeping your current site secure or guiding you through a seamless migration. Let’s make the right move together.

Ready to explore your options? Get in touch with us today!

Preamble

I began my last blog post, "My Drupal, AI, and Schema.org Manifesto," with an introduction that helped me to start discussing the use of AI in my daily Drupal work. This introduction reveals that I feel overwhelmed about where to begin exploring integrating AI with Drupal.

A Drupal AI module and ecosystem exist that have accomplished remarkable feats. I am eager to delve into the implementation and extensibility of the Drupal AI module; however, diving immediately into the code is daunting and could hinder my need to familiarize myself with using AI and comprehending how it works. Therefore, I am returning to the basics and revisiting one of my first Drupal achievements: building a module… using AI.

Hypothesis

AI will soon replace basic Drupal tasks, including creating simple modules. When this happens, the definition of entry-level development skills will evolve. AI will not eliminate jobs; instead, it will enhance workers' productivity and efficiency. Therefore, I want to explore how capable AIs are at building a Drupal module. I also want to explore if AI can help a new Drupal developer create their first module.

Theories

Below are some theories I want to explore and keep in mind.

• Keep it simple and small.
  AIs can comprehend vast amounts of data and relationships - we cannot.
• Provide a lot of context.
  AI performs significantly better when given as much context as possible. This ensures that both people and machines understand each other.
• Failure is part of the process. 
  Assume there will be mistakes and dead ends. An iterative approach leads to a better solution and understanding.

Goals

I've already used the word 'overwhelmed' a few times, and to keep my exploration and experimentation from...Read More