Drupal
Drupal Sub-themes (Not just for zen)
After reading a few posts in the Drupal forums I felt compelled to write this article to help people new to Drupal theming. Any Drupal theme can be a sub-theme and actually this is probably the preferred way of modifying a theme rather just modifying the HTML and CSS.
Creating a Drupal theme
Sometimes an existing Drupal theme just will not do. Or possibly you might have a designer that has PSD for InDesign file of exactly how you want your site to look. At this point you could try to find an existing theme that mostly works and just tear apart the CSS and HTML and customize it until you get the look you want.
Drupal and WYSIWYG Integration
What you see is what you get (aka: WYSIWYG) editors are a necessary evil when creating Drupal sites. These client side editors simplify the creation of HTML so that non-developers can create content using HTML mark up. WYSIWYG editors can be found all over the web from email programs like Gmail to social networking sites like Myspace.
CSS Specificity
CSS Specificity is one of those things that you might assume you already have a firm grasp of since you are able to write solid CSS. Yet, CSS specificity is pretty confusing. It takes a little bit of time to get used to, but is well worth the effort. Have you ever created a CSS rule and wondered why it didn't apply to an element even though you thought it would?
Submitting themes to Drupal
It's important to contribute to the Drupal project so that it continues to grow and improve. Yet, if you want to contribute you may face road blocks along the way: getting a CVS account, installing a CVS client, or just learning to use CVS and how it works with Drupal. After just committing the earthish theme, below are my tips for contributing themes to Drupal.org.
Upgrading Drupal 5 to 6
Drupal upgrades are a pain. Even minor version upgrades can cause problems. Major Drupal version upgrades require special attention. Having successfully done a handful of Drupal 5 to 6 upgrades I put together the list below as a resource based on my upgrading experiences.
Display or Print a Drupal block anywhere
During some development work I had to create a custom node template for a specific content type. The design had a menu block displayed on left sidebar on the majority of pages but the menu was also needed below the content area as a secondary navigation for this content type.
DrupalCampLA - Maintain and Dominate Drupal
I gave a presentation at DrupalCamp LA about Maintaining your Drupal site. I covered content management, monitoring the activity on your Drupal site, basic security, upgrading contributing modules, and upgrading Drupal core.
Attached below is the PDF file that was a guide for most of the presentation, it can also be located here. Mostly, I discussed my experience managing several Drupal sites. I showed real world examples, tips, and tricks for managing your site.
Upgrading Drupal Contributed Modules
Staying current with Drupal contributed module releases' is one of the biggest challenges and pains when working with Drupal. Hopefully you've upgraded all your contributed modules at the very least to the latest security release. If you don't have experience upgrading a Drupal module this article if for you. Advanced users visit the Drush project page.
Top Drupal Themes
One of the major benefits of using Drupal is the separation between content and presentation. Meaning you can easily change the look and feel of a site without having to recreate all of its pages. Drupal's theme layer makes this whole process possible. And thanks to Drupal's active community, many pre-made themes are available to download.
