Drupal.... just started.. anyone else use it?

ell

Just installed an apache server on my laptop last week and I'm about 3 days into figuring out Drupal.

So far I've downloaded some modules, installed a new theme, made my home page and links working to about 10 other as yet blank-ish pages I'm not that techy aside from just HTML so its all a challenge! Anyone else use drupal / how are you getting on?

I've to figure out how you sort out fields in DB, and allow users to input stuff to DB so that'll be all fun & games. Anyone else in a similiar position?

pauldiv

Drupal is a great system and I think you cant go wrong with it.
Apparently the BBC runs on Drupal and that is no mean site.
Good luck with it.

DUB

Drupal is the business, however it can be complicated to get to grips with the views module if you're not a techy. Basic php can come on handy as well. Very very good system that unlike a lot od CMS it is very flexible and you can pretty much do anything you want with it.

ntlbell

if you look on the website there's a dublin drupal group that meet up and give talks etc if you're interested in that sort of thing

colm_c

pauldiv wrote: »

Drupal is a great system and I think you cant go wrong with it.
Apparently the BBC runs on Drupal and that is no mean site.
Good luck with it.

The BBC's site is mostly static:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radiolabs/2007/11/perl_on_rails.shtml

With some perl scripts to publish stuff.

AtaStrumf

I've built a few sites using Drupal. It's a good CMS, but can be frustrating sometimes. If I started again I'm not 100% sure I'd have chosen Drupal again. Get yourself a few books and it'll be much easier. I've just got an e-mail a few days ago about two new books out.

"We have now come up with two new books on Drupal, and wanted to inform you about it and offer you an exclusive eBook discount. The books are titled Drupal 6 Site Builder Solutions and Drupal for Education and E-Learning.

Drupal 6 Site Builder Solutions is a step-by-step guide to building your business website in Drupal, complete with a blog, events calendar, catalogue of products and services, and more. This book provides a complete example of a real world site with clear explanation.

Drupal for Education and E-Learning provides a step-by-step overview of how to work with Drupal to build a feature-rich learning environment. It also shows how to configure the default Drupal installation, and how to extend your site to include social bookmarking, a podcasting and video sharing platform, image sharing, and interactive discussions around rich media content.

You can find more information on these books here:
Drupal 6 Site Builder Solutions: http://www.packtpub.com/drupal-6-website-builder-solutions/book/drupsel

Drupal for Education and E-Learning: http://www.packtpub.com/drupal-for-education-and-e-learning/book/drupsel "

Hope you find that useful.

nearly

Hello Ell,

I'm an admin over in the Drupal Ireland group http://groups.drupal.org/ireland Come on over, introduce yourself or ask questions with any problems you're having.

You should deffo join in the upcoming Drupal Dublin event if you can. Very friendly bunch. I'm based in Sligo, so I can't make it.

We are planning a BIGGER DrupalCamp event in April in Galway (see image below), it's going to be fun fun fun Don't worry about being a new Drupal user either. There is always something people can offer. More details coming soonly.

To start off use CCK to build custom content types; this is essentially what you're saying with "putting fields in the DB", and letting users access them. Check out this list of Essential Drupal Modules list: http://groups.drupal.org/node/16893

Sparks

Had to work with Drupal in the last job for about six months. It's got some nifty features, and if your task is well matched to what it does, you'd find it fine; but if the match isn't so great, it gets fiddly (as with all frameworks really).

The major bugbear I had with it wasn't anything to do with Drupal itself so much as Drupal's ecommerce support, which wasn't fit for purpose this time last year. I wound up rewriting about two thirds of the ecommerce module just to get basic paypal functionality working.

That said, that was Jan/Feb 2008; the new ecommerce module was due out last year and all may be roses now; I'm just saying, I figured basic functionality was something you'd have working before you released, and there wasn't exactly a wealth of ecommerce modules out there to choose from.