For Dummies Drupal 978-0-470-55611-5 User Manual
Product codes
978-0-470-55611-5
Chapter 1
The Big Picture
In This Chapter
▶
Understanding open source software
▶
Comparing Content Management Systems
▶
Developing a Web site with Drupal
▶
Knowing Drupal’s potential
I
n the past, if you wanted to create a fully featured Web site with forms, a
blog, and a message board, you practically had to be a computer program-
blog, and a message board, you practically had to be a computer program-
mer. You needed to know how to write HTML and possibly JavaScript and
CSS, and to accomplish anything dynamic, yet another language such as PHP
or ASP. You probably would have needed to know SQL, the language that
allows Web sites to store and retrieve information.
CSS, and to accomplish anything dynamic, yet another language such as PHP
or ASP. You probably would have needed to know SQL, the language that
allows Web sites to store and retrieve information.
Over the years, Web developers began freely sharing code. If you knew some
HTML and a few other things, you could use the work of other people to
knit your site together. No longer did you need to write code every time you
wanted a contact form or poll or image library on your Web site.
HTML and a few other things, you could use the work of other people to
knit your site together. No longer did you need to write code every time you
wanted a contact form or poll or image library on your Web site.
Today, we have entire robust and powerful Web applications, supported
by communities of Web developers. Enter Drupal. Drupal is one of a class
of applications that do nearly all the work for you. You can build a site with
Drupal without ever writing a line of code. Indeed, that is the ultimate goal of
Drupal: to free you from the inner workings of the code and instead let you
focus on the layout and content of your site. There are other, similar appli-
cations you can use that also accomplish this, but Drupal is one of the best
open source applications for quick, code-free Web site creation.
by communities of Web developers. Enter Drupal. Drupal is one of a class
of applications that do nearly all the work for you. You can build a site with
Drupal without ever writing a line of code. Indeed, that is the ultimate goal of
Drupal: to free you from the inner workings of the code and instead let you
focus on the layout and content of your site. There are other, similar appli-
cations you can use that also accomplish this, but Drupal is one of the best
open source applications for quick, code-free Web site creation.
Before I get into the installation and use of Drupal, I think it’s helpful to start
by introducing the features of Drupal. The more you understand about what
Drupal is, the better you can plan and use it to your advantage.
by introducing the features of Drupal. The more you understand about what
Drupal is, the better you can plan and use it to your advantage.
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