Drupal Terminology | Drupal Basics

1. What is Drupal?

Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to build and manage websites easily. It is highly flexible and can be used for a variety of applications, from personal blogs to complex enterprise websites.

2. Nodes

In Drupal, every piece of content is called a "node." A node can be a blog post, a page, an article, etc. Each node has a title, body, and metadata.

Example: A blog post about 'Drupal Basics' is a node.

3. Content Types

Content types are the different kinds of content you can create in Drupal. Each content type can have its own fields, allowing you to customize what data you want to collect.

Example: You might have a content type for 'Blog Posts' and another for 'Pages.'

4. Taxonomy

Taxonomy is a system for classifying content. It allows users to categorize and tag content items, making it easier to manage and retrieve them.

Example: You could create a taxonomy vocabulary called "Topics" with terms like 'Drupal,' 'PHP,' and 'Web Development.'

5. Blocks

Blocks are pieces of content that can be placed in different regions of your Drupal site. They can be static or dynamic and can display various types of information.

Example: A block could show recent blog posts or a search form.

6. Views

Views is a powerful module in Drupal that allows you to create, manage, and display lists of content. You can filter, sort, and group content in various ways.

Example: Creating a view that lists all blog posts sorted by date.

7. Modules

Modules are packages of code that extend the functionality of Drupal. You can enable or disable modules to add features to your site.

Example: The 'Views' module is an example of a contributed module that is widely used.

8. Themes

Themes control the visual appearance of your Drupal site. You can choose from several themes or create your own to customize the look and feel.

Example: A theme might change the color scheme and layout of your site.

9. Users and Permissions

Drupal has a robust user management system. Users can be assigned different roles, each with specific permissions that dictate what actions they can perform on the site.

Example: An 'Editor' role may have permission to create and edit content, while a 'Viewer' role may only have permission to read content.

10. Database

Drupal stores all its content, configurations, and user data in a database. The default database for Drupal is MySQL, but it also supports other database systems.

Example: All nodes and their fields are saved in database tables.

Conclusion

Understanding Drupal terminology is crucial for effectively using the platform. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will help you navigate and utilize Drupal's features more efficiently.

Drupal Terminology Tutorial