Drupal® For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/drupalw to view this book's cheat sheet.
Table of Contents
About This BookConventions Used in This BookWhat You Don’t Need to ReadFoolish AssumptionsHow This Book Is OrganizedPart I: Getting Started with DrupalPart II: Your First Drupal SitePart III: Bending Drupal to Your WillPart IV: Taking Drupal to the Next LevelPart V: The Part of TensIcons Used in This BookWhere to Go from Here
Chapter 1: The Big PictureWhat Drupal IsFreeFlexibleCustomizableA Content Management SystemWhat Drupal Isn’tWhat Drupal Can Do for Your SitePollsBlogsContact formsForumsExamples of Drupal SitesDrupal.orgZappos.comDrupalmuseum.com and Drupalsites.netChapter 2: Getting and Installing DrupalDeciding Where Your Site Will LiveGetting on the webWeb hosting companiesInstalling on a web host with SoftaculousObtaining DrupalDownloading the packageUploading the packageExtracting DrupalSetting Up a DatabaseWhat a database is and why you need oneCreating a database for DrupalInstalling Drupal on a Web HostBrowsing to your Drupal siteRunning the setupInstalling Drupal on a Local MachineWhat you needGetting Apache, MySQL, and PHPFinishing installation on a local machineRunning the installationChapter 3: Essential AdministrationSetting a Strategy for Your Drupal SiteWorking With Your AccountLogging in and logging outEditing your accountEmbracing Drupal TerminologyCreating Content for Your SiteCreating an articleChanging the default themeConfiguring Your SitePerusing the Configuration menuSetting your site informationChapter 4: Tackling User ManagementManaging Your Administrator AccountEditing administrator settingsMaintaining securityAllowing Public RegistrationsSensible registration guidelinesUser e-mail settingsAssigning user permissionsAdding, Editing, and Deleting UsersAdding usersEditing user informationCanceling user accountsUnderstanding User RolesCreating rolesAssigning roles to users
Chapter 5: Creating Content: Basic Pages and ArticlesUnderstanding Drupal NodesMaking basic pagesAccessing content creationAdding a pageEditing a basic pageDeleting a basic pageAccessing your basic pageWriting an ArticleEditing and deleting articlesOrdering your contentManaging article lengthSetting Menu Options for a Basic PageGiving your node a menu link titleChoosing a parent itemSetting the link weightChapter 6: Managing Your ContentFinding the SettingsHandling HTML ContentChoosing a Text formatUsing filtered HTMLUsing full HTMLAdding Menu SettingsControlling Revision InformationManaging Comment SettingsConsiderations of allowing commentsClosing commentsHiding commentsChanging Authoring InformationPublishing OptionsPublishingPromoting to front pageMaking content sticky in listsPreviewing your contentAdding ImagesChapter 7: Changing ThemesChanging ThemesEnabling a themeSetting an administration themeConfiguring ThemesGlobal theme settingsToggle display settingsLogo image settingsShortcut icon settingsSpecific theme settingsChapter 8: Building Blocks and Managing MenusUnderstanding Blocks, Regions, and MenusUsing RegionsUnderstanding how themes work with regionsExploring the regionsConfiguring regionsAdministering BlocksUsing the built-in blocksCreating custom blocksEditing and deleting custom blocksChanging block visibility settingsEditing pre-built blocksManaging MenusAdding an item to a menuEditing and deleting linksAdding a menuChapter 9: Using Modules to Create a Site with a Blog and ForumUnderstanding ModulesUnderstanding the required modulesLooking at the optional modulesSetting Up Your BlogEnabling the Blog moduleCreating your first blog entryChanging blog-entry settingsConfiguring your blogAdding more blog entriesEditing and deleting blog entriesCreating multiple blogsSetting Up a ForumEnabling the Forum moduleOrganizing the Forum moduleConfiguring your Forum moduleViewing your forumsChanging forum topics settingsManaging forum permissionsManaging the Comments ModuleModerating commentsApproving or deleting comments
Chapter 10: Advanced AdministrationAdding New Themes and ModulesLocating themes and modulesCopying module or theme URLsAutomatically installing modules and themesEnabling themes and modulesManually installing themes and modulesDisabling themes and modulesKeeping Drupal, Modules, and Themes Up to DateKnowing when you need to updateFinding available updatesProtecting your databaseUpdating themes and modulesRunning update.phpUpdating your Drupal softwareConfiguring Your SiteTriggering actionsSetting an administration themeCreating clean URLsControlling Page Not Found errorsChapter 11: Customizing ThemesAdding New ThemesFinding new themesInstalling themesDissecting a ThemeTheme file typesTheme code filesTheme image filesCustomizing Themes by HandInstalling Modified ThemesChanging your theme’s appearanceChanging colorsUnderstanding the style.css fileUsing graphics
Chapter 12: Creating a Robust WebsitePlanning Your Drupal SiteGetting a clear picture of your siteKnowing your audienceChoosing your featuresAdditional Modules to InstallOpenID modulePoll moduleSearch moduleAdding a Contact FormEnhancing User ProfilesCreating a personal information formEnabling registered users to view profilesEnhancing profiles with user images and signaturesChapter 13: Using Drupal GardensGetting a Drupal Gardens AccountCreating a free siteUpgrading your accountGetting your own domain nameUsing Theme BuilderUnderstanding featuresUsing pages and blockControlling the site structureManaging UsersChapter 14: Interacting with Other SitesWorking with Activity StreamInstalling Activity StreamInstalling additional modulesEnabling Activity Stream modulesPulling in social mediaPosting YouTube VideosSharing Content with RSSFinding feeds with Google ReaderUsing the Aggregator moduleCreating a feed for your siteChapter 15: Building a StorefrontUnderstanding StorefrontsGetting Started with UbercartGetting Ubercart and additional modulesInstalling Ubercart and additional modulesEnabling the basic Ubercart installationCreating Your First StorefrontCreating product listingsTesting the ordering processManaging ordersConfiguring Your StorefrontAdding a shopping cart blockUsing the Configuration settingsEnhancing Product ListingsUsing imagesAdding a catalogGetting PaidChoosing a credit card serviceSetting up Ubercart to accept credit card paymentsTurning on paymentSetting up a Google Checkout accountEnhancing Your StoreUsing the fulfillment modulesTaxing your customers
Chapter 16: Ten Must-Have Drupal Modules and ThemesCAPTCHA ModuleTinyMCE – WYSIWYG HTML Editor ModuleMollom ModulePrinter, E-mail, and PDF Versions ModuleSite Map ModuleBlogBuzz II ThemeJackson ThemeBlueMasters ThemeZen ThemeMarinelli ThemeChapter 17: Ten Places to Help You Do More with DrupalDrupal.org ForumLearn By The DropGotDrupal.comDrupal.org Mailing ListsDrupal.org ThemesDrupal2U.comDrupal.org User GroupsMeetup.comCheat Sheet
Drupal® For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Drupal® For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
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Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey
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About the Authors
Lynn Beighley has been a computer book author for a very long time, and this is her twelfth book. She’s written about SQL, PHP, Flash, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver, and finds that they all have connections to Drupal. In fact, it’s like “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” — she thinks maybe everything is connected to Drupal. Or perhaps Drupal is connected to everything. Either way, she loves it.
Lynn lives in a sleepy New Jersey town, and doesn’t know anyone named Tony. She shares her slightly off-kilter 1920s home with her husband, Drew, and an 80-pound lap dog named Wroxton.
Seamus Bellamy has written only one other computer book so far — Joomla! For Dummies — and feels humbled in the face of his coauthor’s massive body of work. During the time that Seamus should have been writing books, he instead frittered away his days pursuing a number of tangents — working in the security intelligence community, as a pub musician, and as a music and tech journalist. Most recently, his work can be found on a regular basis in Mac|Life Magazine, and Maximum PC, as well as online.
Seamus currently lives in Victoria, Canada. Like Lynn, Seamus knows no one named Tony. That said, during the late 1990s he did briefly share a house in Halifax with a fiddler named Anthony who ate nothing but fish sticks and ice cream for close to a year. That, however, is a story for another day.
Dedication
Lynn: For Drew.
Seamus: For my father, Jack. I wish you could have lived long enough to see me make a living doing what I love.
Authors’ Acknowledgments
We’d like to thank Kyle Looper for giving us the opportunity to write a For Dummies book on such a great topic, and Jean Nelson for shepherding us through the process. We also thank the whole crew at Wiley who helped with this edition.
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Introduction
Welcome to the second edition of Drupal For Dummies, a book written especially for people who want to have their own websites but haven’t a clue about how to start or where to begin.
Are you frustrated because the kid next door has five websites to your none? Are you tired of trying to find someone to build your site for you for free? Do you hear stories about how much a website has picked up your dentist’s business? You need Drupal!
Or maybe you already have a website, but you have one problem: The guy who built it isn’t around to help when things break. And he built it in Javanese HRH or some other gibberish you can’t even remember the name of, much less decipher. Makes you want to scream.
Either way, you’ve found the right book. Help is here, within these humble pages.
This book talks about building a website from scratch, using Drupal — in everyday language. It doesn’t assume you know how to create web pages. You don’t need to know code, either; in fact, you can create your site without writing a single line of computer code. The language is friendly; you don’t need a graduate education to get through it. The goal is to show you how to build your own site with the features you want, without coding, without deciphering technical jargon, and without pulling a single hair from your head in frustration.
About This Book
There are a couple of ways to use this book, depending on your preferences and experience.
If you’re a content management, website, or Drupal newbie, you can start reading and working with Chapter 1 and keep going until you reach the index. Everything falls in sequence as you build experience and knowledge. We explain the concepts and give you practical instructions. Each of the 17 chapters in this book covers a specific aspect of building a website with Drupal — such as installing Drupal, building a basic site with a blog and forum, using images and video on your site, or building an online store.
But you don’t have to memorize anything in this book. It’s a need-to-know book: You can pick it up when you need to know something. Need to know how to put a YouTube video on your Drupal site? Pick up the book. Need to know how to create a contact form for your customers? Pick up the book.
This book works like a reference. Start with the topic you want to find out about. Look for it in the table of contents or in the index to get going. The table of contents is detailed enough that you should be able to find most of the topics you’re looking for. If not, turn to the index, where you can find even more detail.
After you find your topic in the table of contents or the index, turn to the area of interest and read as much as you need or want. Then close the book and get on with it.
Of course, this book is loaded with information, so if you want to take a brief excursion into your topic, you’re more than welcome. If you want to know the ins and outs of building an online store, read the whole chapter on storefronts. If you just want to know how to post a product on your site, read just the section on adding products. You get the idea.
This book rarely directs you elsewhere for information — just about everything that you need to know about Drupal is right here. If you find the need for additional information on related topics, plenty of other For Dummies books can help.
Conventions Used in This Book
As with other For Dummies books, we use certain conventions to keep things consistent and make it easier for you to read this book. Here are some of the conventions you’ll find throughout this book:
Italics appear on new terms that we go on to define.
Bold shows the text you need to type. Also, we use bold on the steps you take in numbered lists.
Monofont
indicates code or a URL (web address), such as www.dummies.com
.
What You Don’t Need to Read
Aside from the topics you can use right away, some of this book is skippable. We carefully marked technical information with the Technical Stuff icon and put somewhat off-topic information in self-contained sidebars so that you can steer clear of them if you wish. Don’t read this stuff unless you’re into technical explanations and want to know a little of what’s going on behind the scenes. Don’t worry; our feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t read every word.
Foolish Assumptions
We’re making only one assumption about who you are: You’re someone who wants to build a website and has heard that Drupal is a good choice.
Macintosh and Windows users can all use this book.
How This Book Is Organized
Inside this book, you find chapters arranged in five parts. Each chapter breaks down into sections that cover various aspects of the chapter’s main subject. The chapters are in a logical sequence, so reading them in order (if you want to read the whole thing) makes sense. But the book is modular enough that you can pick it up and start reading at any point.
Here’s the lowdown on what’s in each of the five parts.
Part I: Getting Started with Drupal
The chapters in this part present a layperson’s introduction to what Drupal is all about, where to get it, and how to install it. This part is a good place to start if you don’t have the Drupal software already installed for you. It’s also a great place to start if you’ve looked at Drupal but have no idea what all those infernal links do.
The best thing about this part is that it starts at the very beginning and doesn’t assume you know how to download and upload and extract and install software. It also suggests simple solutions on how to get started. In other words, this part is aimed at ordinary people who know almost nothing about how websites come to exist.
Part II: Your First Drupal Site
The goal of the chapters in this part is to show you how to build your first website quickly and easily. And it takes you beyond simply building a site, into fun stuff such as changing the appearance and building a site with a blog, forum, and user comments.
Part III: Bending Drupal to Your Will
After you get a basic website up and running, the chapters in this part show you how to add on to it and really control it. You find out all about safely allowing others to use your site and controlling what they can and can’t do. You also spend time making your site even more your own by customizing colors, logos, and artwork.
Part IV: Taking Drupal to the Next Level
This part really takes your site to a whole new level. You discover how to pull content and data from other websites, and how to build a storefront. Those are just a few of the many new features you can add to your site using Drupal’s modular design. You also discover how to use Drupal Gardens to create a site in minutes — without having to worry about web hosting or software installation.
Part V: The Part of Tens
This wouldn’t be a For Dummies book without a collection of lists of interesting snippets: ten modules (or add-ons) for your Drupal site and ten sites you can visit to find out even more about Drupal.
Icons Used in This Book
Those nifty little pictures in the margin aren’t there just to pretty up the place. They have practical functions:
Where to Go from Here
Yes, you can get there from here. With this book in hand, you’re ready to build your own robust and useful website with Drupal. Browse through the table of contents and decide where you want to start. Be bold! Be courageous! Be adventurous! Above all, have fun!
Please note that some special symbols used in this eBook may not display properly on all eReader devices. If you have trouble determining any symbol, please call Wiley Product Technical Support at 800-762-2974. Outside of the United States, please call 317-572-3993. You can also contact Wiley Product Technical Support at www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Part I
Getting Started with Drupal
In this part . . .
You want a website. But the kid next door doesn’t know enough to build what you need — and the web design company wants to charge you an arm and a leg. Just when you’re about to give in and pay too much, you overhear a conversation about Drupal, and how you can build a website with it.
But when you try it, you don’t find it easy. The documentation is hard to follow, and you can’t find anything in the Drupal interface.
If this has happened to you, you’ll appreciate the chapters in this part. They provide a gentle introduction to building your first website with Drupal.
What if you don’t even have Drupal and need to install it? Then the chapters in this part take you to the very beginning. That way your site will be up and ready to be enhanced by the great stuff in the chapters in Parts II and beyond.