Learn Drupal 6 Basic Functionality
Drupal is a modular system. Its functionality is held in modules that integrate into the main work ow at various points, altering the way other parts operate or even adding new features entirely. In order to build a fully functional website, we use modules that either come as part of the standard Drupal download (known as the core) or are provided by the good people of the Drupal community.
The terms module and functionality, with respect to Drupal, are synonymous, from the point of view that modules provide functionality. Hence, the discussion of Drupal functionality is really a discussion about modules.
Adding Modules
It is by enabling certain modules that you will be able to achieve a diverse, and more importantly, functional site. As there are plenty of modules available, I can't hope to bore you with the all the ins and outs of every single one. Instead, we will enable and briefly work with some of the more interesting and useful ones.
If there is a module required by your site that is not covered here, simply follow the same method of enabling and testing that is discussed throughout this chapter, and apply it to that specific module. You will be up and running in no time at all!
Before we begin discussing each individual module, head on over to the Modules section under Site Building in the Administer menu item, and decide which ones to enable initially, based on your site's forecasted needs. Bear in mind that it is very easy to come back at a later stage and add or remove modules—this is part of the beauty and power of a system like Drupal.
For the purposes of this chapter, we will need the following modules:
that Drupal presents something like the following query:
This tells us that the Forum module has dependencies. In other words, it cannot do its job without the facilities provided by the other modules listed. Many modules are interdependent and Drupal gives clues as to what relies on what on the modules page. For example, Forum displays the following:
In this instance, it is telling us that it depends on two other modules, both of which are enabled.
Looking at Taxonomy as shown by the following screenshot:
The converse is displayed, insofar as it tells us that while Taxonomy itself has no dependencies, it is required by Forum. Note too that Drupal prevents us from disabling any module that is required by another enabled module, by disabling the checkbox next to the module's name. Disabling the Taxonomy module in this case requires us rst to disable all modules that depend on it first—in this case, Forum. For at least a few of these modules, we will have to put in some serious thought before they are actually implemented on the site. In particular, Forum needs to be discussed in some depth, but before we do that, let's take a look at what else is available, courtesy of the Drupal community.
The terms module and functionality, with respect to Drupal, are synonymous, from the point of view that modules provide functionality. Hence, the discussion of Drupal functionality is really a discussion about modules.
Adding Modules
It is by enabling certain modules that you will be able to achieve a diverse, and more importantly, functional site. As there are plenty of modules available, I can't hope to bore you with the all the ins and outs of every single one. Instead, we will enable and briefly work with some of the more interesting and useful ones.
If there is a module required by your site that is not covered here, simply follow the same method of enabling and testing that is discussed throughout this chapter, and apply it to that specific module. You will be up and running in no time at all!
Before we begin discussing each individual module, head on over to the Modules section under Site Building in the Administer menu item, and decide which ones to enable initially, based on your site's forecasted needs. Bear in mind that it is very easy to come back at a later stage and add or remove modules—this is part of the beauty and power of a system like Drupal.
For the purposes of this chapter, we will need the following modules:
- Forum
- Comment
- Search
that Drupal presents something like the following query:
This tells us that the Forum module has dependencies. In other words, it cannot do its job without the facilities provided by the other modules listed. Many modules are interdependent and Drupal gives clues as to what relies on what on the modules page. For example, Forum displays the following:
In this instance, it is telling us that it depends on two other modules, both of which are enabled.
Looking at Taxonomy as shown by the following screenshot:
The converse is displayed, insofar as it tells us that while Taxonomy itself has no dependencies, it is required by Forum. Note too that Drupal prevents us from disabling any module that is required by another enabled module, by disabling the checkbox next to the module's name. Disabling the Taxonomy module in this case requires us rst to disable all modules that depend on it first—in this case, Forum. For at least a few of these modules, we will have to put in some serious thought before they are actually implemented on the site. In particular, Forum needs to be discussed in some depth, but before we do that, let's take a look at what else is available, courtesy of the Drupal community.
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