Drupal 7 Module Development (PDF)

In DetailDrupal is an award-winning open-source Content Management System. It's a modular system, with an elegant hook-based architecture, and great code. Modules are plugins for Drupal that extend, build or enhance Drupal core functionality.In Drupal 7 Module development book, six professional Drupal developers use a practical, example-based approach to introduce PHP developers to the powerful new Drupal 7 tools, APIs, and strategies for writing custom Drupal code.These tools not only make management and maintenance of websites much easier, but they are also great fun to play around with and amazingly easy to use.If you're eager to learn about these new APIs and start creating modules for Drupal 7, this is your book. Walk through the development of complete Drupal modules with this primer for PHP programmers.From basic modules and themes to sophisticated Drupal extensions, learn how to use Drupal's API and hook system to build powerful custom Drupal websites. With an emphasis on practical programming, this book takes a project-based approach, providing working examples in every chapterSpecifically written for Drupal 7, this book will get you coding modules as quickly as possible, and help you add the features that will give your work that professional gloss!This book will walk you through the development of complete Drupal modules and show you how to add various features to meet your requirements.The Drupal content management system, written in the popular PHP language, has skyrocketed in popularity.Developers for this system are in high demand. This book prepares PHP developers for Drupal development, explaining architecture, exploring APIs, and emphasizing practical approaches.In each chapter, readers will learn new aspects of the system while creating fully-functioning modules, themes, and libraries. Learn how to "e;hook into"e; any part of the Drupal process, creating custom content types, extending existing capabilities, and integrating with external services and applications.Learn the ins and outs of writing custom modules, themes, installation profiles and libraries for the Drupal PHP content management system.ApproachThis book takes a hands-on, practical approach to software development. The authors, all professional Drupal developers and contributors to the Drupal project, provide accessible coding samples designed to exhibit not only the technical merits and abilities of Drupal, but also proper architectural and stylistic approaches to coding on one of the world's most popular content management systems.Every chapter provides fully functional code samples illustrating the APIs and strategies discussed in the chapter. With this foundation, developers can quickly build sophisticated tools on their own by making use of the strategies and techniques exemplified in this book.Who this book is forIf you are a PHP developer or a Drupal user looking to dive into Drupal development then you will find this book an excellent introduction to coding within Drupal.Those with some Drupal experience will also find this an invaluable tool for updating their knowledge about the powerful new features of Drupal 7. Theme developers looking to extend their abilities will find this an accessible introduction to PHP coding within the Drupal environment.This book assumes that you are familiar with basic PHP programming, along with HTML and CSS.No experience with programming Drupal is required, although it is also a handy way for experienced Drupal developers to get up to speed with Drupal 7.