Tales From the Admin Layer: Who Moved My Block

Transcript

1. Tales from the Admin Layer “Who moved my block?”

2. None

3. Molly Byrnes @mabfire • Moving blocks and editing nodes since

   2006 • Content Creator, Content Editor, Site Admin, Marketing & Production Support • 200+ Drupal Sites at Sony Music

4. Why is Drupal great for content managers? • Custom views

   tailored to workflow • Flexible content types • Layout builders • Impact dynamic content • Supports many languages

5. Views Panels Nodeblock Localization Corporate Multisite

6. A Brief History of Blocks

7. Blocks are central to the Tales of the Admin Layer

   • Consistent core feature that has been improved. • Provide a good lens to view changes in the evolution of the admin experience. • Structural backbone to get key site elements on the page and go into regions.

8. -50,-34, -33, -24, 0, 9, 2, 15, 40

9. DRUPAL 5 FUN WITH INTEGERS! • Great control over layout

   items • Slightly tricky when updating large complicated sites • Flexible for getting content into regions on site • Mental Math Skills required! http://www.forwardsupport.com/sites/default/files/guide/blocks.jpg

10. DRUPAL 6 Drag & Drop  Content admin math no

    longer required!  Intuitive ordering after selecting region.

11. DRUPAL 7 Edit in place/ optional • “Privilege the Content

    Creator.”- Drupal 7 UX project • http://www.d7ux.org/ d7ux-initial-concepts- direction/ • No need to go to separate page interface to access

12. TALE #1 “Who moved my block?” • It's really hard

    to record changes to blocks. • If someone can move the core blocks, they can really mess changes things up. • Sometimes it’s not even people.

13. “So, who moved it?” THAT guy. You did and forgot.

    Ghost in the machine.

14. Ghost Stories • Is your site haunted? • Some hardcoded

    setting that got executed when some PHP ran on your site. • Features allows settings from the database be put into code. http://drupal.org/project/features – If something is reverted or ran that wasn't pulled into a feature.

15. TALE #1 “Who moved my block?” • ADMIN: Take care

    when moving blocks • DEVELOPER: Ensure proper tools are in place to allow for functionality without compromising security or stability. • DRUPAL: Evolution and iteration on pain points improves system. Moral of the story….

16. TALE #2 “I updated the page and I can’t see

    the change.”

17. CACHE CACHE a computer memory with very short access time

    used for storage of frequently or used instructions or data Cachet: A mark or quality, as of distinction, individuality, or authenticity Cash-for-Gold

18. CACHE TYPES • Browser • Site • Server • DNS

    • Facebook I’ve learned about caching through finding errors and then seeing how they were fixed.

19. Browser Cache • Clear cache as first step when troubleshooting

    • Cookies should be cleared too • Hard refresh! • Internet Explorer “Temporary Internet Files”

20. To stage content quickly and ensure that it is “live”,

    a multi-browser setup is helpful: • Browser 1: Reset constantly (Safari) • Browser 2: Stay logged in (Chrome) • Browser 3: (optional) Inspect Elements / Firebug / History (Firefox)

21. Site Cache(s) • Page • Views • Block • Image

    • Boost

22. Cache Clear • After a CSS change is made, usually

    a cache clear is needed to see it. • Sometimes a server restart is needed when code is pushed. • Views cache, block cache at times may need to be individually set “Turn off, turn back on.”

23. Server Caches • Memcached • Varnish • Pressflow • CDN

24. Internet (DNS) Cache • TTL "Time to Live” • Lower

    TTL is better • Propagation • Latency "You said my site is live, but I can’t see it!” DNS - Domain Name Space

25. TALE #2 “I updated the page and I can’t see

    the change” • ADMIN: Understand basic structures of sites and follow best practices. • DEVELOPER: Communicate and manage expectations on structure. • INTERNET: STOP BEING SO COMPLICATED (ie. IE) Moral of the story..

26. NOTE ON NODES • If you add a piece of

    content in Drupal, it’s most likely a node /node/add • Edit, Delete, Save, Publish, Unpublish, Sticky, Moderate, Promote to front, Translate, Revert, Order, Group, Reference, Email….. If you can dream it, someone has probably tried to do it to a node!

27. TALE #3: “Oops I accidentally deleted that important page and

    I’d like to recover it. I can get it back, right?”

28. No, it’s gone forever. Database is being commanded to literally

    wipe it from existence.

29. Hope is not lost… • Backups! • Content workflows and

    permission systems • Soft Delete / Recycle Bin • Publishing options within workflow • “Don’t delete” TALE #3: “Oops I accidentally deleted that important page and I’d like to recover it. I can get it back, right?” http://drupal.org/project/recyclebin

30. This image mapping table I built is not showing within

    the news post, HELP?! • Drupal is a CMS that generates dynamic content, so while you can use html. It does have its own rules. • When one 1990s HTML convention doesn’t work, try another one. • <iframe> totally worked </iframe> • “ADVANCED HTML” • <!--break-->

31. Work Faster • Smart bookmarks • “Open in new tabs”

    • Dashboard of common links • Memorize direct paths to common pages. – /admin/content/node – /user – /node/add/ – /admin

32. There’s an Op for that. • Views Bulk Operations http://drupal.org/project/views_bulk_op

    erations • Perform specific actions on a selected subset of content within a custom view. • Many modules come with a bulk op built in!

33. Bulk ops are tops!

34. TALE #3- I tried to block a user and I

    see a white screen, hmm?!

35. Ban IP address of current user Sometimes you don’t know

    what a bulk op has in store for you…

36. Why would anyone want to block their own IP?

37. Where does this VBO come from? • A) Added by

    a security module • B) Added by a Developer tools module • C) Drupal Core C for Core

38. Action part of User Module http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/modules--user-- user.module/function/user_action_info/6

39. Core details • The backstory: http://drupal.org/node/148410 • Issue filed on

    VBO module queue: http://drupal.org/node/556570
40. None

41. TALE #3- I tried to block a user and I

    see a white screen, hmm?! : • ADMINS: Sometimes you don’t know what a bulk op has in store for you… • DEVELOPERS: Make sure that the rogue Bulk Ops don’t get auto enabled • DRUPAL: FIX IP self reflexive IP BAN Moral of the story…

42. Admin Modules • Administration menu- http://drupal.org/project/admin • Rubik Admin theme

    - http://drupal.org/project/rubik • Workbench http://drupal.org/project/workbench • Draggable Views http://drupal.org/project/draggableviews • Nodeblock http://drupal.org/project/nodeblock- • Beans http://drupal.org/project/bean • Node reference URL http://drupal.org/project/nodereference_url • Image cache canvas actions http://drupal.org/project/imagecache_actions • State Machine http://drupal.org/project/state_machine

43. Community & Drupal 8 • Web Managers and Content editors

    http://groups.drupal.org/web- managerscontent-editors • Snowman project http://groups.drupal.org/snowman • Configuration Management http://groups.drupal.org/build-systems- change-management/cmi

44. Tales from the Admin Layer [email protected] @mabfire Thank you! QUESTIONS

    OR COMMENTS: