Tales From the Admin Layer: Who Moved My Block

As end users of Drupal admin screens, content admins know where all the ghosts of check box pasts lie. Given at Drupal Camp NYC on Dec 10th 2011 and updated after Drupal Camp Western Mass, this presentation looks at the Drupal through the eyes of those most acquainted with the project.

Transcript

1. Tales from the Admin Layer “Who moved my block?”
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
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 mabfire@gmail.com @mabfire Thank you! QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: