Beginning Module Development

Maybe you're a Drupal site-builder or frontend developer looking to get into Drupal backend development, or perhaps you're already a PHP developer and looking to get familiar with Drupal. If so, this session is for you.

Overview

Instead of the first obligatory "Hello World" example code, we will create a new Drupal 7 module that improves the UI of a popular contrib module.

We will build a fully-working module from scratch in 40 minutes. This session will discuss best practices prior to building a module, how to organize your custom modules, tackle a real-world problem, troubleshoot, and step through the process from inception to completion of a new module.

Audience

PHP developers new to Drupal, and site builders that are interested in development. Assumes basic knowledge of PHP and CSS.

Topics Covered

• Hooks overview.
• Research before creating a module.
• Best practices for development in Drupal.
• Common troubleshooting tasks.
• How to organize your modules.
• Creating a module.
• Drupal-specific functions.
• Brief overview of the Drupal developer's toolbox.