Drupal 7

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session info: Drupal 7

video by Marc Tan

Webchick got started with Drupal at 2005 Google Summer of Code, now is Drupal 7 Maintainer

What happens during the release cycle?

release the current version
open next version for development ("head") and retire old version (5 will retire when 7 released)
code thaw -- fix things that have always annoyed you! add features!
code freeze -- slated for September -- just kill bugs, make it stable
return to step 1
port all modules :-(

Should I start building production sites on D7? No!

Should I start porting modules to D7? Yes!

use Coder module to help you port modules!! Now available for D7!

Drupal is a "do-ocracy" -- what gets done is what people do

Core Maintainers: Dries, Neil Drumm (D5), Gabor Hojtsy (D6), Angela Byron (D7) -- but they just supervise -- others do all the work and get little credit

What's New?

Changes for site builders
- new minimum requirements: PHP 5.2, MySQL 5.0, PostgreSQL 8.3
- installation profiles (minimal / default)
- SQLite support
- new password strength indicator
- time zone handling in core
- story content type renamed article
- default taxonomy tags
- add-a-menu link
- permission screen easier to read, each has descriptions that can be translated, grouped by content type
- users can cancel own accounts
- improved translation interface
- forums have new pretty icons
- content types now under site building, some new options available
- modules page contains links to help pages
- Ping and Throttle modules removed; user-customizable comment settings removed
- configurable error reporting with easy to understand options
- Advanced Help moved into core
- usability testing by Mark Boulton Design, U of Baltimore
Changes for designers
- page.tpl.php redesigned with wrapper classes, better CSS development without hacking PHP files, based on Zen theme
- new theme: Stark -- like Chameleon, but with even less defined
- improved javascript functions
- cross-library compatibility (for jQuery) -- already works in D6
Changes for coders
- SimpleTest module greatly improved (also in D6)
  - writing tests causes you to think problems through, find obscure bugs
  - know instantly if you've broken something
  - fix a test along with your bug fix, and it will never break again
- http://testing.drupal.org can test patches for you before you contribute them! notifies you in 24 hours if patch doesn't work
- Database: the Next Generation (DB:TNG)
  - uses PHP Database Objects (PDO)
  - dynamic query builder replaces hook_db_rewrite_sql()
- FieldAPI (CCK in core)
  - swappable storage back-ends
  - CCK today makes each field its own table only if multiple values or multiple content types
  - FieldAPI makes each field its own table always -- means performance hit
- Performance
  - registry table holds cache of every function, class, etc. from all modules for faster hook calls, better break-up of code in modules
  - new operation-specific hooks to remove need for $op parameter (also works in D6)
  - new _load_multiple hooks to load multiple items at once
  - file API improvements, image handling in core, native file fields, file management console
- new hooks in D7
  - allow modules to see which other modules, taxonomy, etc. installed
  - improvements to Aggregator API
  - hook_page_alter() -- modules can alter other modules' generated pages!