Drupal fits all, does it? Survey
A big part of Open Source Software (OSS) is about collaboration and modular enhancement of the core product. Drupal's modules are a prime example of this concept. Do CMS end users debug and improve existing modules or do they write their own modules? As modules are improved and enhanced will there ever be a stage when implementers will hardly need to write code. This survey is being conducted to determine how much code Drupal implementers actually need to write. The advent of modules such as CCK, Views, Organic Groups, Workflow, Ubercart, E-Commerce, Panels and Actions along with a dozen or so other modules has a empowered web developers with the ability to create sites writing little or no custom code. Is this true? If you are Drupal user please take the survey at http://www.mahalasoft.co.za
Megan posted this at 15:11 — 2nd May 2009.
She has: 11,421 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
I think it really depends on what you're trying to do. For example, I don't think we had to do anything custom for A Padded Cell (JeevesBOnd will correct me if he ever shows up!). It's a simple article-based site, no special functionality needed. And it was originally built on Drupal so it's native to the environment.
For this site, though, we had to do 3 custom modules (vB to Drupal, User Stats, and Signatures for Forums) and may do some contributions to other modules in the future. This is because we're running a forum and the forum modules for Drupal are relatively immature. Also because we came from a dedicated forum platform and required certain functionality to at least approximate what we had before.
I also have a DP site that I developed at work - it's a simple blog with a few other features (webforms, links directory, documentation books). Again, it's a simple site that was built on Drupal natively so I haven't had to do anything custom.
In the future? Maybe there will be less of a need but I think people will always come up with new functionality or ways they want to do things differently. There will be new trends in web development as well.
Megan
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JeevesBond posted this at 02:30 — 15th May 2009.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
Megan pretty-much hits the nail on the head here.
The only thing to add is that there are a lot of small things that implementors will always build per-site modules to do. Taking elements out of a form using FAPI, or tweaking menu links, for example.
As Megan said, for tasks at which Drupal is a mature piece of software, e.g. blogs, news/article sites, general CMS's, etc. there is little to add. But try to use Drupal for a forum, or document management system and you're going to need custom development a lot sooner. The road less travelled and all that.
I filled-out the survey, btw.
a Padded Cell our articles site!
decibel.places posted this at 18:50 — 2nd May 2009.
He has: 1,494 posts
Joined: Jun 2008
hi msimanga and welcome to TWF!
I participated in your survey - I would have liked an opportunity to submit additional comments (I have a reputation for being verbose, as well as tenacious).
I am glad that you started this thread!
I use Drupal for about 85% of my projects, I am self-employed full time as a web developer.
I often note in these forums that Drupal provides a handy solution to many of the questions raised here, and I often feel that I come under attack for being a "Drupal fanboy" (I prefer "Drupalist").
The fact that I DO NOT use Drupal for a significant proportion of projects shows that I do not choose it automatically, but only when I have determined that it provides a sound solution.
Using modules such as CCK, OG, webform, views, rules/workflow-ng etc, I have not had to write any custom modules, although I have been working with Drupal for about 5 years. I often write some custom code to plug in to a webform or create a custom block, but that is not the same as creating a module, as you noted in your survey.
pr0gr4mm3r posted this at 13:13 — 3rd May 2009.
He has: 1,502 posts
Joined: Sep 2006
You are often called a fanboy because you press Drupal as the end-all solution to questions that are not asking for CMS advice. When someone comes on the forum and asks for help with a small bit of functionality, and that happens to be available as a Drupal module, that doesn't mean you should recommend that the member throws out everything and switched to Drupal.
That, IMHO, is not a helpful contribution to those types of questions, and that is how you earned that title.
decibel.places posted this at 15:04 — 3rd May 2009.
He has: 1,494 posts
Joined: Jun 2008
I reference the availability and ease of a solution to an issue in the post by using Drupal, often with a plug-in module enabling a solution "out-of-the-box."
I often suggest other approaches.
If somebody asks for directions to a place 10 miles away, you would probably recommend driving there (or taking a bus) - but you can also tell them how to get there by walking...
There are often many solutions; I often determine that Drupal is a good solution.
I suspect the hostility to Drupal is because it takes some time and experience to make it "sing" - advice I also give to someone contemplating a first excursion into Drupal territory - and perhaps the developers here who reject Drupal are just not that well acquainted with it.
My portfolio shows a few Drupal sites I have worked on, as well as other PHP and DHTML sites, as well as ASP and Lasso sites.
So if I recommend Drupal on a thread, it is not for the sake of "pressing" Drupal, it is because in my 13 years experience creating web sites, I know that Drupal provides a possible - and good - solution.
pr0gr4mm3r posted this at 16:34 — 3rd May 2009.
He has: 1,502 posts
Joined: Sep 2006
Decibel, you are missing the point...I will explain it again.
It is not practical to press Drupal for questions posted here that are for systems already designed. I am not saying that Drupal could have worked for their particular website, but it is not practical at that stage of development. A lot of people come here after they already started development, or it could be a completed website. You still waste no time is saying how Drupal could have solved their problems.
If somebody asks for directions to a place 10 miles away, and they are in a car, your response is something like go back to your home and buy a hybrid after you sell the car your in now because a hybrid can get you to your destination more efficiently.
Although a hybrid car can go 10 miles more efficiently, it would be impractical to sell the existing car and purchase the hybrid for the last 10 miles.
Please...if all else fails, just call us incompetent, right?
decibel.places posted this at 17:01 — 3rd May 2009.
He has: 1,494 posts
Joined: Jun 2008
I am pretty careful not to propose Drupal for an already coded project, unless the benefit of switching to Drupal for an "out-of-the-box" solution would outweigh the difficulty of creating a custom solution on the existing code...
Many times it is not clear from the question whether code already exists or what platform is in use - so I may propose Drupal, and later on when it becomes more clear, someone else criticizes me for merely answering the question.
I have even had to start anew with Drupal 5.x because a previous developer's attempt to code in D 6.x failed.
Sometimes you need to step back to go forward. Sometimes you realize after the fact that you have chosen a strategy that is not working.
Often Drupal can be an efficient solution - but not always, even I realize that.
pr0gr4mm3r - you know I have a high opinion of your skills (despite your relative youth
) and I would not call you nor any of the regulars at TWF "incompetent" - and for that matter I would not even call a n00b that, I would point out resources to learn (sometimes without even going through Let Me Google That for You 
)
kalvisnky posted this at 07:12 — 16th May 2009.
They have: 7 posts
Joined: May 2009
I'm sure if it does fit all.
Drupal is a CMS based program similar to Joomla
but I use Joomla most of the time.
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