Drupal Review: Advanced Web CMS

Drupal is an open-source, free content management system programmed in PHP. It is cross-platform, supports multiple databases, and has become very popular as a web development framework among professional programmers and designers. Drupal started as a message board, but it was first released as an open source project in 2001. The name, Drupal, is an anglicized version of the Dutch word “druppel”, which means “drop”, which is where the iconic water-drop mascot came from. Eight years later, Drupal has progressed from the initial 1.0 release all the way to the current 6.12, and has won several awards.

The “Drupal core”, which is the standard download package, contains enough features to put together a wide range of websites from blogs, to business sites, to communities. The features include: RSS feeds, individual accounts and privileges, blog support, forum support, and even an interactive, brochure-style website. If that isn't enough for you, there are thousands of modules, themes, and other plug-in material available for free through the Drupal website. There are even more custom and for-sale modules available if your needs are very specific.

Drupal was designed to be a community-built program, so it is set up to allow people to develop modules and themes easily. Many programmers and web designers feel that “giving back to the community”, a common theme in open source discussion, is a critical component of keeping open source alive. Therefore, they release many of the plug-ins they develop in the course of their professional work or those they've developed for the pure enjoyment of it. The Drupal community is highly supportive, and some programmers have been known to whip up solutions to your problems if you ask them nicely enough (or pay them).

One of the biggest complaints about this content management system is its control panel. It's been described as clunky, cryptic, and an all-around pain in the rear end to use—especially for those just jumping in on it. The original developer of Drupal, Dries Buytaert, says that he won't release the official Version 7.0 until the vast majority of the user-interface problems have been resolved. As it stands, though, it's certainly usable. The current control panel has a side-bar list of links leading to different areas in the back-end while the primary page displays the information and options. However, there are modules on the Drupal website to create a graphic user interface with icons and the side-bar list, like Joomla!'s panel.

Another problem is that Drupal sacrifices backward-compatibility for developing new core features. New features are always good, but sometimes the plug-in contributors have to completely rewrite their code every time a new version comes out. Unless you're a programmer working on Drupal modules, it works out in the end since you get more features, and the programmers put up with redesigning the code.

On the bright side, security is pretty tight on the Drupal-ship. There are regular security updates as exploits are found, and site administrators are notified in their control panel of new releases. Even better, the Drupal developers maintain a security mailing list and have developed a security manual for users.

Drupal is very, very high-power. That's why so many web designers use it professionally, but with that power comes an unwieldy control panel and the necessity of some technical knowledge. It's like a really big gun—you better be ready for the recoil, or you might shoot yourself in the foot! But, if you're looking for a highly-adaptable CMS to use on multiple projects and know your stuff, this is the one for you.

• Choosing the Right CMS – A Make or Break Decision
• Tweaking Drupal to Be Search-Engine Friendly
• Comparing Mobile Tools vs Osmobi for Your Drupal Mobile Website
• Drupal 7.0 Beta 1 Now Available
• Drupal for Dummies, or How Non-Coders Can Make Drupal Websites
• New Book Offers Performance Tips for Drupal 6
• Make Multiple Drupal Websites Management Simple with Aegir