[consulting] Drupal Recipes?

[John Sechrest]

Yes, I think that something like this would be a good idea.
Perhaps if you could take a small and simple example site
and build a template of that so that we can see
more concretely what you mean...



Evan Leibovitch <evan at telly.org> writes:

 % 
 % In an effort to demonstrate that I can offer something constructive to 
 % this list (as well as to apologize to anyone offended by the tone of my 
 % last post), I'd like to bounce an idea off everyone. Maybe it's been 
 % suggested before but I haven't seen it here:
 % 
 % I'd like to suggest a repository of "recipes" -- that is, high-level 
 % instruction sets that could be used to mold Drupal into one of a number 
 % of "well understood" web-based applications.
 % 
 % In addition to the most recent thread regarding publishing systems, I've 
 % recently been observing a discussion on another list started by someone 
 % looking for a digital library system. While briefly looking at CMSs, the 
 % person suggests that it will be easier to set up a system specifically 
 % designed for digital libraries, such as Greenstone.
 % 
 % Generally speaking, it _will_ be more difficult to customize a general 
 % purpose system such as Drupal than to start with something already 
 % designed as a single purpose application. In order to help Drupal 
 % integrators deal with such situations, perhaps it might be a benefit to 
 % develop a collection of application-specific recipes that would detail:
 % 
 % - the minimum release level of Drupal required
 % - a list of modules required
 % - schemas for new CCK node types and/or views definitions (as necessary)
 % - definitions of additional user types and their permission sets
 % - perhaps some recommended themes that functionally work best for the 
 % application
 % - any special installation/configurations
 % 
 % I understand the concept of Drupal distributions but I don't think that 
 % they're as flexible or comprehensive as recipes can be (because of 
 % additional config-time instructions such as user and node types). Also, 
 % recipes can be additive. Perhaps the recipe could include not just docs, 
 % but a script that might make the necessary config changes.
 % 
 % Of course one size does not fit all, and people will want to make 
 % further customizations. But starting with an installed recipe brings an 
 % implementer far further along towards a specialized application than 
 % starting with a bare Drupal install. And, as a non-developer, people 
 % like me want to be able to extend Drupal as far as possible without 
 % needing to roll new code.
 % 
 % Suggestions for recipes could include:
 % - Podcast distribution
 % - Library
 % - Yellow pages / business directory
 % - Online store or auction
 % - Newsletter publishing
 % - CRM (both NPO and business-oriented)
 % - political campaigns/fundraising
 % - online paid-membership site
 % - premium content (per-item or by subscription)
 % 
 % Some of these may seem obvious to regulars here, and many of you might 
 % well know instinctively what to do. However, perhaps for Drupal to hold 
 % its own against specialized single-application alternatives, perhaps 
 % there is value to document these techniques to a broader audience of 
 % consultants-to-be, potential users, RFP writers, etc. The module list 
 % alone is now extremely long and can be intimidating to newcomers, 
 % especially when recipes call for a combination of modules that might not 
 % be apparent at first glance.  Knowledge of the various ones to be 
 % combined to provide the capabilities of application-specific systems is 
 % worth sharing.
 % 
 % Is this worth pursuing? Conceivably, recipes could be catalogued and 
 % submitted just like other forms of documentation, or even themes or 
 % modules. My time is fairly limited but I'd certainly like to help make 
 % this happen if the interest exists.
 % 
 % - Evan
 % 
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 % consulting mailing list
 % consulting at drupal.org
 % http://lists.drupal.org/mailman/listinfo/consulting
 % 

-----
John Sechrest          .         Helping people use
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                          .            more effectively
                             .                      
                                 .       Internet: sechrest at peak.org
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                                              . http://www.peak.org/~sechrest