[drupal-docs] Re: Comments on Admin Guide
Benjamin Slade
ben at benslade.com
Sun Jan 23 17:32:16 UTC 2005
Dries Buytaert wrote:
> Boris Mann wrote:
>
>> A low-tech "Drupal Glossary" page might be a place to start. The
>> glossary we have on our support site might be a place to start:
>> http://support.bryght.com/glossary
>
>
> There is http://drupal.org/node/937 but it might not be in the correct
> place, so feel free to move it around and to extend it.
>
Thanks, that terminology is helpful, but I'm still a cranky wanderer in
the "learning Drupal" wilderness. See my feedback on the terminology
section below.
I think really a walk through scenario of the normal default Drupal
setup would be the best way to introduce it. Ie. an overview
walkthrough with pictures. For example:
* Here's the opening screen
* We go to Admin->administer->modules and enable the modules we want
to use.
* Then we go to Admin->administer->categories (really should be
called "category groups") to setup a vocabulary, associated with
various module types (that we've already turned on) and create the
categories belonging to this vocabulary/category group.
* Note, for certain modules/vocabulary combinations, the list of
categories in the vocabulary show up in a subarea of the right
sidebar under the name of the "Categories".
* Then we go to Admin->administer->blocks to see which modules have
already been allocated to blocks, and where those blocks display
on the screen. (hmm, how do you tell which module type is
associated with a block?)
* Then we add a new block (hmmm, on my system
<http://www.hammersoft.com>, there's no module type associated
with adding a new block. I must not be understanding properly)
* Next we'll add a specific node (content instance) of a type of
module. Go to "Admin->create content". You'll see a list of
choices corresponding to the modules which have been enabled. In
this case, choose "page". You'll get to create a page (node of
module type page) and associate it with one of the categories of
the vocabulary that has been associated with the module type of
this new node.
* Then go back to the home page of your Drupal site and see the
results...
I really think something like this would be the best "intro to Drupal"
sort of document. I would be glad to work on it, if someone would help
me through figuring things out.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's what goes through my head when I read the terminology (from my
marked up copy
<http://www.benslade.com/misc/drupal/AdminGuideWithQuestions.html> of
the Admin Guide online):
>
> Drupal terminology
>
> As you start to read the Drupal documentation and learn how it
> works it will help a lot if you know what a few words mean.
> +++ IMHO this should be at the top of this document
>
>
> General terms
>
> *Module*
> A module is a piece of code which extends Drupal to provide
> a specific piece of functionality. Some modules are part of
> the core Drupal system (eg. the taxonomy and blog modules)
> and some others (eg. the weblinks and image modules) live in
> the contributions CVS repository
> <http://drupal.org/node/view/321> and must be downloaded
> from there.
> +++ How do modules interact with blocks, sidebars,
> vocabularies, and nodes?
> +++ Assuming nodes content instances of a certain module
> type, does the main output of the node always go to the
> center area in the screen?
> *Theme*
> A PHP file of functions which turn arguments into HTML
> markup. Drupal modules define themeable functions
> <http://drupaldocs.org/api/head/group/themeable> which can
> be overridden by the theme file. There are additional themes
> available in the contributions CVS repository
> <http://drupal.org/node/view/321>.
> *Engine*
> A special type of theme that moves the HTML markup
> generation to template files (using any templating system).
> Also tells the theme selector what templates have been defined.
> *Template*
> A HTML-writer-readable file that is mostly HTML with special
> codes to substitute in values provided by a engine.
> *Style*
> A CSS file (or files) replacing the default CSS of a theme
> or engine. Appears in the theme selection list with the same
> precedence as themes and templates.
> *Node*
> Nodes are probably the hardest Drupal concept to grasp but
> they are really quite simple. Almost all content in Drupal
> is stored as a node. When people refer to "a node" all they
> mean is a piece of content within Drupal, it could be a
> poll, a story, a book page an image etc.
> +++ What is the relationship between nodes, categories,
> blocks, and modules? So a node is a single content
> instance of a module, but it is also associated with a
> category/term of a vocabulary. Eg. a single story, page,
> poll, forum posting. Can nodes be hierarchical? Eg. do
> posting of answers on a forum belong to the question node
> that started the thread in that forum? When I associate a
> taxonomy with a module and it displays the child categories
> in a block on the sidebar, that is /not/ a node, right?
> When I display my opening page, there seems to be a list of
> nodes in the center area, is that list of nodes another
> node? Who is generating that list of nodes? Oh, there are
> node types (aka module types) below..
> *Block*
> Blocks are what are sometimes called "Slash Boxes".
> +++ Is "Slash Box" supposed to have something to do with
> SlashDot.org?
> They are the navigational or content additions that live on
> the left or right side of a page when you view it in your
> browser.
> +++ Why does this navitgational or content addition appear?
> Is a module mapped to a block and the block is pointed to a
> sidebar? Does node output from a module appear on the left
> or right side of a page, or category associations with a
> node and/or module?
> Blocks are not nodes, they are just a way of positioning data
> +++ "data" here is undefined. What kind of data? Do you
> mean the HTML output of modules?
> within a page. The look of blocks can be controlled by each
> theme by defining the |block($subject, $content, $region =
> "main")| method.
> +++ Is this a programming call or a option under the admin
> menu? Do admins use this method?
> +++ How do modules know which block to send their output to?
> *Box*
> Box is a container for content on Drupal pages.
> +++ Is "content" here different from "data" used in a
> block? In other parts of the Admin Guide a block is
> defined as a box on the screen. Are these definitions
> consisten?
>
> Each box has a title and some content. The look of boxes can
> be controlled by each theme by defining the |box($subject,
> $content, $region = "main")| method
> +++ The method is a programming call right? Do admins use it?
> *Taxonomy*
> Taxonomy is literally "the science of classification".
> Drupal uses taxonomy to describe the category system, which
> you can use to classify and organize content on your web
> site. There is additional information on the taxonomy system
> <http://drupal.org/node.php?id=299> in the documentation.
> +++ I get "page not found" when I go to "node.php?id=299" on
> my Drupal web site. Oh, this is relative to the drupal.org
> website. Oh, it's covered below.
> +++ Is "category" a synonym for "taxonomy"? (clicking on
> admin->categories takes me to a list of taxonomies). If
> yes, should say that here. The answer I figured out later,
> "no". A Taxonomy corresponds to a "category group".
> Categories (aka terms) make up a taxonomy.
>
>
> Node types
>
> +++ Are node types really just the same as modules? Ie. all
> nodes are instances of a single piece of content belong to a
> certain type of module?
> *Site page*
> Site pages are static pages which are typically (but not
> required to be) linked into the main navigation bar.
> +++ What's/where's the main navigation bar? Do they get
> linked automatically? Does the title of my site page
> appear in the navigation bar? Do I use the "page" module
> to create a "site page"?
> One special thing about them is that they can contain
> customized PHP code in order to make their content dynamic.
> *Story Page*
> Story pages are the generic page type that most content
> management systems have. Stories are generally used for
> information which is only relevant for a period of time (eg.
> news stories) and is expected to expire off of the page.
> +++ I assume I use the "story" module to create story pages.
> *Book Page*
> Book pages are designed to be part of a collaborative book.
> An example of a collaborative book is the Drupal developer
> documentation <http://www.drupal.org/node.php?id=316>.
> Originally only book pages could be a part of a book but
> these days all node types can be part of a book. Really the
> only special part about book pages these days is that like
> static pages they can contain PHP code.
> *Poll*
> A poll is where a multiple choice question is asked and
> users can answer and see other peoples answers to questions.
> *Blog*
> Blogs, or weblogs, are another term for an online journal or
> diary. They are a place where members of the community can
> write their own thoughts and not have to worry about being
> ontopic for the site.
> *Forum*
> Forums are the same thing as online bulletin boards. New
> forums can only be created by administrators of the site and
> are generally dedicated to a particular topic or queestion.
> Once a forum is created anyone can ask questions or comment
> on other peoples questions.
> *Comment*
> Comments actually aren't nodes, they are their own special
> content type. Comments are what allow people to add comments
> to any other node that has been created.
>
>
Ben Slade <http://www.benslade.com>
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Albert Einstein
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