Learn Drupal

Steadily and surely we've been working on the process of upgrading module from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8. By the time we complete this process, we'll have touched on many of the new and improved APIs in 8. This week we look at replacing a couple other pieces that have been removed since Drupal 7, the $_GET['q'] and variable_del(), and begin to dive into forms in D8.

How to replace the $_GET['q'] and what to do when getting a "Drupal class not found" error - 3:40

If you get a funny feeling whenever you see $_GET in your code, then your OOP instincts are really starting to develop. In this video, we figure out how to replace that $_GET[‘q’] with something less global and more OOP-y.

How to replace variable_del() with a State API call - 1:03

Int his video we clear out the state variable we’ve been working with to start fresh.

How to upgrade hook_block_view() and format_interval() - 4:31

Now that we’re storing values for visited pages with the State API, the next logical step is actually displaying that info in our block. So, in this video we get build out our content and also fix a call to a long-gone format_interval() function.

Overview of the pieces we need for our module configuration form, and finding a good example - 3:21

The configuration form in Drupal 8 requires a bit more setup than Drupal 7. The upside is that the structure and format is similar to other forms that you’ll use in Drupal 8. In this video we talk through the pieces we’ll need for that form and dig up an example in the Drupal 8 code base.

(FREE!) How forms are structured in Drupal 8 - 2:07

In the same way that block code was consolidated into a single class in Drupal 8, forms also are encapsulated into a single form class. Here we look at a simple form example.

- Chris Shattuck

Last week we got started with the process of upgrading a block from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8. This week we create our first Drupal 8 plugin, do a bit of troubleshooting with the settings and replace out our hook_init() with a subscriber.

Next week we'll start digging into the State API to get more parts of our block moved over. Have a great week and enjoy!

A brief description of what a Drupal plugin is - 1:41

Plugins can be found throughout Drupal. They are a pattern that are used for the code the generates fields, widgets and blocks, among other things. In this short video we talk briefly about what plugins actually are and how they work.

How to troubleshoot overlays not showing and how blocks are now actually block factories - 2:47

In this video we discuss how the block paradigm has shifted from creating blocks in our module to instead creating block factories. This is a lot of fun if you haven’t seen this particular feature of Drupal 8 before. Along the way we notice that settings dialog boxes don’t seem to be showing up, and we track down the source of that problem to an error in our Drupal 7 module code.

(FREE!) How to create a block plugin - 4:46

After perusing the code for a block plugin and digging a bit into the ideas behind plugins and annotations, it’s time to actually get something done! In this video we re-purpose an existing block plugin for our own and give it a whirl.

How to modify the default caching settings for a block plugin - 3:14

In the previous step we got our block plugin working, but we discover quickly that we can’t modify its contents. In this video we look at how the caching settings for our block plugin work and get them sorted out for the dynamic block we eventually want to add.

How to move our hook_init() code into a subscriber - 3:59

In a previous section we discussed how hook_init() has been replaced by several other techniques and demonstrated how to perform a redirect by adding a subscriber. In this video, we take care of generating a list of pages that have been visited using the same technique.

May your week be filled with awesomness.

- Chris Shattuck

Last week we started looking at a Drupal 7 module from our "Drupal 7 Development Core Concepts", and this week we get down to business and start the process of upgrading it to Drupal 8. The way we'll approach the upgrade process is simple. We copy the module to a Drupal 8 site and try to install it. We run into issues pretty quick and explore a few places to look when tracking down upgrade problems and get the .info file converted over to something D8-friendly.

As we go through the full upgrade in the coming weeks, we'll explore many of the new areas of Drupal 8, including the Configuration API, changes to the Block API, the State API and lots more. It's going to be fun, and here are the 5 new videos for this week:

A tour of our Drupal 7 module's code base, part 1 - 5:03

After looking at what our modules does from the front end, in this video we start a thorough review of the entire module code base.

A tour of our Drupal 7 module's code base, part 2 - 3:26

In this video we complete our review of the full feature set of our Drupal 7 module. Onward to upgrading!

Getting our module to upgrade set up, and running into our first upgrade problem - 1:38

The basic strategy behind module upgrading is identifying the most important feature that has not been upgraded, testing it, and then fixing any problems you run into. In this video we try to install our module and run into some issues.

(FREE!) Overview of resources to use when upgrading a module to Drupal 8 - 3:47

Throughout the process of upgrading a module, you can expect to run into aspects of Drupal you don’t quite have your head wrapped around yet. As you bump into these, it’s good to have a set of resources handy. In this video we take a look at some core resources you’ll find useful.

How to upgrade a .info file to a .info.yml file and install our module - 3:37

In this video we complete the process of upgrading our info file to the new YAML format and actually get our module installed. Woot!

Have a great week!

- Chris Shattuck

This week we dive deeper into working with events in Drupal 8. Last week we discussed what the role of events are and how they replace many parts of the hook system, but with the benefits of OOP. In this next set of videos we create a quick-and-dirty event using a generic class from Symfony and subscribe to it, then we create a more customized class that mirrors a structure that's a bit more like what you'll see in the real world.

Finally, we wrap it up by looking at overriding services. One of the bonuses of using services over our own class instances is that we can completely replace services with our own code, and we're ready to show you exactly how to do that.

How to create a custom event quickly with the GenericEvent class - 5:29

Typically creating new Symfony-based event requires the creation of a custom event class. In this video, however, we show you how you can create a quick and dirty event with the Symfony GenericEvent class. It’s handy!

How to subscribe to a custom event - 2:35

In this video we hook into the event we just created to demonstrate how any module can now create a subscriber to hook into it.

How to create a specialized custom event class - 5:04

While the GenericEvent class is handy for spinning up quick events, it’s also a bit … well … generic. In this video we use a custom event class to tighten up the signatures of our subscribers.

A final word on what we’ve learned about events - 0:46

In this video we do a quick celebration of the skills we’ve built around using events in Drupal 8.

(FREE!) How to override an existing service - 6:05

By this point you’re probably feeling pretty comfortable with services. We know how to use them and how to create them, but the one thing we haven’t tackled is overriding an existing service. Since this is one of the big arguments for using services in the first place, it makes sense to dive into replacing an existing service with our own.

Have a great week!

- Chris Shattuck

How to figure out what code to use to call a service - 3:46

By now you should feel like there’s no longer a huge mystery behind the dependency injection container in Drupal, but we still haven’t explored how exactly to use it. In this video we use a little detective work to figure out exactly how that’s done.

Setting up our example module scaffolding - 3:16

In this video we set up some basic scaffolding for the module we’ll use to demonstrate how Symfony components in Drupal 8.

Why hook_menu() was removed and why Drupal switched to PSR-4 autoloading - 2:50

Here we look at the two big changes that have been pushed to Drupal 8 since we first started recording “Drupal 8 Developer Prep”, and why those changes make sense.

(FREE!) How Drupal uses PSR-4 autoloading under the hood - 2:07

Just knowing that something works isn’t enough for the most curious, so in this video we build on our understanding of PSR-0 to understand how Drupal made the shift over to PSR-4.

Adding a page to our example module by using a route and controller - 5:47

In the very beginning of this series, we created a simple module whose job was to add a single page. In this video, we do the same thing so we have a page where we can safely add any output we need from our examples.

(FREE!) How to use services in a custom module - 3:15

We’ve seen how services are registered in Drupal, and we’ve seen how other modules use services, but how do we use them ourselves? Good question! That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this video.

How to find out which class is responsible for a service - 3:54

While there’s lot of really important benefits to using the dependency injection container, it comes at the cost of making it difficult to track down what code is responsible for which services. In this video we walk through two valuable approaches to tracking that code down.

How to create a service with a custom module - 4:15

At this point you’ve seen how to use existing services, but how do we create one of our own? Again, services allow other modules to override our entire service code and allows for the creation of a single, shared instance of the class, so there’s a lot to be gained. Luckily, it’s pretty easy and we’ll start by creating a class to contain our service.

How to call our custom service - 1:55

To test out our service, we give it a call in our controller just like we would call any other service.

(FREE!) An overview of why we should use services instead of simple functions or classes - 5:05

If you’re felling at all resentful or apprehensive about the added layers of complexity of the whole service system - as opposed to just creating simple functions, for example - this video does a quick review of the benefits of going the service route to help you get pumped about the long term benefits.

Have a great week!

- Chris Shattuck

For a long time, BuildAModule has supported supported 1 and 2 day trainings, but now some multi-month trainings have come out that allow a student to get a genuinely deep dive into Drupal before they jump into a job search. The idea behind these trainings is that it takes a while to start to feel comfortable with Drupal, and a live, ongoing environment that includes skilled mentorship can accelerate what students would normally do on their own and get them better prepared for the workforce. I think it's an awesome idea.

Here's a quick overview of two programs that are using an extended approach to help students speed up the learning process.

TechBootCamps

TechBootCamps is a really interesting and compelling concept. Students spend 8 weeks working full time (that's 8-hours days) on learning Drupal locally in Boston, MA, based on the BuildAModule curriculum. After 8 weeks, the students are connected up with agencies who are hiring, and if the student lands a job, the referral fee paid by the employer goes to cover at least part of the cost of tuition for the class.

The first batch of BootCamp-ers is currently a couple weeks into their training and it appears to be going really well. The program uses the Flipped Classroom model - similar to what we've been doing with Mentored Trainings - to allow students to work on practical skills instead of getting pummeled by lectures all day. To participate, students have to be on-location for the 8-week training, but they have set up discounted long-term lodging for students coming in from out of town. It really is a boot camp. :)

I'm proud of Joe DiDonato for putting together this program. It's incredibly innovative and I know it has the potential to do amazing things for the Drupal talent base. And I think keeping the training in a consistent physical location will have some surprising effects on the progress of the students.

The cost of the training starts at $4400, and again part or all of that will be reimbursed if the student lands a job and the employer pays a referral fee. The next camp starts in August (see the calendar here).

Learn more about TechBootCamps.

Drupal Career Online

Drupal Career Online is a real-time online version of the Drupal Career Starter program, which DrupalEasy has put on for the last several years. The program is a 12-week course that includes two 3.5 hour real-time online sessions every week and helps to connect students with internship programs when the course is complete. The curriculum is mature and bundles BuildAModule access as a complement to the existing course materials.

For potential students who can't necessarily make it to a specific physical location for a long-term training, but who can dedicate a significant amount of time to the learning process with the goal of landing a solid job, the Drupal Career Online program seems like a great fit. Many students from the live version of the course have gone on to find work with Drupal agencies.

The first class begins August 19th and you can apply here. The cost for the course is $3400.

Learn more about Drupal Career Online.

Thank you for your patience, 10 new videos now and lots more coming next week!

It's been a couple of weeks since we've released new videos, and I just wanted to say thanks for your patience. This week we're releasing 10 of the new batch, and next week we plan on releasing even more! I'm particularly excited about this second half of "Drupal 8 Developer Prep" since we get knee deep into working with Drupal 8 on a piratical level and look and build some real modules to demonstrate all kinds of fun concepts. Just so you know what awesomeness is coming down the pikes, here are some things you have to look forward to:

• How to use Symfony components in Drupal 8, including the event dispatcher, routing and more!
• How to use plugins (and what the heck plugins actually are)
• How to work with forms in Drupal 8
• How to use block plugins
• How to use Twig for theming from inside a D8 module
• How to upgrade a module from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8 and troubleshoot common issues along the way

I hope you enjoy this new infusion, and look forward to more in the coming weeks.

(FREE!) Overview of how we will prepare for the next Drupal 8 videos - 1:55

In this video we do a quick overview of how we’re about to set up for the next batch of Drupal 8 videos. Since the recording of the first videos in “Drupal 8 Developer Prep”, there have been new releases that bring in some fun changes like a better autoloader, a newer version of Symfony and more.

(FREE!) How to install Drupal 8 Alpha 12 with Dev Desktop 2 Beta - 4:19

Here we get a more up-to-date Drupal 8 environment set up and explain why we’re now using the latest version of Acquia Dev Desktop to launch our projects.

How to create a Drupal-based project in PHPStorm - 1:20

In all the the videos on BuildAModule up to this point, we’ve been using an IDE called Komodo. Here, we switch over to using PHPStorm and explain the process of importing a Drupal project.

The benefits of using PHPStorm for an IDE for Drupal work - 2:36

Many of our viewers adopted Komodo as an IDE because of the examples on BuildAModule, so in the next couple of videos we explore why shifted over to PHPStorm. As an IDE, it’s been gaining popularity in the Drupal community over the last several years and it’s worth exploring some of the reasons why.

The benefits of using PHPStorm for general development - 4:47

In the last video we discussed some of the big benefits of using PHPStorm with Drupal-based projects, and in this video we discuss some of the other features that developers might find useful in general, regardless of the kind of PHP project you’re working with.

How to get our example folder set up - 3:19

If you’re just jumping into this series, we walk you through the process of getting an example folder set up with all of the files that we’ve been building up through the previous videos. If you’ve been following along, there’s just a couple bits in here you’ll need to make sure you’ve got everything set up for the next videos.

Why we are going to do a deep dive into YAML - 0:59

On its surface, YAML is kind of just (Y)et (A)nother (M)arkup (L)anguage, giving us the ability to structure a hierarchy of information with a relatively simple syntax. But, the implications of using YAML goes deep, and in Drupal 8 you will be using YAML for everything from routes to services to configuration and menu links. Getting comfortable with YAML will serve you well during your Drupal 8 career, and in this video we explain why.

How to create a YAML file for routes - 6:21

To see YAML in action, we first look at how to create a routing YAML file in Symfony to replace the code-based routes we used in our previous examples.

(FREE!) How to parse a routing YAML file - 5:27

Now that we have a routing file, it’s time to figure out how to actually use it. In this video, we walk through the process of wiring up a YAML file to our route loader and get rid of a bunch of redundant code. Yea!

How to parse generic YAML files and setting up our YAML syntax examples - 3:56

In the next videos, we take a look at nearly all of the syntax you’re likely to encounter in YAML files. But first, we set up our example YAML file and take over an existing controller to see how Symfony converts YAML into a PHP array.

Have a great week!

- Chris Shattuck

I hope you've been enjoying the videos in the new "Drupal 8 Developer Prep" collection. If you have been following along, you may have some new skills working with object-oriented code and probably have a growing appreciation for Symfony and the various components it gives you to work with. The one thing we really haven't tackled yet - and which many of you are probably the most excited about - is how all these things relate to Drupal 8. I'm excited to share this stuff, too, because it is pretty awesome how it all comes together.

In the second half of "Drupal 8 Developer Prep", which we will start releasing in a couple weeks, we build a module in Drupal 8 from scratch to explore how to leverage the new Symfony components like routing, the dependency injection container and event dispatcher. Then we'll work through the process of upgrading a Drupal 7 module to Drupal 8, touching on numerous new APIs like the State API, the Configuration API, the plugin system and more. It's a lot of fun seeing the how the updates in Drupal 8 makes your code make more sense.

If you haven't yet taken a look at the first half of "Drupal 8 Developer Prep", now's the time to get started so you can be ready for this next set once it starts coming out. And if you're not yet a member, definitely check out the free videos.

Have a great week!

- Chris Shattuck