Creating content

Last updated January 16, 2012. Created by NancyDru on February 19, 2007.
Edited by silverwing, Daglees, angelinardo, spacechick. Log in to edit this page.

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In this section we'll be taking a look at one of the core components of any good CMS (Content Management System).  Developing and creating your Content.

The following pages will contain in-depth looks at different content-types and how to best use them.

Content types

A content type defines the way in which content is collected and displayed. Content types are a container for all content with the same characteristics (e.g. a "Bio" might contain different kinds of information than an "Event"). Some fields are part of all content types (e.g., basic data such as a title, date, and author). Some modules create their own content types and some don't. Those that do can have unique fields defined in their content type (e.g., the Location module adds fields such as city, country, longitude, and latitude). Additional custom fields of many kinds can be added by following the Structure>>Content Types menu, which is part of Drupal 7 Core. 

Content types have settings that can be modified by editing the content type and managing the fields.

Quick Overview of content types provided by core Drupal modules:

Article entry

An Article entry is ideal for creating and displaying content that informs or engages website visitors with 'news' about what's important to your company/website and why they need to know about it. Press releases and site announcements may all be created with a story entry. By default, Articles are automatically featured on the site's initial home page and provide the ability to post comments.

Basic Page

A Basic page is a simple method for creating and displaying information that rarely changes, such as an "About us" section of a website. By default, a Basic page entry does not allow visitor comments and is not featured on the site's initial home page.

For those that remember the 'elder days of yore' in websites, the Basic Page has a very similar function.  You as a designer may place dynamic Blocks throughout the regions, but overall the content of 'that' page will not change.

Blog entry

A Blog, which is a type of Article entry, is ideal for creating and displaying content that informs or engages website visitors about your company's non-'pressworthy' information, or as the administrator, your own personal blog.  This powerful module can also be enabled in such a fashion to allow each user their own personal blogs on the site. By default, a Blog entry is automatically featured on the site's initial home page, and provides the ability to post comments.

Book page

A Book page is a simple method for creating and displaying documents such as tutorials, instructions, references, and books. Each Book page can have numerous child-pages added on to it, with or without comments.  Through Permission (discussed later) it can even be set that a user can enter child pages, but not edit or add Book pages themselves. http://drupal.org/documentation/ (including the instruction you are currently reading) is one of the most comprehensive examples of the Book content to be found.

Forum

A Forum content creates a Forum, plain and simple. Additional topics can be created as 'children' of Forums created.  See the Forum page for more information or skip ahead to the more advanced Drupal Structure Guide to learn about building your own Forums.

Poll

Polls are usually placed within Blocks and are for simply polling the users/visitors of your site for their thoughts, feelings, and opinions on any/all subjects you decide to ask them.

???????

????? is a content type created by you; the site-builder.  We're not sure what it does, but we bet its pretty neat. Drupal comes built with the ability to build your own content-types once you learn about creating, editing, and managing Fields.

Its best to get a feel for for the content types provided with Drupal or your contributed modules during the learning stage of Drupal, but feel free to create, edit, and delete your own content to really get a feel for what the Drupal UI can do for your project.

Creating content

To create content: 

Administration >> Content >> Add Content   

(Or use the 'Add Content' link that automatically generated on your shortcut bar.)

Select the content type you want to create. There are usually one or more fields within each content type. We are providing an example of a page.

• Title and Body fields are found in most content types.
• Body is where you put the text for the page. "Input format" controls what code can go in the Body field. There are three (core) options: filtered HTML, PHP code, and full HTML. CCK allows you to change the name of this field; for example, you might call it "Product description."
• Use the log message to provide information that might be useful to other authors who may edit your document later, or provide your rationale for making edits to your own or other people's content. The log message is not visible to users without the appropriate content editing rights.
• Menu settings are used only if you are making this piece of content an item in one of your menus. It's the most efficient way to create menus. Another handbook section you may find useful is Working with the Menu.
• Comment settings are probably best set at the site level (click Content management > Comments > Settings), but can be specified for an individual piece of content.
• You can attach files to many content types. The "Upload" module must be enabled, and then the content type has to be set to allow this.
• If you enabled the Path core module or added PathAuto, you'll have URL path settings next. You can enter a "normal" name here rather than being required to use "node/2" when you refer to it later on. PathAuto will automatically create a URL based on your page title.
• Authoring sets the time stamp and creator information. The other use for this section is to control the page or story order when they are based on the time and date it was created.
• Publishing options: only "Published" items show up on the website. You can also promote content to the front page and make the content item sticky to the top of lists.

The final step is to preview your content and to Submit your page.

Keep in mind, this is only the Overview, in further pages we'll get a little deeper into using content types provided with Drupal.



For a complete walkthrough of content types and fields, see this page of the developing Drupal Structure Guide.