What can Drupal do for me?
I just recently uploaded Drupal onto my database. It was troublesome effort at first, but with the great help of the Drupal community I was able to suffice. However, after doing some research, I realize that Drupal might not be for me.
Although I run a content based website, it isn't a blog, but a full fledge news website. The reason why I uploaded Drupal was because I thought it would expand some of the features that my current CMS offers.
Such features included:
An Email Notifications system which members can use to be notified about when the website is updated. Members can choose whether they want to be notified Daily, Weekly or Bi-Weekly. The email will consist of a list of direct links to articles on the website.
An image directory that allows me to upload images directly through an FTP program onto my server. I will have the control to create a file folder where all these images are place in. All images will be thumb nails which I can control the size (drupal offers this feature already).
To get an idea of what I'm talking about, please visit the BBC website (my current site is based on this concept): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/default.stm
All thumbnails are the same size on the front page. However, if you click on the thumbnail links to the full article, you will see that the image are of different sizes.
Going back to the front page, the images sit right next to a small summary. However, I have a two table setup unlike the BBC site whereby the images is above the text. In the case of my website, the picture is beside the text. This format saves space.
Also, I will like a format that limits the amount of words for the summary, so I don't have a run off of text. Meanwhile, I prefer page breakers over the current setup, so a text limit will have to be part of the CMS feature.
Anyway, since I'm not interested in getting people to contribute to a blog (I have that already), my focus is encouraging freelance writers to write articles for my website.
The whole rating system is secondary to me although it might encourage some type of participation. But most importantly is to have a place to discuss the article. This is definately on top of my list of features. I know Drupal offers this already.
But above all, the feature that I find the most lacking is the two column center feature. Maybe I miss something, but this is indeed the most important aspect of my website. Of course, I might have to pay a webdesigner who is influential in PHP. Who can incorporate my design into the CMS. But most of the design work I can do if their was a flexible enough CMS. I'm very knowledgeable in HTML programming if it was allowed.
But this two column feature (which isn't a blog) must be part of the mixed.
They are two side columns and two center columns.
The two center columns are where the articles are and the left side column is where you click on the article topics. The right size column is where my google ads, donation icon and how to contact me is. I don't expect this to change when I adapt a new CMS, unless there are space restrictions. Otherwise it could be a three column website with the summary picture and text made larger. The other headline text will remain the same unless it conflicts with the design of the website.
Here (the headline text) is where I have to follow BBC example. But that's a whole another story.
Another thing I forgot to mentioned is SYNDICATION.
My website at it current state does offer syndication. And since I own several websites, it has made my job easier. It also allows other websites to have my content syndicated on their website. However, it is not RSS, which is the standard feature for websites today.
Getting an idea on how to have my website syndicated through RSS is a major challenge. Any ideas? I know of some programs scripts that convert XML to HTML, but it comes with a drawback. How can I use RSS so that others can have content syndicated from my website? Your help in this area will be appreciated.
I guess that's all except for having a print icon as part of the script so readers are taken to a print friendly page.
I have this feature already so any CMS in the future will have to incorporate this feature. Anyway, thanks for reading.
I can answer a couple of these...
That's the notify module, more or less.
I'm pretty sure you can do that in a custom theme--I've seen Drupal sites like this but I don't know where one is offhand.
Um, does turning on the Syndicate block do what you want? There is also the syndication module which might be of interest.
Notification and Syndication
This gives me hope Geary! Thanks for sharing. Now, can someone direct me to something that is remotely similar to the BBC website. Once that has been clarified, I can start building my website.
But the next thing I need to know is how an image module can be incorporated into a news module. And how a news module can create a summary beside an image and 5 headlines below it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/default.stm
Not the BBC but...
The Onion is a Drupal based site. While the layout is something different than the BBC it is not terribly different fundamentally.
http://www.theonion.com/content/index
There are some stories on elsewhere on Drupal.org that have more about the customization done by The Onion.
Likely it will take some custom theme development to do the sort of theme you want. You might also take a look at the Front Page module and the publish/subscribe projects for the syndication you are looking to do.
how an image module can be
Assuming that you want to display a news item with an image, I can only say that you can make every blog/story/node display with with an image once you install the image.module and certain other modules such as image_assist etc.
As for the summary part, I am sure you are aware that each drupal node can be set to have a teaser. You can control the length of this teaser by setting word limits at which it should break or manually use a delimiter for every node you create. But, I suspect what you really want is the excerpt.module, which gives you the ability to have a summary for a node that is quite different from the default teaser.
As for the two centre columns, you can do it with CSS as already mentioned or try the flexiblock.module, which gives you 9 block regions other than the default right and left.
Hope this helps to some extent.
Edit: http://civicspacelabs.org/home/node/14415 for creating two column content.
CSS File & Excerpt/Flexiblock/Image_assist Module
I have downloaded the following modules and plan to edit the CSS file. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for your help and time as usual and have a good week.
You are welcome. And, I
You are welcome. And, I sincerely hope you succeed and stay with Drupal.
Some months ago, I also went through periods when I thought of giving up. But, I can't even think about it now. There have been tremendous improvements in the last 10 months that I have been following drupal and civicspace. And, things can only improve from here.
Formatting the CSS file For 2 center columns
/* Page layout blocks / IDs */
I replaced this
#sidebar-left, #sidebar-right {
vertical-align: top;
width: 170px;
}
with this:
#content-left {
float: left;
overflow:visible;
text-align:left;
width:50%;
position:relative; /* Needed for IE/win */
}
#content-right {
float: right;
overflow:visible;
text-align:left;
width:50%;
position:relative; /* Needed for IE/win */
}
The single column narrows but does not become two center columns.
What could I have done wrong?
http://www.brunsonmarketingforce.com/Drupa/
Some hints
Not sure exactly how well these will work, but here goes:
You might try only floating one of the columns.
Change the widths to something under 50% eg 48% and if that doesn't work try a little lower.
Are you sure position is necessary? Using position on floated elements could complicate things a bit.
Theme files and css must agree
I am not sure what theme you are using, but that tags that the theme (and drupal) output determine what tags are useful in the css file. Unless there is a section output by the theme with an id of #content-left or #content-right the rules will have no impact. Removing the rules for #sidebar-left and #sidebar-right will have an impact (the sidebar widths may be less than 170px and the content may not be vertically aligned any longer).
Silver Green
I'm using the Silver Green Module.
The problem I'm having is that there is not center-left/center-center and center-right setting. And I don't have the knowlege or the patience to rewrite the entire code.
With a CL/CC/CR, they will already be set to a certain width (no formatting involved). And I can start working on the more important aspects of the website.
I know it's a challenge, that's why I'm going to stay the long haul. However, I will wait until Drupal put this feature in future versions. Whether it would be through the module or the actual upgrade, it shouldn't be difficult to implement. But it is an extremely important feature when it comes to news sites such as my own.
Thank you for your help.
Don't know if it will help, but.....
Perhaps this site will help?
http://glish.com/css/7.asp
Flexi Module
I used the code and the same results.
I think the problem is, is that the Flexi Module only allows you to do a left/right/Flexi. There is no center-left center-center and center-right position. Maybe this is something that the development team can do in the future. In the meantime, I'm going to do a wait and see until something is done.
But I thank you all for your help.
Drupal is not a blogging
Drupal is not a blogging tool. It is a CMS that can also blog,
http://www.theonion.com/content/index <-- Drupal can do layout.
-sp
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
Drupal is a CMS tool
I understand that! however, it seems to be more geared to this area than news. There isn't a news module to do the kind of things I'm requestion. Something that can do a four-column news pages that will give freelancers the amount of control I'm seeking. Once this has been clarified, I will be ready to build my website.
By the way, did you build "the onion" with Drupal? And what tools did you use to build it?
Thanks for your response and have a good day.
I didn't do the Onion.
I didn't do the Onion. There is a write up on part of the Onion, I think on the Front page. Search the forums.
Don't get hung up on the module names. From your description, Drupal can do it. The only thing that you may have to work with is the image part. Image module doesn't work quite like you descripe, but there is a bulk upload module that can probably be used as a base to get the desired effect.
Drupal
www.ourmedia.org
http://www.terminus1525.ca/ <-- older code base
Lots of other stuff out there.
-sp
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
What can Drupal do for me?
"Ask not what Drupal can do for you? But what you can do for Drupal!"
Sorry just couldn't resist :p
Best Regards,
Warren Brian Noronha
What can I do for Drupal
I can send them a donation once it has been clarified that their program can perform the kind of challenges that I'm requesting.
None of that sounds like a problem for Drupal...
...after installing a few contrib modules and customising a theme for yourself (not as scary as it first sounds).
I'll leave the module details to others, but suggest you look at notify, front_page, syndication, print friendly pages etc. Part of setting up a good Drupal site is getting familiar with what all the contrib modules can do for you.
I think the best approach for your main page is to use the front_page module along with some PHP snippets out of the Drupal handbook. The centre columns can just be done with CSS. You could use custom blocks to create your outside columns.
As someone else suggested, The Onion site is now based on Drupal and seems to do well at that kind if site.
Thank you Everyone!
You all have been quite helpful. Thank you all for your time.
This might help too....
This might help too.....
http://drupal.org/node/19054