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By snowshoe on
Hi,
I have created a php driven program that allows my clients to update their own web site. It creates directories, uploads images, etc, and stores information in xml files. Most of the web sites that I make are programmed to work with these xml files so that they never need a web master.
I am interested in creating an online community with the same idea behind it, except using mySQL.
So could I make drupal work in place of my current "updater program"?
Essentially, I want use Drupal to handle registration/login, users, passwords, allow uploads and write the database, but I want to still use my custom php sites to generate the actual viewable web site.
I am wondering, not having more than a days experience with drupal, should I just write my own scripts to handle this stuff or is Drupal the key?
Thanks in advance!
...also, I don't have a ton of PHP experience, so there would be a learning curve either way...
Comments
Why not just use Drupal?
Why not just use Drupal?
whynot?
Three main reasons why maybe not:
a. potential lack of modules that do what I am looking for
b. potential learning curve
c. waste of resources?
...
a. there's about 4,000 of them and once you understand the module structure (quite easy actually) - you can develop your own
b. well, you've got that anyway and I'd say this is even worse when you go forward with your proposal
c. Sure there's some unnecessary overhead in Drupal, but if you think you can develop your system based on Drupal's database-architecture more efficient than Drupal's own people, then by all means go ahead.
abc
a. thats alot
b ...
c . I already have the whole system built exactly how I want it to work (except for using xml instead of mySQL). But it only works for one user. The main thing that I was looking to use drupal for was to allow for a multi user site with subdomains. But in order for this to happen, I need to search out and implement modules that do the things that I am looking for, or take a shot at making my own.
A few more precise questions now come to mind...
Can drupal create a subdomain on a server and dynamically create necessary directories and what not?
How about uploading files into dynamically referenced folders?
Basically I need the user to be able to create galleries of images and to be able to add, delete, reorder, rename, etc the galleries and images
any suggestions for modules to check out? I have nosed around with a few of the image modules, but something isn't clicking for me...
_
Absolutely-- and flexibility is one of drupals major strengths. There's probably a dozen or so different modules for galleries and/or image features. Basically if you can think of a way you want a gallery to work, there's probably a module for it already, lol.
However, my personal preference is the method described at http://www.lullabot.com/articles/photo-galleries-views-attach and implemented with the views_gallery module. It's an incredibly flexible and future proof method that can be tweaked and enhanced with all sorts of additional modules (ie image_fupload, imagefield_import, imagecache_actions, shadowbox, imagefield_crop, etc). The possibilities are endless.
...
seriously, the database structure of Drupal is just too complex to think this is such an easy transition, and by the time you've figured that one out you could've rebuilt your site exactly the way you have it at the moment by entrusting the whole thing to Drupal.
thanks
Thanks for all of your comments...I am convinced...Looks like its time to get studying :)
I doubt this is the most
I doubt this is the most efficient way, Drupal's database structure is quite complex, with the support of various content types, fields, permissions, roles, the vocabulary system, its expandability, ...
In theory and practice, you can pretty much built your Drupal site to display it just like your custom php site does at the moment, it is this flexible, though this might be more of a challenge to you.