CMS Review

Type: Portals (CMS)
Homepage: http://drupal.org/
License: GPL
Manufacturer: Dries Buytaert
Version: 6.2

Currently one of the most dynamical developing systems in the Internet, thanks to the acclaim[accolade] of Open Source community won The Best CMS contest in year 2007.

Installation

After unpacking the files and starting the web site, an Internal Server Error occurs (error 500). Responsible for that is .htaccess file, which uses many different ranges of settings, not easy of access. To continue the installation the best thing is to change the name and deal with it later on.
Further steps come to setting up copyrights on one directory, introducing informations about database and administrator's account.Drupal enables to choose from two bases: MySQL or PostgreSQL. At the end, just for safety reasons, earlier set copyrights should be removed.

Administration panel

Drupal is one of a few systems with control panel integrated with a web site. However it is not so advanced, as one would wish it to be. it is rather humble, with no emoticons included.

working with drupal is quite problematic. For example adding a simple article requires scrolling down the site, ransacking settings to find proper options, which are rather basic, yet the most important elements are included.

Community

The majority of users is familiar with programming. Because of them large number of extentions is created and can be download free of charge.
In case of any problems, forum is the place where we can solve them. Asking questions is not difficult matter and yet it can save us a lot of stress.

 

Templates

Creating templates in Drupal is much more complicated than, for example in Joomla. It requires good knowledge of PHP language. However this difficult construction enables us to make more non-standard templates, construction 'headline-column-foot' can finally be omitted.
At www.drupal.org everyone can find a variety of finished templates, their only drawback is the lack of any interesting graphic elements. As for templates to be used in a web site they all are quite meagre.

 

Extension

Drupal has one of the biggest base of free download modules. Unfortunately most of them are not adjusted to the latest sixth's version, although it is just a matter of time before they will be.

 

Language version

The sixth version of Drupal gives the opportunity to create the web site in a few language versions. Yet the software is not so easy to manage. Language options are firmly connected with the user, so adding a new post can be quite problematic.

 

Positioning

Despite using 'friendly links' implicitly they all look unfriendly, because of the code name from the base. Luckily, after activating proper module, there is a possibility of renaming them. However it is time-wasting and restricts only to the most important part of server.
Most surprising is the inability of setting key word and description destined for search engines, while adding new article or a massage.

 

Source code

Drupal is written in a structural, simple way that is why many experienced programmers could be disappointed and might choose more advanced software, for example ezPublish. Though the code is legible. Drupal has no unnecessary complexions, thanks to which user can easily understand it and focus on writing his own modules or changing the existing ones.

 

Performance

It might seem, that with all its simplicity, Drupal would be the demon of speed, unfortunately to my great disappointment, it is not. After using up all cache memory, there is only 189 queries on the main page left. One refreshing changes the number to 59. Three reduces it to 44 (in an article). Decrease of 10 quesries is being noticed when one is not logged in, as for site with logging form and massages it is still a big number.
All this can be solve by excluding the possibility of turning cache system on, which minimises queries to 0 (for users that are not logged). Although this does not work in control panel, where the number of queries is up to 1200! Optimisation should be seriously considered.

 

Summary

If one is looking for a system that could be adapted to one's needs, Drupal is the product. However without basis knowledge about programming one will not do much and will not make the most of it.