Drupal is a Content Management System (CMS) written in PHP that is available as open-source software. It is used on more than a million websites around the world including for the Red Cross, BBC, Harvard, Twitter, and many others. It is one of the top CMSs in use, which is why so many companies will be looking for a Drupal developer to help with their front and backend programming, for more information click here.
Your Drupal developer will ensure that you build a site that is going to meet the demands of your business and clients. It is a highly flexible system and offers many advantages over other options such as WordPress, however, it can be harder to use for a novice. Hence the need for a Drupal web developer to get the work done.
An experienced developer will have access to one of the largest open-source communities out there. One of the strengths of using Drupal is the many modules that you can integrate into your own site. So finding a Drupal front end developer that knows what is available to use can speed up your development process while helping you to avoid many pitfalls later. Drupal developers such as those at AnyforSoft, can create a personalized mobile app or customized complex software solution for startups or large-scale enterprises.
What Skills Should a Drupal Developer Have?
If you are looking for a Drupal developer freelance or want to hire one to work with on a permanent basis in-house, you need to ensure that they are going to be up to the task. While every project that you have maybe different, you need to ensure that your developer has the right skills and experience to be able to deliver the results that you expect.
If your new employee is to earn their senior Drupal developer salary then they should have skills in the following areas as a minimum:
- Full knowledge of programming in Drupal and the use of themes
- Firm understanding of Content Management Systems
- Proficiency within:
- Javascript
- CSS
- MySQL
- HTML
- PHP
- jQuery
- Know how to use APIs: Node API, and Queue API
- Highly experienced with debugging processes and programs
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Drupal?
There are no languages out there that are perfect. All have their pros and cons and it is a matter of weighing one against the other to decide which is the right one for you. When it comes to Drupal the following are some of the pluses and minuses that you will want to consider:
Pros of Using Drupal for Your CMS:
- It’s free to use and open source: you can modify the code anyway that you require to meet your needs. Free means that it is able to compete effectively with its main competitors such as Joomla and WordPress.
- Suitable for all forms of content: the system will be able to handle all forms of different types of sites from informational pages and news through to forums and blogs.
- Easy to scale: Drupal allows you to handle large fluctuations in traffic as well as building sites that are able to cater for large numbers of users.
- Languages: unlike many other CMS that require the use of plugins, Drupal has its language support built right in its core.
- Highly secure: you will find that sites that have been developed within Drupal are less prone to all forms of hacking when compared to systems such as WordPress. This makes them ideal for organizations that are more likely to be targeted such as government departments and large companies.
- Quick response to issues: the official Drupal website is quick to post any issues and they have a reputation for patching them quickly.
- Huge community support: from support forums and chat rooms there is a huge amount of free and easy to access help for anyone using Drupal.
- Many modules: you have access to a host of modules that can be integrated quickly and easily into the site that you are developing to add functionality.
The Cons of Using Drupal:
- You need to understand basic coding: unlike some other systems, you will need a basic understanding of CSS, PHP and HTML to be able to look after the site that you build making it hard for beginners.
- Can be hard to learn: no matter where you are in your programming career you will need to do a lot of research to learn Drupal effectively.
- API is not as intuitive as some others: it was built by developers for developers so it can be confusing for many.
- No backward compatibility: this can cause issues and require you to upgrade your version which can mean excessive work.
- Speed: while the basic system is quite fast, using modules can slow you down significantly. Often you will need to invest time in streamlining and improving modules to fit in with your site.
- Module compatibility: there appears to be a large number of modules that will interfere with each other. This can cause crashes and other issues with your site if you do not take care which you use.
What Is the Future for Drupal Developers and Why It’s Important for Business
With its enhanced security and other advantages, Drupal is still an excellent choice for your CMS. It offers a better system for your company’s sites than using systems such as WordPress as it is far more flexible. However, many sites that are out there are being run on Drupal 7, and with Drupal 9 coming out at some point during this year you have to ask why these sites have never been upgraded to Drupal 8.
In mid-2020 Drupal 9 will be released along with a host of tools and advice to help you to get your existing sites on 7 and 8 upgraded. It finally offers backward compatibility which should make your upgrades far smoother than moving from 7 to 8, fixing an issue that has upset many until now.
Drupal 9 is expected to have a look and feel very similar to that of 8. It will also be shipped with new PHP libraries such as the newest versions of Twig and Symfony. Overall, the new version is likely to increase the uptake of businesses that are using Drupal.
Are You Using Drupal for Your Business?
If you are looking to have a site built in Drupal or want to upgrade for the latest release, you need to ensure that your Drupal developer will be up to the task. Drupal allows for the development of sites that are mobile-friendly while being highly secure. User interfaces are easy to use and overall for many, this is a better platform to build your site on. With the new release making upgrades so much easier the use of Drupal is expected to grow making the need to hire a Drupal programmer so much more important.
