Can Drupal be the Backend for a Desktop App?

6 Jun 2023, 6:40 am
50 Minutes

Drupal has proven itself to be a viable backend option for many decoupled sites, using frameworks such as next.js or gatsby.js as a front end. These successful decoupled platforms have provided the community confidence that Drupal can support static site generators as a stable backend. However, there is still doubt concerning Drupal's use as a full backend option. This session will demonstrate how Drupal can be used as a full backend for an electron desktop application, using the cobtrib module rest ui for support. The biggest difference in using Drupal as a backend for a desktop application is the increased focus on security. Exposing content through json api in most cases can be very insecure, and thus taking advantage of Drupal’s rest api instead is paramount. When the front end electron app requests data from Drupal it should send requests to custom endpoints which will send back appropriate responses to be consumed by the electron application ensuring that what we expose is limited to the greatest extent. Entities like content types and taxonomy can be structured and configured to support your electron app based on its use case and requirements. For example nodes from a "subscription" content type with a "key->value" field can be used to redeemed paid subscriptions for electron app requiring a subscription code to gain access to it's functionality.

When:  to 

Room: Room 319-321

Track: drupal showcase

Learning Objectives

I will ensure to demonstrate how dynamic Drupal's rest api can be, at the end of the session attendees will see Drupal as a viable and powerful option as a backend solution for their platforms.

I will ensure to demonstrate the ROI of using Drupal as a back end, attendees will be able to see how much development time they can save by using Drupal as a full backend for their app instead of creating something from scratch.

I will ensure to address any security concerns users may have using Drupal's REST API, attendees will know the exact steps to take to ensure that maximum security is held while using Drupal as a full backend solution.

 

Prerequisites

Attendees will get the most out of the session if they are familiar with APIs, API Requests, & Drupal Backend Development
 

Synopsis

Drupal is a powerhouse that can support many decoupled sites of various scales. However, will supporting desktop applications as a full backend solution be the one shortcoming that brings Drupal to it's knees? Come tag along in our session to find out.

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