News Roundup

Pasan Gamage’s latest blog post delves into functional JavaScript testing for Drupal within DDEV, focusing on realistic user interaction tests in a new Drupal setup. Highlighted tests include an Address Field User Create Form Test, allowing anonymous users to use autocomplete features during registration, while authenticated user tests examine similar fields in content types. The article also guides readers on observing tests visually with Selenium in DDEV, offering a practical approach to advanced Drupal testing setups.

LocalGov Drupal Week 2024, running from November 11 to 15, offers a virtual gathering for digital professionals focused on public sector innovation. The event includes sessions on best practices, case studies, and solutions for improving digital governance in local councils. Designed for council members, suppliers, and digital experts, it’s a prime opportunity for learning, collaboration, and networking across the public service digital landscape.

NEDCamp 2024, set for November 15-16 at Rhode Island College in Providence, Rhode Island, is a hub for Drupal enthusiasts to share knowledge, sharpen skills, and connect. This year’s event includes the Higher Education Summit, led by Ivan Stegic, focusing on leadership in academic digital transformation, and a keynote by Karen McGrane and Jeff Eaton on modular CMS challenges. Training sessions cover essential topics like Agile workflows and design tools, while Contribution Day invites attendees to collaborate on projects like Project Browser and Recipes. The camp closes with a Community Social, fostering connections in a relaxed setting.

DrupalCamp Chattanooga has published videos from its November 2nd event on YouTube, showcasing sessions on Drupal, WordPress, and open-source technology. At Chattanooga State Community College, the camp gathered web developers to learn and network. These recordings extend the camp's educational impact, allowing a broader audience to benefit from expert insights.

Drupal 7 will reach its end of life on January 5, 2025, ending official support and security updates. Morpht advises site owners to treat this as a chance to rebuild, optimize, and secure their websites, offering migration, UX, and information architecture support to ease the transition. For simpler needs, WordPress may be an option, but complex sites can leverage Morpht's tools like Convivial CXP for a smooth migration path within Drupal.

Agiledrop's October 2024 roundup highlights key updates in the Drupal community, including Dries Buytaert’s thoughts on solving the Maker-Taker problem with a contribution credit system. Donna Bungard announced the opening of nominations for the 2025 Aaron Winborn Award, while Michael Anello praised the upcoming object-oriented hooks in Drupal 11.1 for improved performance. Other highlights include insights on Drupal’s versatility, market adoption, and user-friendly CMS features for non-technical users.

Drupal Developer Days 2025 will gather Drupal enthusiasts and developers in Leuven, Belgium, from April 15 to 18. Hosted by Drupal User Group Belgium, this in-person event will offer sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities for skill-building and community engagement. A prime event for Drupal professionals, it promises insights and updates on the latest in Drupal development.

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 will offer hands-on training sessions on December 11 at the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, covering Site Building, Module Development, and Headless Drupal. Led by experts, these sessions cater to all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned developers, with courses by Pixel Onion, DrupalEasy, and Axelerant. Discounted bundled tickets are available for early registrants, with a special rate for students if purchased by November 10.

With just a day until the GovCMS 2024 Mega Meetup at Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden, anticipation builds as the GovCMS community prepares for sessions on digital transformation. Highlights include a keynote from Possum Michael Hodgkin on content personalization, a 2025 content reuse initiative from the Digital Transformation Agency, and insights on digital identity by Penelope Jones. The event will wrap up with the Community Awards, celebrating standout contributions in GovCMS.

The New England Drupal Camp (NEDCamp) 2024 kicks off November 15-16 at Rhode Island College, gathering Drupal enthusiasts from across New England for training, collaboration, and networking. The event features a Higher-Ed Summit, training sessions, and keynotes by industry leaders Karen McGrane, Jeff Eaton, and Ivan Stegic. Sponsored by Oomph and other contributors, this year’s NEDCamp promises valuable insights and community-driven experiences for all attendees.

The "Capitole du Libre" event on November 16-17 invites open-source enthusiasts to a weekend of over 100 conferences, 25 workshops, and interactive sessions in free software. Highlights include expert keynotes, hands-on workshops, and a dedicated Linux installation station, plus networking opportunities with groups like Mozilla and Framasoft. Free registration grants access to a diverse program, a Saturday networking cocktail, food trucks, and even a LAN gaming party.

Drupal CMS, designed for no-code site building, will launch on 15 January 2025. At DrupalCon Singapore, Drupal founder Dries Buytaert, and the leadership team will showcase how this new package empowers marketers and content creators to build sites directly from their browsers, expanding Drupal’s accessibility for non-developers.

Droptica’s new blog post offers a detailed guide on importing product or blog data into Drupal using CSV files. It features the Feeds module and Feeds Tamper for streamlined bulk data migration. The post covers essential use cases like migrating from older systems, user imports, and automating blog uploads. With step-by-step instructions on mapping fields and customizing data, this guide is ideal for developers and site managers aiming for efficient Drupal content management.

Drunomics has released Custom Elements 3.0, enhancing low-code, decoupled Drupal development. This update empowers frontend developers to customize API output through Drupal’s configuration system, reducing backend coordination needs and accelerating workflows. Integrated with the Lupus Decoupled Drupal stack, it aims to streamline modern CMS needs, aligning with Drupal’s Starshot mission.

The DropTimes has curated a selection of Drupal and open-source events happening between November 11 and November 17, 2024, offering opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration. This week’s highlights include planning meetups, virtual gatherings, and community-focused events worldwide, from the MidCamp 2025 Planning Meetup to the GovCMS Mega Meetup and the inaugural Palermo Drupal Meetup.

OPTASY has launched a new eBook, "Checklist: Prepare Your Drupal 7 Site for a Drupal 11 Migration," offering a step-by-step guide to ease the upgrade. Covering module compatibility, data migration, security, and performance optimization, the checklist is designed to help developers and site admins ensure a seamless transition. The eBook is available for download on OPTASY’s website, providing essential tips for a secure and optimized Drupal 11 migration.

NSW Resources, with Drupal partner PreviousNext, has launched a PowerBI dashboard to streamline content management across its complex digital landscape. Using a live .csv file and custom metadata, the dashboard offers real-time insights on content freshness, accessible to both executives and content managers, while integrating with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. This system empowers individual business units to track updates independently, and NSW Resources plans future enhancements to deepen analytics and auditing capabilities.

The Open Tech Summit Indonesia 2024, hosted by FOSSASIA at Atma Jaya University in Jakarta on November 25-26, will focus on advancing open-source adoption in Indonesian education and business. Highlights include PGDay sessions with PostgreSQL insights, cloud-native application workshops, and a hands-on Build Secure Infrastructure Workshop. Industry leaders from GovTech ID Edu, Gojek, and others will provide career guidance and discuss emerging tech trends.

With Drupal 7’s end-of-life approaching on January 5, 2025, organizations must choose between migrating to Drupal 10 or risking unsupported systems. 1xINTERNET, in partnership with Pantheon, offers a streamlined migration path with a preconfigured Drupal 10 CMS designed to meet core needs, from SEO to accessibility. Their managed solution promises security, scalability, and ongoing updates, helping organizations future-proof their digital platforms and avoid further disruptions.

Florida DrupalCamp 2025 is set for February 21-23 in Orlando, bringing Drupal enthusiasts together for three days of sessions, workshops, and community-building. Sponsorships are now open, offering companies options from Platinum to Video levels for targeted brand exposure through exclusive perks like event room naming rights and social media promotion. This annual event supports an inclusive and educational experience, inviting sponsors to connect directly with the global Drupal community.

SparkFabrik announces its upcoming event, "Drupal: Driving Digital Experiences," on November 21, 2024, featuring Vincenzo Gambino. The session, "Building a Fully Decoupled Application with Drupal and Astro," will showcase how Drupal, paired with Astro, can create scalable, high-performance applications. As part of SparkFabrik's "Stalit on my Machine" series, the event promises insights into Drupal’s latest advancements and enterprise strategies, aimed at optimizing digital experiences.

DrupalCamp Berlin 2024 begins today, featuring engaging sessions and a special Mascot Contest. Participants can win a ticket to DrupalCon Vienna 2025 by snapping and sharing a creative photo with Franz Jozef, Drupal’s horse mascot. The most-liked photo will win, with results announced on social media within the week.

Pivale's new article explores Drupal multisite as an ideal choice for businesses managing multiple sites, centralizing content management, security, and compliance. It highlights Drupal’s advantage in efficiently deploying microsites while advising companies to carefully evaluate whether internal teams, freelancers, or agencies best fit their multisite needs. Success, it concludes, hinges on strategic planning and partner alignment to ensure a robust, scalable multisite framework.

Join Drupal expert Ivan Zugec in a free live stream on advanced content relationship techniques, perfect for developers of any level. The session covers using Drupal modules like Entity Hierarchy, Inline Entity Form, and Autocomplete Deluxe to build flexible and efficient content structures. With live demos and Q&A, attendees will gain practical insights into enhancing content management with Drupal’s powerful features.

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 is set to bring together top Drupal innovators from December 9-11, offering sessions that delve into the future of Drupal, automation, and community-driven advancements. Key speakers include Jess (xjm), sharing insights on peer code review; Yas Naoi, discussing productivity in behaviour-driven development; and Gábor Hojtsy, exploring Drupal’s next versions and the Starshot Initiative. Other highlights include sessions by Tim Plunkett on layout and views integration, Lauri Timmanee on the Experience Builder, and Alejandro Moreno López on the innovation roadmap for Drupal.

DrupalSouth Community Day 2024 will feature a panel in Canberra titled "Content Creators and Drupal: Bridging the Gap Between Developers and Publishers" on November 14. Experts, including Mel Stubbings and Geeta Sharma, will discuss the challenges content publishers face in Drupal and ways developers can improve support. Topics include pain points driving external tool use, simplifying complex features, and fostering better collaboration for efficient workflows, followed by an open Q&A for audience engagement.

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, industry leaders highlighted urgent security challenges in open-source software after a major breach in Linux’s XZ Utils. Bogomil Balkansky of Sequoia Capital called for prioritizing open-source security, while CISA’s Aeva Black emphasized collective responsibility and multi-layered protections. Luis Villa of Tidelift suggested funding models to support open-source maintainers, underscoring the need for stronger defences across global software ecosystems.

The Drop Times is actively supporting Drupal enthusiasts in organizing local meetups, aiming to expand the community network and revitalize inactive groups. Recently, four new groups joined the initiative, and upcoming events span cities globally, from Berlin to Palermo. Community members can view, add, or update their meetup details through a collaborative list, helping ensure a dynamic, interconnected Drupal community.

A11ytalks has released its latest session video featuring Chanda Hinton, a leading disability rights advocate, on YouTube. In the talk, titled "Breaking Barriers: The Fight for Disability Competency + Health Equity," Hinton shares her journey from a spinal cord injury at age nine to founding the Chanda Center for Health. The session explores systemic barriers in healthcare and Hinton’s mission to ensure equitable, integrative healthcare for individuals with disabilities.

The Drupal Event Platform is revolutionizing DrupalCamp organization by providing an out-of-the-box website solution that simplifies event management. Used by 1xINTERNET for DrupalCamp Berlin—the city's first in five years—the platform enabled efficient scheduling, ticket sales, and content focus, reducing the need for complex technical setup. Supported by Drupal e.V., the platform exemplifies Drupal's collaborative spirit, promising ongoing improvements from the community.

Drupal is searching for a strategic partner to develop a new design system for its CMS and Experience Builder, building on the Olivero theme to enhance branding and marketing flexibility. The initiative will support both design and technical implementation, offering adaptable tools for content marketers to streamline campaign creation while maintaining brand consistency. Applications are open until December 6, with selected partners announced in mid-December; an informational webinar is set for the week of November 19.

DrupalCamp Berlin 2024 returns after a decade, energizing the German Drupal community and drawing international attendees with a packed agenda. Hosted at Berlin’s historic Alte Münze from November 8-9, the event promises diverse sessions in both German and English, workshops, and keynotes by top speakers. With complementary events of the Drupal Week, including the Splash Awards and the Drupal Business Day, organizers hope the camp will bridge communities and showcase Drupal’s innovation on a global stage.

Drupal continues to be a leading CMS for enterprises and government institutions, valued for its flexibility, security, and scalability, according to a Salsa Digital report. Powering around 0.9% of global websites, Drupal is especially popular among organizations like Tesla, Pfizer, and over 150 government entities. Its modular structure enables integration with enterprise systems like Salesforce and SAP, making it a cost-effective, adaptable choice for managing complex, high-traffic websites.