News Roundup

Wisconsin Digital Government Summit 2024 will take place on December 5 at Monona Terrace, Madison, WI. The event brings public-sector professionals and industry leaders together to explore emerging tech and strategies for improving government services. Join for networking, insights, and collaboration to shape the future of digital government.

A Python script by Anand Toshniwal simplifies creating Single Directory Components (SDCs) for Drupal by automating .component.yml file generation from Twig templates, enhancing accuracy and reducing effort. The tool supports projects like Starshot Demo Design System, which showcases CivicTheme-based design systems for Drupal’s Experience Builder at events like DrupalCon. Developers can explore the tool online, contribute to Starshot via GitLab, or join biweekly Slack meetings for updates and collaboration.

Join web designers, UX experts, and developers at this free hybrid event on May 8-9, 2025, blending online sessions with an in-person meet-up at Stanford's Tresidder Memorial Union. Sponsors gain unique visibility, networking, and recruitment opportunities with tailored packages for businesses of all sizes. Explore custom sponsorships and elevate your brand at this vibrant web-focused event.

With 12 days to go, the global Drupal community prepares for DrupalCon Singapore 2024, which will be held from December 9 to 11 at the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay. Proper preparation can help first-time attendees make the most of the event. Key tips include planning accommodation near the venue, understanding session schedules, and familiarizing themselves with Singapore’s transport options. Networking, exploring exhibitor booths, and contributing to the Drupal community are also highlighted as invaluable experiences.

Developers have until December 1, 2024, to submit outstanding Drupal projects for the Healthcare category, recognizing innovation in medical websites and applications. Last year’s winner, Luzerner Kantonsspital's relaunch by Amazee Labs, set the bar with user-focused design and advanced functionality. Winners will be announced on March 11, 2025; submission details are on the Splash Awards website.

The prestigious Splash Awards will debut in Asia at DrupalCon Singapore 2024, celebrating excellence in Drupal projects. Finalists for categories like Drupal Websites and Digital Experiences, and Open Source Drupal Projects have been announced, showcasing innovation across corporate, education, government, and non-profit sectors. The awards ceremony, featuring Drupal’s founder Dries Buytaert, will take place on December 9, 2024, at the Garden Ballroom, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay.

Platform.sh has appointed Nigel Kersten as their new Chief Product Officer. Kersten, a prominent figure in the DevOps community and co-founder of the State of DevOps Report, will lead product strategy with a focus on Upsun, the company's latest Platform as a Service offering. This strategic move aims to strengthen Platform.sh's position in the cloud application market by simplifying cloud development and enhancing software delivery for businesses worldwide.

Florida DrupalCamp 2025 session proposals close on December 3, 2024—just one week away! The event, set for February 21–23 in Orlando, Florida, features training, sessions, and contribution sprints. Submit your 45-minute session on Drupal, web technologies, or business topics now!

FOSS United is seeking volunteers for its CFP Review Work Group to enhance event quality and content. Volunteers will review session proposals and provide feedback for FOSS events across India. Interested applicants must apply via the official website by December 10.

Sponsor a booth at DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 and be part of something bigger. This premier event, scheduled for 24 - 27 March 2025, will bring together the global Drupal community and offer sponsors a unique chance to connect with developers, marketers, enterprise users, and industry leaders.

DrupalEasy will host a free "Taste of Drupal" session on December 18, offering insights into its 12-week Drupal Career Online course. The program features live, instructor-led classes covering essentials like Composer, Git, Drush, and module development. Led by expert Mike Anello, the course supports both beginners and experienced users aiming to advance their Drupal skills.

Metadrop introduces Artisan, a Drupal base theme built on Bootstrap 5 and Sass, offering reusable components, CSS variables, and real-time customization through advanced settings. Users can create presets for theme variants like Dark Mode and export/import configurations via JSON, as well as leverage Single Directory Components for consistent design. Aligned with Drupal’s latest initiatives, Artisan is poised to streamline theme development for diverse projects.

Pantheon introduces its beta Content Publisher, enabling seamless publishing from Google Docs to WordPress, Drupal, and Next.js. The tool allows writers to preview, edit, and publish directly from Docs while ensuring governance, compliance, and accessibility. With AI-driven features for SEO, metadata, and content organization, Pantheon aims to simplify content workflows and improve web publishing efficiency.

Stanford WebCamp 2025 invites web enthusiasts of all levels to Tresidder Memorial Union for two days of learning, collaboration, and exploration of web development and research tools. The Call for Proposals opens February 14, 2025, with a session schedule revealed by April 25. Stay updated via the Stanford or Drupal.org WebCamp channels and join in shaping this free community-driven event.

The Children’s Society in London will host "The AI Agent Revolution is Just Beginning" on November 26, 2024, spotlighting AI agents' transformative potential. Speakers include Vincenzo Gambino on AI vs. chatbots, Dr. David Gerouville-Farrell on government LLM use, and John Griffin on Web3-enabled agents. Sponsored by FreelyGive, the event offers networking and insights into cutting-edge AI advancements.

DrupalEasy Podcast Season 17 Episode 4 dives into the upcoming Experience Builder with Ted Bowman of Acquia's Drupal Acceleration Team. Bowman explores the features and development of Experience Builder, comparing it with Layout Builder and shedding light on its role in Drupal's future. A must-listen for Drupal enthusiasts, the episode highlights the tool's shift to a component-based model, promising streamlined styling and adaptability for modern page building.

Drupal unveiled three updates on November 20, 2024: Drupal 11.0.8 with new features and long-term compatibility, Drupal 10.3.9 focused on security and bug fixes, and Drupal 7.102 as part of its final maintenance phase. Administrators are urged to update promptly to ensure security and compatibility.

The PHP team has launched PHP 8.4.1, introducing features like property hooks, asymmetric property visibility, lazy objects, and PDO driver-specific subclasses. This update also improves performance, fixes bugs, and streamlines development. Developers can download the release now and review the detailed migration guide for compatibility insights.

Optasy, a Canadian Drupal solutions provider, has been recognized in Clutch's Global Awards fall edition as a top B2B company. The honour reflects client-driven feedback and highlights Optasy's work with brands like Health Canada, the UN, and Cornell University. Optasy credited its team and clients for this achievement, underscoring its commitment to excellence and innovation.

DrupalCamp Poland 2025 is set for June 7 in Warsaw, marking over 12 years of tradition as Poland's largest Drupal conference. Organizers have opened session proposals, allowing 45-minute presentations across tracks like Drupal development, site building, business, and more. The event promises insights into Drupal, PHP tools, and IT industry trends for a global audience.

This week in Drupal news, the community gathers for several exciting events, including the MidCamp 2025 Planning Meeting and a deep dive into the Event Platform Initiative. Drupal will be showcased at Infoshare in Poland, while Drupaleada in Costa Rica and the Dutch Splash Awards in the Netherlands highlights key developments in Drupal's future.

Acolono, a Vienna-based digital agency specializing in Drupal, is partnering with Kiss the Globe, an event uniting experts from science, culture, and entertainment to address global challenges. Acolono emphasizes accessibility, responsiveness, and long-term maintainability in its projects, aligning with the event's focus on sustainability. They are offering a 50% discount on tickets for the Drupal community using the code 'KisstheGlobeMember'.

The Drupal community in Costa Rica is hosting Drupaleada, an in-person event on November 27, 2024, at Old House in San Pablo, Heredia. Sessions will cover Single Directory Components development and the future of Drupal CMS, led by Alejandro Madrigal, Dharizza Espinach, and Ronald Aguilar. Sponsored by Acquia, the event aims to foster collaboration and innovation within the local Drupal community.

James Abrahams, Director at FreelyGive Ltd, has ignited discussion with insights on integrating AI agents into Drupal, emphasizing the importance of evaluations over flashy demos. Experts on LinkedIn echoed his views, highlighting the need for intuitive tools to make Drupal more accessible for non-developers. Backed by Acquia and Dries Buytaert, the Starshot initiative aims to simplify AI customization, promising to transform user interaction with Drupal.

The Drupal community launches the first-ever Pacific Time Virtual Drupal Meetup on December 4, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM PST. This inclusive online event features discussions on the IXP initiative, networking, and Birds of a Feather session, fostering collaboration and innovation. Open to all time zones, this recurring meetup kicks off a new era of global engagement for Drupal enthusiasts.

"Drupal 7's End of Life: Octahedroid Offers Migration Strategies in On-Demand Webinar. Launching December 3, this session explores risks, migration options, and redesign opportunities with expert insights from industry leaders. Tailored for decision-makers, the webinar equips organizations to secure their digital future post-EOL."

The LibreOffice Podcast series has debuted on PeerTube, focusing on open-source topics. The inaugural episode, released on November 20, features Italo Vignoli and Mike Saunders from the Document Foundation discussing "Marketing Free Software." This 30-minute conversation explores challenges in promoting open-source tools and the origins of LibreOffice.

Bernardo Martinez recounts how Open-Source/DrupalCamp Chattanooga returned post-pandemic by expanding its organizing team and collaborating with other open-source communities like WordPress, Python, and PHP. Featuring speakers like Mike Herchel and Eric Sembrat, the event fostered deeper connections despite lower attendance, highlighting the benefits of a more intimate setting. Martinez suggests that future Drupal camps might integrate with larger tech gatherings to broaden their reach and enhance community collaboration.

The 2025 Splash Awards Switzerland is calling for Drupal project submissions, with a deadline set for December 1, 2024. Open to agencies, developers, and freelancers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the awards celebrate innovation and excellence in Drupal projects from 2021 to 2023. Winners will be honored on March 11, 2025, showcasing standout work in categories like design, functionality, and impact, with an additional "Project of the Year" award for exceptional entries.

FrankenPHP 1.3 launches with a 54% performance boost, revamped thread engine, and smarter $_SERVER handling. Key updates include a file watcher for auto-restarts, Prometheus metrics for monitoring, and Mercure 0.17 integration. Packed with bug fixes and FreeBSD support, it’s a must-have for PHP developers.

Scott McCarty of Red Hat discusses the role of open-source AI in enterprise DevOps on the "Dev Interrupted" podcast. Key topics include licensing, security, and community-driven development for equitable AI advancement. The episode examines the current state and potential of open-source AI to reshape industry practices.

Drupal's AMA session with Cristina Chumillas, Lauri Timmanee, and Lenny Moskalyk explored a proposed design system for the Experience Builder, which is targeted for a summer 2025 launch. Key topics included a flexible, component-driven approach using modern CSS features, community collaboration, and AI's evolving role. Proposals for scalable solutions are due by December 6, 2024, emphasizing innovation and community engagement.