SeanBuscay.com - Drupal Web Development

Helpful External Resources for Drupal's Blog API

Sean Buscay — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:29:35 +0000

Your Drupal site help file: admin/help/blogapi

The Drupal handbook pages:

An important patch if you find your vocabulary terms fail to be listed within your external client:
Category Fix Patch

Forums thread discussing issues with setting up Windows Live Writer
with Drupal 6. Following the steps outlined above, you will avoid these
issues: Windows Live Writer and Drupal 6

Drupal Lovers: Time to Vote

Sean Buscay — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:41:18 +0000

I've proposed a session for the upcoming DrupalCon DC.

The session is titled, "Building Complex Application and Publishing Workflows."

Abstract:

Do your site editors need a complex publishing workflow? Should your site behave more like a web application, responding to a myriad of user- and system-triggered events? Or do you simply want to add that extra little feature that would make your Drupal site just perfect for your site and business needs?

Join us as we present a quick-start session on using the Triggers, Actions, and Workflow modules to create the workflows your site needs.

Agenda

In this session, we'll look at why you might need structured workflows on your sites, and how you can create them. Topics include:

Common reasons for needing workflows
An overview of the Triggers, Actions, and Rules modules
Scenario: A complex site publishing workflow
Scenario: A site application workflow
Mini-cases: A quick look at solutions to other common issues

Discussions on scenarios look at the end-to-end process of creating the solution:

Needs analysis
User story
Planning the logic with the Drupal modules
Implementation
Testing

Goals

Create an understanding of the reasons you might want to implement structured workflows
Provide a blueprint you can use to implement key workflow solutions
Provide base ideas for creating solutions for ad hoc needs

Please vote for it here:
http://dc2009.drupalcon.org/session/building-compl...

Also from Tree House Agency, check out and vote on these sessions:

Building a Publishing Workflow with Scheduled Transitions at Node Creation

Sean Buscay — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:28:13 +0000

Introduction

The Need

Our clients and other Drupal site administrators would like to use the Workflow module to schedule transition states in their publishing workflow.

The Problem

Currently, within the Workflow module a node cannot be assigned a scheduled state change upon node creation. A node must be saved first, then edited a second time by the user.

After reading this comment in the Workflow module issue queue: http://drupal.org/node/189572#comment-704334 I decided to try to add a little more automation to the process of creating a node and adding a scheduled state change.

In this Post

You'll learn how to create a publishing workflow for your website, and how to improve the process of scheduling a transition change during node creation.

Let's begin.

Posted on TreeHouseAgency.com - Read more

How to Post to Drupal using Windows Live Writer

Sean Buscay — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:30:51 +0000

I wrote this series on how to post to Drupal using Windows Live Writer because I saw a lot of questions and issues about this on the Drupal forums. I had previously gone through the trial and error process to set this up for a number of people who work for me. We now use Live Writer for initial posts and quick updates to a large site we manage.

I'd like other developers and Drupal service providers to see they can provide this option for clients and that Drupal communicates and does well with modern and useful web technologies such as blogging APIs.

From a Large Static HTML Site to a Drupal Powered CMS

Sean Buscay — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:57:22 +0000

The Need

The Archdiocese Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (Archdiocese) wanted to use its Antiochian.org web site to promote awareness and understanding of the Orthodox Faith and the work of the Archdiocese. They needed a web site to serve as a tool for effective communication to various audiences, including persons within the Archdiocese, other churches, the general public, and the press.

The site had to be easy to use for site visitors and for those who added content and administered the site. The site’s appearance and user experience needed to be pleasing, as well as serve to further communicate who the Archdiocese is as an organization and as a church.

Sections of the site needed a cohesive look and user experience, to communicate unity across its many departments and organizations.

Web site accessibility was also an important consideration when developing the organization’s site.

The Results

Successful migration of the organization’s main web site from a large static html site to a Drupal powered CMS, realizing the following benefits:

A web site based on a system and standards that are widely supported in the business and non-profit communities, providing many new support options
A standardized system to make updates in a timely fashion and provide better support
Improved search capabilities for visitors to easily find content relative to their interests and needs
A better audio system, improved video postings, an easier way to syndicate content and to enable users to subscribe to the site content

Significant Growth

87% growth in the number of unique visitors to the site each month, for a number of consecutive months, with steady growth continuing
375% increase in the number of pages the visitors are reading on the site each month

In other words significantly more visitors reading significantly more pages on the site.

The Old Site	Today's Site

The Response

In the Archdiocese's official magazine, The Word, they described my work for them as follows:

...the professionalism he brought…includes a solid technical infrastructure…a foundation on which we can build a web site that serves our [mission]. From a top-line server … to a premier open source software platform [Drupal] that we can grow affordably for the foreseeable future, Sean has left us a vehicle…that we can use for a powerful witness....

March 2008 – The Word Magazine-The Official Print Publication of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Comments from the site's users

Our web site is an effective tool for our church ministry. However, we cannot use this tool in isolation. It is part of a complex network, both material and technological. Antiochian.org provides this crucial network that enables our church to accomplish its witness. Antiochian.org offers:

an exceptionally comprehensive resource
an extensive wealth of materials
the most updated information
a dynamic and constantly developing web site
a systematic and methodical layout and structure
a practical and accessible environment for all users

The staff at antiochian.org are most courteous, provide immediate response, offer outstanding technical support, resolve every issue efficiently, request suggestions and implement them.

Dolly Crow, Antiochian Women

Thanks to the outreach of the CMS, I was able to easily craft a web page that Oratorical contestants, their parents and their priests can access. It's made communication means so much easier. When the CMS works for you, everyone benefits, especially in the Oratorical Festival.

Peter Samore, NAC Oratorical Festival Coordinator

The Archdiocese Web site and its Content Management System has greatly improved the communications and efficiency of all of us doing the Good work of the Church

Michael Srour, the Fellowship of Saint John the Divine

The Internet has become a vital part of our ministry. When scattered across the continent, Antiochian.org has been a great help for us, in bridging the communication gaps within the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, and keeping us connected with the other organizations and departments of our God-protected Archdiocese. The guys…have been easily reachable, quick to reply with valuable solutions, and always providing us with updated state-of-the-art technology, so vital in internet ministries.

Nicolas Ellaham, Fellowship of St. John the Divine – President, Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York

The Archdiocesan Content Management System has been an invaluable aid in keeping the web site of the Diocese of Oakland and the East current and relevant to our “customers”: the faithful of the diocese and more widely, those around the world who visit the site. Without the diligent and prompt work of the [site] staff, we would be unable to produce the high quality site that we have.

Dn. John Shumski, Diocese of Oakland, PA and the Southeast

I congratulate you…on an outstanding archdiocese web site. The new site looks great - very professional - very informative - interesting – is [easy] to navigate - and filled with useful material!

Very Rev Dr Joseph F Purpura, Chairman, Department of Youth Ministry

Modules and Tips Useful for Posting to Your Drupal Site with a Blogging Application

Sean Buscay — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:56:47 +0000

Proper Configuration Checks for External Applications to Use Taxonomy Terms

If you want your users to be able to assign terms to their content when they are using an external blogging application, like Windows Live Writer, make sure you have the Taxonomy module enabled, and that you have selected the appropriate content types, those available to the Blog API. I have forgotten to do this a few times when adding a new content type to use with the Blogging API. Each time a new content type is created, taxonomy requires you to go back and specify whether your new content type can use a vocabulary.

Content types section: admin/content/taxonomy/edit/vocabulary/<vocab id>

Getting Good URL Names by Using Pathauto

If you have Drupal’s Path Module enabled to allow users to rename URLs (custom URLs), I recommend using the “Pathauto” module in combination with your external blogging client. You can set it to give the content a URL based on the post title.

http://drupal.org/project/pathauto

HTML Filter Considerations

Use Case: You want blog users to post content that uses more HTML than the default Filtered HTML input format.

Create an input format allowing your chosen extra HTML tags
Then from the “Input Formats” page at: admin/settings/filters
Click the “configure” link for your new filter in the “Operations” column.
At the URL admin/settings/filters/<filter id> where <filter id> is the filter number, choose which roles may use the extra HTML filter, for example, the “blog user” role.

Now, unless your extra HTML or Full HTML filters are your default filters for your content, which I do not recommend, then when your “blog user” posts from Windows Live Writer, their posts will be submitted and displayed with the default “Filtered” HTML Input format (with no pictures or other html elements).

To overcome this issue, I recommend the Preferred Format module

http://drupal.org/project/preferred_format

Once enabled and configured you’ll see a new permission at: admin/user/permissions titled, “can set preferred format”.

Select which roles can choose their preferred (default) input format.

Note: The user will also have to be in a user group which is allowed to user other input formats than the default Filtered HTML format.

If you want to set the preferred default format for a user go back to the user’s edit screen at: user/<user id>/edit

You’ll see a new section titled, “Preferred Input Formats”. In this section, assign the default input format for each content type.

Note in the example screen shot I have selected the Full HTML option as the preferred input format for blog entries. Now, even when the post is via Live Writer, the post will display in full html.

Note, some external blog editors like “Ecto” allow you to set the input format within their software.

Configuring Drupal for Posting from External Blogging Applications

Sean Buscay — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:55:54 +0000

An external blogging application like Windows Live Writer will allow you to create and publish posts from your desktop to your Drupal site. But, before you can post via one of these applications you’ll need to enable and configure your Blog API module and a few additional settings.

Step 1: Enable the Modules

Enable your Blog and Blog API modules here: admin/build/modules

Step 2: Make Content Types Available to External Clients

Select the content types you’d like to make available to external blogging clients: admin/settings/blogapi

Step 3: Create Roles to Post Content via the API

Create the roles you’d like to give external blogging privileges to: admin/user/roles

Notice, in the screen shot example, I have created two roles. One called, “blog user” and another called, “jot user”. This will allow me to assign separate permissions for two different content types. Yes, you are not stuck with just adding blog posts via an external client.

In this example, I’ll allow some users to post jots and other users to post blog entries. I can also give some users permissions to post to either content type.

Step 4: Set Up Your Permissions, Don’t Forget the Blog API Permission

Now assign posting permissions to your roles:admin/user/permissions

I have given both the “blog user” role and the “jot user” role permission to administer content with the blog API. Don’t forget this step.

I have given the “blog user” role permissions to:

create blog entries
delete own blog entries
edit own blog entries

I have also given the “blog user” permission to upload files.

However, I have not given these permissions to the “jot user”.

I want to allow both users to post content via an external blogging application but I want to separate my permissions for posting blog entries and posting jots, so I may assign them separately to various users.

In the node module section of the permissions page I can manage role permissions for my custom content type called, “jot”.

I have given my “jot user” role permissions to:

create jot content
delete own jot content
edit own jot content

Step 5: Assign Permissions to Users through Roles

Now, let’s give a user permission to post blog entries.

Edit the user’s account:user/<user id>/edit
Where <user id> is the user id number for the specific user you want to edit.

Check the “blog user” check box under the “Roles” section to assign your user to that role.

To give a user permission to post jots, select the “jot user” check box.

Tip

You can get to a user’s account edit page, by starting from: admin/user/user

View your table of users, sort by username, status, or other dimensions and then click “edit” in the “Operations” column to edit the user’s account.

Success

And that’s it. You have successfully Configured Drupal for posting from external blogging applications.

Attachment	Size
Configuring Drupal for Posting from External Blogging Applications.pdf	552.36 KB

Inline Tags Sample Module Code

Sean Buscay — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:27:51 +0000

<?php

/**

 * Module implementing Drupal's hook_nodeapi

 * @see http://api.drupal.org/api/function/hook_nodeapi/6

 * Important Note: This is sample code.  You'll need to modify this code to just use the inline tags on your choice of content types

 * and to check if the user has permission to use inline tags

 */

function inlinetags_nodeapi(&$node, $op, $a3 = NULL, $a4 = NULL) {

  switch ($op) {

    case 'submit':

      break;

      //before stuff makes it into the database (before update or insert)

    case 'presave':

      //parse out any inline tags within body

      $bd = _parseinlinetags( $node->body );

      //parse out any inline tags that may have made it into the teaser

      $ts = _parseinlinetags( $node->teaser );

      //replace the body with a version that has removed the inline tags code

      $node->body = $bd[0];

      //replace the teaser with a version that has removed the inline tags code

      $node->teaser = $ts[0];

      //if there were any preexisting tags then add them to the tag string

      if ($bd[1] !=''){

        //note my tags vocabulary id is just hard coded here

        $vid = 1;

        $tagstring = $bd[1];

        //if there were pre-existing tags, add them to the tag string

        if ($node->taxonomy['tags'][1]!='') {

          //prepend the new tags to any old ones

          $tagstring .= ','.$node->taxonomy['tags'][1];

        }

        //now add them to the tags vocab for the insert or update operation

        $node->taxonomy['tags'] = array($vid => $tagstring);

      }

      break;

    case 'insert':

    case 'update':

      break;

    case 'view':

      break;

  }

}

/**

 * A private function to parse out placeholder tags

 * This version has been stripped to parse out just placeholders with a format like:

 *

 *

 * @param string $page_contents

 * @return array an array with $return[0] the tags parsed out and $return[1] as a string with the tags

 */

function _parseinlinetags( $page_contents )

{

  $matches = explode( '' ) );

    $pageplaceholder = str_replace( '[/tags]', '', $placeholder );

  }

  $search = '';

  $page_contents = str_replace ( $search, '', $page_contents );

  $return[] = $page_contents;

  $return[] = $pageplaceholder;

  return $return;

}

?>

Free Tagging from Windows Live Writer to Drupal

Sean Buscay — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:41:26 +0000

Allowing Tags to be Added in the Post Body Text

Free Tagging when the Blog API Does Not Support It

The following is a quick code sample showing the start of a Drupal module which lets a user add new tags to a post by placing the tags in the body of the post in a format like so:

[tags]blog, blog api, blogging, Drupal 6, weblog, windows live writer, wlw[/tags]

Jump to the Source Code

Use Case

I’m only using code like this for one use case. It’s for clients who do a lot of editing and posting of their Drupal content through Windows Live Writer.

With Windows Live Writer and Drupal, my clients use the “Movable Type API”. Without extending the API, it does not yet support adding new vocabulary terms. Thus, from Windows Live Writer to Drupal sites, one can only tag content with existing terms. This code allows new tags to be added.

The terms are added to a specified vocabulary id and associated with the new or updated content node.

The inline tags are removed from the body of the text before insert or update.

Yahoo! UI Library: Grids CSS for Drupal Themers

Sean Buscay — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:25:14 +0000

A brief resource description for Drupal Themers

We'll look at:

What's YUI Grids CSS and what are its benefits?
What's in the library?
How do we use it?

Formats available:QuickTime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv), Text Summary, PDF Summary, PowerPoint Presentation

Note: The sound quality on the low res version is somewhat poor. You may want to watch the High Res QuickTime Movie, or just download the PDF to view.

A brief resource description for Drupal Themers

We’ll look at:

What’s YUI Grids CSS and what are its benefits?
What’s in the library?
How do we use it?

The Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI)

A set of utilities and controls, written in JavaScript, for building richly interactive web applications using techniques such as DOM scripting, DHTML and AJAX. The YUI Library also includes several core CSS resources. All components in the YUI Library have been released as open source under a BSD license and are free for all uses.
Source - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/

YUI Browser-Support Philosophy

Graded Browser Support-

“provides a sane path to achieving accessibility and graceful degradation while still building richly interactive interfaces in the browser”

Source - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/ & http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/articles/gbs/

A broader and more reasonable definition of “support.”
The notion of “grades” of support.
A-grade browsers are identified, capable, modern and common.

A-Grade Browser Support Chart

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/articles/gbs/index.html#gbschart

Why YUI: CSS is important to Drupal Themers

We can quickly build Drupal themes with multiple page layouts
Presentation works well in most browsers
Supported and tested by Yahoo! Developers, so we can worry instead about making good looking Drupal themes

Core CSS resources

YUI Reset CSS

Removes and neutralizes inconsistent default styling of HTML elements across A-grade browsers

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/reset/

YUI Base CSS

Applies a consistent style foundation for common HTML elements across A-grade browsers

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/base/

YUI Fonts CSS

Offers cross-browser typographical normalization
and control

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/fonts/

YUI Grids CSS

Provides over 1000 page layout combinations

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/

Benefits of YUI CSS

Creates a level playing field across A-grade browsers.
Provides a sound foundation upon which you can explicitly declare your intentions.
Offers full A-grade browser support.
Provides consistent font sizing and line-height.
Provides appropriate cross-OS font-family degradation paths.
Supports user-driven font-size adjustment in the browser, including cross-browser consistency for adjusted sizes.
Works in both “Quirks Mode” and “Standards Mode.”

Source - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/fonts/
http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/base/
http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/reset/

Benefits of YUI Grids CSS

Offers 4 preset page widths, 6 preset templates, & the ability to stack & nest subdivided regions of 2, 3, or 4 columns.
The 4kb file provides over 1000 page layout combinations.
Supports fluid-width (100%) layouts as well as preset fixed-width layouts at 750px, 950px, & 974px, & the ability to easily customize to any number.
Template columns are source-order independent, so you can put your most important content first in the markup layer for improved accessibility & search engine optimization (SEO).
Self-clearing footer. No matter which column is longer, the footer stays at the bottom.
Layouts less than 100% are automatically centered.
Accommodates IAB's Ad Unit Guidelines for common ad dimensions.

Source - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/

Visit the Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI) website

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/

Yahoo! UI Library: Grids CSS web page

http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/

Grids CSS web page: Important Sections

Video: The YUI CSS Foundation - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/#video
Getting Started - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/#start
Using YUI Grids CSS - http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/#using
CSS Reset/Base/Fonts/Grids Cheat Sheet - http://yuiblog.com/assets/pdf/cheatsheets/css.pdf

Attachment	Size
Yahoo Grids CSS Intro for Drupal Themers.pdf	866.76 KB
Yahoo Grids CSS Intro for Drupal Themers.pptx	450.59 KB

Posting to Drupal 6 with Windows Live Writer

Sean Buscay — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:17:47 +0000

Demonstrates using Windows Live Writer to post to a Drupal 6 powered blog. Includes adding a photo, and adding terms to a post.

Formats available:Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv), Text Summary, PDF Summary

Screencast Summary

We’ll begin from within Windows Live Writer.

Make sure you have already selected the Weblog account for your Drupal site and for your desired content type. In Windows Live Writer, each content type which Drupal makes available through the Blog API appears as a different Weblog account.

Within the Live Writer editor, begin by entering the title of your post in the section labeled, “Enter Post Title Here”.

Then use the rest of the text area to enter your body text.

To add a picture to your post click, “Insert Picture” on the Windows Live Writer sidebar at the right side of the application.

You have the option to select an image from your computer or insert a picture from the web.

In this example, I’ll browse to a photo on my desktop and select it for insert.

Et viola, nous avons une image .

Now let’s select some terms for our post.

Click the “Set categories” bar at the bottom of the Live Writer application window.

Note: Drupal provides Live Writer with a list of terms available for blog posts.

If you do not see a list of terms available for your content type then check the following:

Confirm your taxonomy settings at /admin/content/taxonomy. You’ll want to make sure your content type is listed as one of the content types to categorize using your vocabulary.
Verify your Blog API module has this patch: http://drupal.org/node/224006

After selecting your terms, you can click back to the editor, and the category selection box will close.

Now let’s post to our blog. Click the “Publish” button on the Live Writer Menu Bar. Again, make sure you are publishing to the correct Weblog account.

After posting to Drupal, Windows Live Writer opens a browser window to view the post on the Drupal site.

Verify:

Your body text posted.
Your picture uploaded.
Your selected terms are displayed.

We have a successful post!

Attachment	Size
Posting to Drupal 6 with Windows Live Writer.pdf	270.59 KB

Configuring Windows Live Writer to Post to Drupal, Blogs and Custom Content Type

Sean Buscay — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:03:19 +0000

Shows how to add weblog accounts to post to Drupal with the blog content type and a custom content type.

Formats available:Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv), Text Summary, PDF Summary

Screencast Summary

Add Weblog Account

Let's begin by adding a new Weblog account from within Windows Live Writer.

From the Weblog button or Weblog menu, choose "add Weblog account".

Choose Weblog Type

Next, select the option labeled, “Another Weblog service".

Weblog Homepage and Login

In the “Add Weblog Account” dialogue box, enter the user’s Weblog Homepage URL, Username, and Password. For the Weblog Homepage URL, enter the user’s Drupal account URL. For example, http://yourblogurl.com/user/<userid> (replace <userid> with the user’s id number).

Select Provider (Blog API)

Next, Windows Live Writer will try to detect your Weblog settings.

Most likely Windows Live Writer will not automatically detect your Drupal blog settings. Live Writer will then ask you to select a provider, which is simply what Blog API you would like to use. I’ve tested several Blog APIs with Drupal. The Movable Type API seems to work well for my client’s needs. We’ll select this option from the drop down menu.

Now, you will be asked to enter the “Remote posting URL for your Weblog”. This is the URL to your Drupal installation's XML-RPC file. It is usually located in Drupal’s main install directory at: http://yourblogurl.com/xmlrpc.php.

Select Weblog

Note: Windows Live Writer has detected more than one Weblog. The user I am adding has been assigned two roles. One role gives permission to manage a blog. The second role gives permission to post a custom content type called, “jots”. Drupal's Blog API module has been set to allow both content types to be managed remotely. Thus Windows Live Writer has let us know it detected more than one Weblog and asks us to select a Weblog (content type) from the list. Note that both the blog content type and the jot content type are each called a “Weblog” by Windows Live Writer.

If the user had permission to post to only one content type, then just the one content type would be automatically selected by Live Writer.

We’ll select the blog content type.

Detecting Blog Theme

Next, Live Writer may ask to detect your blog's theme (style sheets). This would allow you to see what your blog post will look like on-line while you write it in Live Writer. If you click yes and it fails, everything will still function correctly. Even if it does not fail, the display in the editor will most likely NOT look exactly like your post will look on-line.

Weblog Configuration Complete

Upon completion, you should see the message, “Weblog Configuration Complete”. Congratulations, you have successfully configured Windows Live Writer to post to a Drupal powered blog.

Creating a Weblog for a Custom Content Type

Now, let’s create a second Weblog account for the same user to post to our custom “jot” content type.

A second content type appears as a second Weblog account to the end-user.

We’ll repeat the previous process, using the same information as before, since we are adding the same user.

Note: Still using the URL for user 4. Same remote posting URL: http://yourblogurl.com/xmlrpc.php

Again, Live Writer detects more than one Weblog, because our user has permission to post to both, and both were made available in Drupal’s Blog API settings. This time, we add the “jot” content type, so we select the Weblog titled, "Test Blog and Jot User: jot”. The format is, Drupal Username: Drupal Content type.

Notice this time, Live Writer failed to detect the theme settings. This happens usually when a second Weblog account is added for the same user, or when posting to a second content type other than the blog type. If you really want Windows Live Writer’s to display your blog theme in the editor, there is a registry edit you can do in Live Writer to fix this issue. See http://drupal.org/node/221677#comment-755721 . I don’t rely on Windows Live Writer’s display of my theme.

Congratulations

Upon completion, you should see the message, “Weblog Configuration Complete”. Again, Congratulations! We have seen how to successfully configure Windows Live Writer to post to a Drupal powered website with a custom content type.

Attachment	Size
Configuring Windows Live Writer to Post to Drupal, Blogs and Custom Content Type.pdf	365.73 KB

SeanBuscay.com - Drupal Web Development

Helpful External Resources for Drupal's Blog API

Drupal Lovers: Time to Vote

Abstract:

Agenda

Goals

Building a Publishing Workflow with Scheduled Transitions at Node Creation

Introduction

The Need

The Problem

In this Post

How to Post to Drupal using Windows Live Writer

From a Large Static HTML Site to a Drupal Powered CMS

The Need

The Results

Significant Growth

More Pages with Better Content Resulting in Better Search Engine Ranking

The Response

Comments from the site's users

Modules and Tips Useful for Posting to Your Drupal Site with a Blogging Application

Proper Configuration Checks for External Applications to Use Taxonomy Terms

Getting Good URL Names by Using Pathauto

HTML Filter Considerations

Configuring Drupal for Posting from External Blogging Applications

Step 1: Enable the Modules

Step 2: Make Content Types Available to External Clients

Step 3: Create Roles to Post Content via the API

Step 4: Set Up Your Permissions, Don’t Forget the Blog API Permission

Step 5: Assign Permissions to Users through Roles

Tip

Success

Inline Tags Sample Module Code

Free Tagging from Windows Live Writer to Drupal

Allowing Tags to be Added in the Post Body Text

Free Tagging when the Blog API Does Not Support It

Use Case

Yahoo! UI Library: Grids CSS for Drupal Themers

A brief resource description for Drupal Themers

The Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI)

YUI Browser-Support Philosophy

A-Grade Browser Support Chart

Why YUI: CSS is important to Drupal Themers

Core CSS resources

YUI Reset CSS

YUI Base CSS

YUI Fonts CSS

YUI Grids CSS

Benefits of YUI CSS

Benefits of YUI Grids CSS

Visit the Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI) website

Yahoo! UI Library: Grids CSS web page

Starting Base Markup

Choose the Overall Page Width

Available Template Presets

Preset Template Code

YUI Base CSS

Posting to Drupal 6 with Windows Live Writer

Screencast Summary

Configuring Windows Live Writer to Post to Drupal, Blogs and Custom Content Type

Screencast Summary

Add Weblog Account

Choose Weblog Type

Weblog Homepage and Login

Select Provider (Blog API)

Select Weblog

Detecting Blog Theme

Weblog Configuration Complete

Creating a Weblog for a Custom Content Type

Congratulations