I recently compiled a simple document for a client that outlines best practices for Drupal that are not obvious at first. This is aimed at someone who has already installed Drupal, installed modules, added content, and has a basic understanding of where things are.

I'd also like to point out that finding pages on the internet to describe some basic things in Drupal seem to be lacking. There plenty of bits and pieces, but I had some trouble finding explanations that I thought would be really easy to find. I guess I need to write more.

Drupal Best Practices

Modules

• Choosing Modules

  • There are 1000's of module out there for Drupal. It's hard to know which one is right for you, so be deliberate about which ones you install.
  • You do not want too many modules installed. It will slow down your site. (see Module Maintenance below)
  • Look at the releases. The more often and more recent, the better. If you choose something that is not or will not be maintained, you will run into trouble down the line.
  • Check the Issue Queue for that module. Do the maintainer(s) answer questions in a timely manner?
  • There is a new statistics section with each module which describes how often things are downloaded. It is not the most perfect metric, but will help.

• Module Downloading and Upgrading

  • This is a common problem with Drupal. It is kind of difficult and time-consuming to install and upgrade modules. The usual way is to download the tarball (.tar.gz) file. Un-archive it on your computer, then FTP it up to the server.
  • There is no good way to do this through the web interface.