20 Common Drupal Mistakes and How to Avoid
Drupal is undoubtedly one of the most flexible and powerful Content Management Systems available. So it really hurts us when someone criticizes Drupal because, most of the times Drupal is not at fault – what is wrong is the development and implementation. Below are list of common mistakes we should avoid..
- Over coding: Custom code is always difficult to maintain. There are thousands of modules which have already been written and contributed. Use of readymade modules is recommended because it only saves a lot of time and money, but also makes your whole website more stable because each and every Drupal contributed module is well tested.
- Spam Control: Your Drupal site can quickly get flooded with spam comments and content if proper spam control is not done. Instead of leaving the site open for all, keep it moderated and regulated.
- Incorrect installation and folder structure: Installing modules and themes in right directories makes upgrading to next version easy and it also becomes easy for debugging. We recommend that themes and custom modules should not be installed on the root level.
- No VCS: Version Control System is very critical for any Drupal project as it maintains a complete history of development and makes it easy for developers to keep track of modifications. Occasional backup through file copy is not an ideal way to go.
- Incorrect Module Installation: Before installing any module, developers should check the module instructions and be sure that the module is well supported, does not have any caveats. Especially in case of modules in beta or alpha state, make sure to understand and know the instructions before installing otherwise your website can become unstable.
- Too many modules: Drupal programmers often forget to disable and uninstall the unused modules. Unnecessary modules can significantly decrease the performance of the site. So when your module count goes beyond a certain limit (say 70), make sure you review the modules.
- Drupal core hacking: No matter what functionality you need, hacking of Drupal core files or themes is never recommended. You can, instead, write Drupal functions to override or choose to create subthemes.
- Incorrect Caching strategy: Site performance and speed can take a serious toll if the page and block caching is not implemented. The site performance can also suffer if server side caching is not enabled.
- Incorrect cache frequency: Make sure to optimize and configure the cache frequency based on the content changes. Frequent cache clearing can affect overall site performance.
- Not upgrading the core and the modules: Even after the website implementation is complete, it is important that all the updates are applied to the core and the modules – this will ensure that the website is secured and easier to upgrade with new features.
- Module Removal: Avoid site crashing by ensuring that you disable the module before removing it.
- Incorrect Input Formats: If you enable PHP or HTML input format on blocks and content, it can significantly decrease the overall site performance because of all the associated callback mechanisms. It is recommended that these formats are disabled when not necessary.
- User creation permissions: Your website can be at a security threat if the user creation settings are not reviewed properly. Account creation should not be allowed to users by default.
- Un-reviewed Permissions: To prevent any security gap in the application, Drupal developers need to ensure that the permissions for the site and any new module are manually checked and appropriate roles are given appropriate permissions.
- Default blocks: Avoid using default blocks systems unless you are developing a sample project. Default blocks allow user generated content but one cannot set permissions for editing different blocks.
- Bad backend user interface: Don’t make using Drupal difficult for end users. Designing a good interface for the backend is the job of the application developer.
- Slower Search: Drupal’s native search is slow. To improve your Drupal site’s search functionality, you can use Solr.
- SEO Mistakes: Not installing right tracking mechanisms like Google Analytics, not using correct keywords, duplicating content (happens with Drupal when clean URLs are turned on), and changing the node path without creating a redirect are some of the common SEO mistakes with Drupal which can be easily avoided.
- Inconsistent coding standards: Not having a standardized coding structure, standards and format can make the code maintenance really difficult.
Source : drupal innovations
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