Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) – an application designed to simplify the process of publishing and editing content for the web. The purpose of this post is to give a brief introduction to its features and applications.

What makes Drupal different to other content management systems?

Many content management systems are designed with specific applications in mind. WordPress, for example, provides a suite of tools for managing a blog, while indexhibit gives creative professionals a fast and easy way to showcase their work. Both of these applications are popular because they are simple, easy to use and do what they do very well.

The downside is that, very often, simplicity comes at the cost of flexibility; it can be difficult and time consuming to go beyond or build upon the functionality offered by these applications. Drupal aims to answer the need for a system that is both easy to use and flexible.

An analogy

Let’s use the analogy of building a house to better understand these two different kinds of content management system.

Most content management systems are like pre-fabricated homes. The foundations have been laid, the walls built and a roof placed on top. All that remains for you to do is decorate the house according to your tastes. While this is convenient, it’s not very flexible – all of the architectural decisions have been made for you.

“Using Drupal is like building your own house from the ground up”

In contrast, Drupal is like building your own home from the ground up. You decide how many rooms to build, how the house is laid out and how big the garden will be. If you want all the bathrooms to be en-suite, it’s not a problem. In this scenario you can think of us as the architects and interior designers – you call the shots while we provide practical advice and carry out the work.

In practice

In practice, there is very little Drupal can’t handle. Its modular architecture makes it suitable for a very wide range of applications, from e-commerce stores to large-scale, community driven sites. As with all open-source software, Drupal users also benefit from the efforts of software developers and testers from all over the world; community contributions are made available for free at drupal.org.

If you’d like to know more about harnessing the full potential of Drupal, get in touch with us.