Drupal has a number of coding standards that all contributed Drupal modules and themes should be using. Instead of each developer coding in their own preferred style, they are asked to write all code according to the standards outlined in the document. This ensures that all of Drupal's code is written to a consistent standard, making it easier to understand and modify. Drupal also provides its own set of API functions, and as the drop is always moving, a large number of these API functions can change between major releases of Drupal.
This talk will provide an overview of the state of Drupal 7 and what our next steps as a community will be in order to see this fantastic new release come to fruition. Topics will include things such as:
* Overview of Drupal 7 development cycle.
* Shout-outs to the core development team.
* New and exciting features to look forward to for end users, designers, and developers.
* Advice for those who wish to start porting their modules and themes.
* What's left to do before release, and how you (yes, you!) can help.
Drupal's database layer has undergone a major overhaul in Drupal 7 to take advantage of new and powerful features in PHP 5. The new system includes over a dozen new features, from a query builder in core to support for Master/slave replication. As with most major overhauls, however, that means API changes. This session will cover the challenges of database abstraction, Drupal's approach, and how to fully leverage the new system in your own code and sites.
Agenda
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Database abstraction: Why it's hard and even an unsolvable problem.
