Drupal Overview for newbies and users

I've posted (below) a basic overview of how the Drupal system works - not the modules and menus, but the applications that work together to run a Durpal site (e.g. the web server, the database, etc).

I'm looking for two types of feedback - you can give this feedback in the comments if you want:
* Is this accurate (if you are a more advanced user)
* Is this information too simple or too complex for you? That gives me a good idea of who we're talking to. :-)

Drupal overview

Drupal is a database driven application. All the website content is contained in a database; the look and feel of the site is defined by a "style" template. So you can possibly show the same content with different styles.

When you visit a Drupal site, Drupal uses PHP (a programming language) to call up the content you are looking for from the MySQL database; then calls up the style elements which are used in teh current template (the fonts colors, layout, etc) and essentially pushes the text through this style template.

Since the style elements are based on the PHP prgramming language used, the "style" template can do more than just make things look pretty; it can make "choices" based on certain conditions, which is how it can determine what to show you based on whether or not you are logged in.

In addition, for almost every facet of Drupal, what information / content that gets pulled from the database is based on the URL address - any given URL address might require several different pieces of iformation be pulled (for example, not only what the main content is, but a different sidebar, and possibly even a change in the menus). This is a little complicated to explain, but essentially what you see on any given page is based on:

• the style template
• whether or not you are logged in
• what "user role" you have (e.g. are you an admin or not?)
• what is the URL of the page you are looking at?

Typical components - back end

Web host: where Drupal app, MySQL, and uploaded files are kept

A database (typically, the database app is MySQL) - with your Drupal DB imported into it

Drupal files
- including .htacces, settings.php
- modules
- themes

Your content
- Attached files
- Media files

A note about "shell access": Shell access is essentially direct access to the files and folders on a server. Many inexpensive and simple-setup web hosting services do not allow you shell access - instead, they give you a web control panel; often you can "browse" your files and folders, but it's not the same thing. Shell access is very very helpful for troubleshooting and making back-end configuration changes, but not typically used for maintaining websites, and not used at all for using sites.

Tools you typically need
- PHPMyAdmin (most commonly): this is an interface tool to configure and troubleshoot the MySQL database
- SSH / Telnet: This is an application that gives you command-line access to the files and folders on the server. Not all web hosts allow users access to the shell.
- FTP application: to upload files, new modules, themese, pictures, etc. FTP is particulalry important if you do not have "shell" acess to your Web host, and must edit your config files on your dekstop, then upload.

• Hosted sevices (like Bryght and CivicSpace ASP) usually take care of the MySQL and configuration part of the back-end. You typically have access to FTP, which allows you to add configured settings files, and your content files. But you wouldn't need to install and configure the MySQL DB files, etc.