Node-as-block module comparisons

We encourage users to post events happening in the community to the community events group on https://www.drupal.org.
You are viewing a wiki page. You are welcome to join the group and then edit it. Be bold!

There are several modules and other approaches that allow a node to be presented as a block:

Module 6.x 7.x Usage (7.x) Notes Module Updated Info as of Links to this page
Quick Node Block 8.x.1.x 8.x.1.x 38 This module allows you to show any type of content in a block. The administrator can create a block indicating the content title and the display mode they want to establish.The objective of this module is provide an easy way to place links to content. These links will be dynamic as content is updated.If you always use the same display mode on each node type you can easy give styles to these nodes and create a simple navigation flow in your site. 2018-Jul-19 2018-Jul-19 No
Nodeblock 6.x-1.4 7.x-1.4 21672 Specifies a content type as being a "block" content type. Then when you create nodes of that content type, they're exposed as blocks. Supports content translation, so in a particular context, the correct node of a language set is presented. D7 version additionally allows selecting view modes(Full, Teaser, Custom, Etc.) by content type or for each individual block. 2013-Oct-01 2013-Oct-01 Yes
Nodes In Block 6.x-1.6 7.x-1.0 3671 Creates a number of blocks. Each of the blocks can have one or several nodes inserted into it using the module's own interface. Blocks are placed and managed using Drupal's management interface. 05 Jan 2011 02 March 2013 Yes
Node as Block 6.x-1.x-beta1 No 1282 (6.x) Replicates the block administration form inside the node edit form. Unfortunately both the beta1 and development versions seem to be broken at the moment. 20 Aug 2009 02 March 2013 No
Views 6.x-2.16 7.x-3.5 Millions served Any view can provide a block. A view can show a single node by filtering on the node ID. More sophisticated arguments and filters are possible. June 2011 02 March 2013 No
NodeQueue 6.x-2.11 7.x-2.0-beta1 20927 Allows selection of an arbitrary set of nodes, then automatically provides a Views "Block display" to display them. The block display can be configured as needed. Nodes with translation sets can have the proper language displayed. 20 Sept 2011 02 March 2013 No
Node Type Views 6.x-1.0-beta2 7.x-1.0-alpha1 25 It's a simple module to generate teaser listings and RSS feeds of nodes based on node type. This module is not an add-on for the views module. 2009-Feb-02 02 March 2013

The Bean module does not allow nodes to be presented as blocks, per se, but creates block entities instead. Since entities are the fundamental unit of Drupal 7 content, this is analogous and can accomplish many of the same ends.

Comments

Misleading module names?

Fohsap's picture

Unfortunately, the names of these modules is misleading. The title, for example, NodeBlock ,
implies that any node may be moved into a block, but it is really only content types. Administrative pages, for example, cannot be added to blocks by any of these modules. Admin pages are nodes, though, by definition, right?

Pages are not necessarily nodes

rfay's picture

I know of no admin pages that are nodes.

Nodes are pages that are provided by the node module, but there are lots of other modules (like system module) that provide pages.

Siesta or salsa?

Fohsap's picture

Ah. I was afraid this would happen.... :) I didn't get your comment as part of my daily digest, so I kind of added the same data you added. Thanks, rfay, for the info.

Cool hat.

Admin pages aren't nodes, I

Fohsap's picture

Admin pages aren't nodes, I guess. Some other documentation mislead me to believe that. The admin pages can be put into blocks via other modules. A lot of what these module does can be done by views in D7. So, I wonder which is faster: views or one of these modules. Probably views because fewer modules seems to mean a faster site and views is practically impossible to do without....

I noticed that the 'reply to comment' link goes to a node for the comment itself, but there's no link back to the node the comment originated from on the comment node. XD

Taxonomy term as block

zJoriz's picture

Maybe I'm looking for something technically impossible, but I gotta know: is there a module which enables taxonomy terms to be used as blocks, like NodeBlock does for nodes?

There are plenty of modules and tutorials for creating blocks with taxonomy LISTS. Then there's the Bean module which expands functionality of blocks. All very valid, but...
I'm just fond of Taxonomy. I like how terms can be referenced from other entities without using Views or workarounds, while they're still as versatile as nodes. And I'd like my client to have one central place for editing content -- including blocks. Taxonomy would be ideal.

Terms to be used as blocks?

Garrett Albright's picture

Terms to be used as blocks? Hmm, what do you want the block to display? Typically, a term isn't something that's "displayed;" it's just an organizational concept. You want to display the values of the fields that are on the term entity?

Exactly

zJoriz's picture

Thanks for answering. Yes, since the entity concept was introduced, nodes have become pretty much obsolete IMO. I like taxonomy much better when it comes to displaying content, because it's so easy to create stable cross-references.
Unless, of course, I'm missing something from a SEO or technical viewpoint... And it's a pain to get rid of the 'no content with this term' message.

NodeBlocks does an excellent job of making the content of nodes available as blocks which can be positioned on the Blocks admin page. The big advantage is that there's one less admin page the site copywriters need to visit in order to find out where their content is.

I'm looking for exactly that, but for other entity types.

jmangion's picture

I am administering a Drupal site, and have authenticated users who want to be able to edit various blocks, but I have no way of allowing their access without making them administrators.

On someone's suggestion in the Drupal Support community, I installed Nodeblock, created a nodeblock, identified a user as the author, checked every permission box that Nodeblock allowed, but was unable to provide adequate permissions for the user/author to be able to edit the block themselves.

What am I doing wrong???

Thanks for any help you can provide.

John

The answer is that I needed to install the "Block Access" module, as well as give my authenticated users the right to use "contextual links". Then I was able to allow any authenticated user to edit any block. It's not quite right, but it will work for now....

Similar Module Review

Group organizers

Group notifications

This group offers an RSS feed. Or subscribe to these personalized, sitewide feeds:

Hot content this week