Hands-on Intro to Drupal Content Layout Modules: Herndon VA 11/10

Posted by idcm on October 1, 2010 at 7:34pm

Organizers:

idcm

Event type:

Training (free or commercial)

Dates: TBD

Description: In this classroom course you will learn to use modules designed to help you (as a builder) manipulate your Drupal interface without editing your theme. Create unique layouts that your theme does not support. Layout your node fields so they don't just appear one after the other. Make the node edit form less busy. Use multiple themes within your site. Reuse blocks in different regions without having to make a duplicate of the block. Many modules will be used in this course but the following modules are being highlighted.

* Panels
* Context
* Composite
* Vertical tabs
* One of the theme switching modules (Sections or Page theme)

Pre-requisites: The topics and modules covered in this course assume you are familiar with and have used the modules covered in Drupal Hands-On Intro for Builders.

Materials Provided: A Drupal training installation with all the modules and files you need to complete the course. A handout with all the clicks you need. Access to an online version of the materials.

Computers: You will need to bring your laptop. If you don't have one, contact us.

Transportation: This facility is located near Dulles Airport off the Toll road. If you need assistance with transportation, please contact us.

Length: 1 day (includes lunch)

Location:
Office of Continuing Professional Education at the Center for Innovative Technology
2214 Rock Hill Rd. Suite 400
Herndon, VA 20170-4213
United States

Cancellation: You can cancel up to 48 hours prior to the event start. Cancellations are subject to a 20% processing fee.

Price: $250.00

Comments

Drupal for Dummies class?

Posted by Michaelle (not verified) on October 26, 2010 at 4:28pm

Hi,
I know zip about Drupal but need to learn. Can anyone point me toward a basics class in MD, DC or Northern VA?
Thanks!

I am running an intro class

Posted by idcm on October 26, 2010 at 9:12pm

I am running an intro class the two days before this one. Please check it out.

http://planningdrupalsites.com/products/drupal-hands-intro-builders-118-119

content layout modules course 11/10

Posted by idcm on October 29, 2010 at 7:09pm

There is more than one way to change the layout of your Drupal pages. Flexibility is important to clients who want the ability to change their site after you make delivery. Empower your clients with layout options. Learn how to think through the best strategy for you and your client.

You can register for this information rich day at at http://planningdrupalsites.com/products/hands-intro-drupal-content-layou...

Panels Cookbook Review

Posted by idcm on October 31, 2010 at 8:19pm

I reviewed Packt's Drupal 6 Panels Cookbook. These are my observations:
- It assumes you are tech savvy and when the instructions for the recipes are presented, you can interpret what you are supposed to do or what you were supposed to have done prior to the recipe. Not all steps are clear.
- It assumes you can imagine the results of at least one recipe (see page 48)
- It does not provide insight into what the various features of Panels actually do - what they are used for. For instance, the explanation of context and relationships comes right out of a 2007 post at http://www.angrydonuts.com/panels-what-is-context - so it is a little dated as well as not being clear.
- Node templates are not discussed - IMHO, this is one of the major reasons you would use Panels.
- It is not well edited with respect to content organization and instructional steps.
- Assumptions are made that you are practicing the recipes in order. If you aren't, some of the recipes might be confusing.
- and more.

There are some helpful recipes but overall, if you are a Drupal newbie and/or are new to Panels, you might not get the help you desired.

The instructional materials for this course provide detailed narratives explaining the various features/concepts in Panels and how to think through the Panels setup process. You get to take the materials with you. We will also talk about how to mix and match various layout modules. You get to practice creating different types of Panels.

Re:Cookbook Review

Posted by strangebike on October 31, 2010 at 8:44pm

interesting, someone took time to write a book, and s/he gets a real bashing.
i dont think someone can learn how to drive a car by reading a book
your negative feed back is ok, problem is, it was shrouded with some intentions (marketing your course)
I am not sure this forum is intended for self achieving motives. i might be wrong, but some people should learn to give credit where its due.

You are right. I used my

Posted by idcm on October 31, 2010 at 8:57pm

You are right. I used my review for marketing purposes. Maybe I shouldn't have. I was disappointed in the book - I had hoped to use it as a reference in my class - give the book a plug, some exposure. Now I can't - I am little frustrated.

I offer my sincerest apologies to those who may have been offended by my strategy.

re: You are right. I used my

Posted by strangebike on October 31, 2010 at 9:31pm

thanks for the clarification,
i dont think you offended anyone, if you had included this information in the original post, all would be good. having written a few books, i can tell u, its hard to cover every topic. its a time consuming and daunting process,
its important to note, that every website project has unique needs, the author most likely covered topics related to his experience. but that is not my place
have a good week

I have been hesitant to write

Posted by ron williams on October 31, 2010 at 10:02pm

I have been hesitant to write an e-mail for several days, but I have had two MD group members bring up this issue. Since strangebike brought this into the public forum, I'll just post here. Most -if not all- of IDCM's promotional posts have been added to the Maryland group which I am an founder/organizer for. As such, I can only speak for the Maryland group. The groups here are to promote Drupal through events, discussion, or redirection to other Drupal related resources which are beneficial to the community. While the event postings are useful, the self promotional discussions regarding similar event topics are not welcome (consider this post http://groups.drupal.org/node/101769).

This is not a personal attack, it's simply to avoid unneeded postings (unless you consider self promotion a need for the group as a whole) filling up the group and making useful information difficult to find. If larger companies were to have their employees post promotional discussions individually regarding every facet of their presentation, it could easily turn into a useless mess for the group.

As for bashing an author it's not uncommon for developers to assume a minimum level of competency. After 5 years of working with Drupal, I still have problematic areas, but surely I don't blame the module developer, documentation team (which I am part of), or author. Let's keep it civil, objective, and most of all let's complain about real issues (such as someone providing code with a security issue).

Feel free to continue posting your events, but please avoid posting new discussions that are so similar or comments that are fairly obvious (http://groups.drupal.org/node/96744#comment-329284).

--
Ron Williams

Again, my apologies. It's

Posted by idcm on October 31, 2010 at 10:12pm

Again, my apologies. It's been a bad week and I just made it worse. Hubby says I should not write when I am tired and cranky. I wasn't thinking. I hope the group members can forgive me.

From my point of view, I

Posted by konordo on November 1, 2010 at 11:57am

From my point of view, I read: Drupal 6 Panels Cookbook is not for drupal newbies - I don't see the bashing here.
Wouldn't this information protect some people from buying a product that couldn't use?

No disrespect to the book author, I haven't written any books so I can only imagine the challenge, but since this is a commercial product it should be open to any criticism.

Organizing events and workshops is one of the best ways to promote drupal, and it seems that there is interest for that. I don't see how anyone is not objective here (read a book, find it hard for newbies, post this opinion to public) - although I understand why someone could think that because of marketing purposes.

But civil? I wish I could see more often comments with such honesty, like http://groups.drupal.org/node/96744#comment-330124.

Let's dissect the complaints

Posted by ron williams on November 1, 2010 at 1:58pm

Let's dissect the complaints:

It assumes you are tech savvy and when the instructions for the recipes are presented, you can interpret what you are supposed to do or what you were supposed to have done prior to the recipe.: My interpretation: it's written for users who have a specific minimal level of experience
Not all steps are clear.: My interpretation: I did not understand the steps because I lacked the assumed knowledge
It assumes you can imagine the results of at least one recipe (see page 48): My interpretation: Certain items are left out to 'get to the meat' of the book rather than explaining every recipe
It does not provide insight into what the various features of Panels actually do - what they are used for.: This seems more like a trick statement (if that's possible). Every feature can not be discussed in depth. If every item was discussed, more advanced developers would see the book as mostly containing fluff. Where should the stopping point be on simplifying and explaining a module? With the presentations I give, I am regularly asked questions regarding how to implement various tasks. When asked I generally respond with a few modules to look into and move on from there in consideration of others time. I think the same applies for this book.
For instance, the explanation of context and relationships comes right out of a 2007 post at http://www.angrydonuts.com/panels-what-is-context - so it is a little dated as well as not being clear.: It was originally posted in 2007, but that does not mean it has never changed. Also note that the panels and views modules are written by merlinofchaos who wrote that blog entry. Who better to describe what context and relationships do? Dated material does not mean it's bad either. I come across code snippets for older versions of Drupal that are useful and update them to the current version for my purposes frequently. Saying it's a little dated does not provide an arguable detail, is highly subjective, and is therefore not objective as defined as based on facts
Node templates are not discussed: While many say Drupal lacks significant documentation, there are lots of people who post blog entries about modules free of charge. Why should this trivial information be included in a book you're paying for when it is available for free. Also, the book assumes you have self selected a need for panels, why would they explain your need for panels again?
It is not well edited with respect to content organization and instructional steps.: Could be. Then again you could be used to another learning style and this book could cater well to another person who is reading.
Assumptions are made that you are practicing the recipes in order. If you aren't, some of the recipes might be confusing.: Is this not assumed with every book you are reading? You don't read a fiction book from back to front and expect to understand the plot. If the information is in an earlier section that you chose to skip, that does not mean it is a flaw to have expected you to read that when it was presented previously. When using guides/books/etc I usually skip half the first steps, but in some cases I am forced to go back and read from the beginning. Should I blame the authors for not repeating things over and over in a never ending book?

After all of the complaints "There are some helpful recipes" seems like it will point out the positive; however when combined with "but overall, if you are a Drupal newbie and/or are new to Panels, you might not get the help you desired." that potential for pointing out the positive is lost.

While the book author should be open to criticism, why not post them where they will be readily used? For example, amazon or another book sellers site. Instead what we have here is a post discussing why a book is bad with an immediate plug for the training they are selling.