mobile applications

In this thread the question is asked if a music distribution or separate modules is the best way to achieve turn key functionality needed for a music site. The answer, I believe, is an alternative path.

The alternative path is to abstract things out into an application layer, with Features. There is lots of info about Features on the project page (and it shares some ideas with the now defunct Patterns module), but conceptually this graphic sums it up best:

Having had some experience working with Features this year, I can tell you it is pretty raw. A Feature has hooks and functions to turn on and off things on your site. At its simplest, it will turn on a few modules and change a few defaults. At its most complex, it will need to manually override database variables. It's messy development and takes time. But the real beauty is that it allows developers to focus on functionality instead of technicality. It also allows independent development of features that, combined, can achieve something that looks like a distribution. And for the user, they don't need to know how it works, they just need to know what it can do.

We are lucky, since we have already identified some useful features needed for an art & music Drupal site / mobile application, and perhaps the next step is to refine and prioritize the list.