Code-Free Drupal Layout with Skinr, Fusion and Panels

In this 35-page ebook you will learn how to use some of the most popular “advanced layout” tools that Drupal has to offer. If you want to achieve a higher degree of control over your site but don't want to learn PHP, this workbook is the place to start.

This ebook covers “advanced” modules so that you don’t have to learn how to be an advanced coder.

You probably already know some of the biggest limitations of the Drupal theming system. My personal pet peeves are:

1. Blocks can only be placed in one region for the entire site.
2. All regions must be defined in “code files” for each theme.
3. To have truly flexible (and collapsible) regions you need to know how to program PHP.

This ebook covers the use of Skinr + Fusion and Panels (and their associated dependencies). They were chosen for their excellent online documentation, popularity in the community and ease of use. There is no reason to feel forever limited by the selections made here. Alternative base themes and alternative layout modules are mentioned too. Suggested techniques in this ebook will be especially helpful for sites that have "volatile" content. The volatility may be caused by a client who changes their mind on a regular basis, or audience-specific layouts of information. Several real-world examples are used.

Skills Summary

This ebook is to enable you to:

1. Create sophisticated layouts using the Drupal pointy-click administrative interface.
2. Gain more control and flexibility of how blocks are placed on your Web site.
3. Create context-aware pages of content from a single layout but which change depending on the URL a Web site visitor is using.
4. Enable others to apply your styles to new blocks from a pointy-clicky admin interface.

This workbook covers Drupal 6 modules and themes and may not be suitable for other version s of Drupal.