Tokens are simple strings of text that serve as placeholders for a dynamic value. This is such a common task for modules that, rather than have every module developer reinvent the wheel, Drupal's token API allows for this kind of placeholder replacement using a unified syntax and a set of hooks and functions, which we'll cover throughout the series.
This video gives an overview of the six lessons in this series, from background to a sample installation of modules we’ll need, implementing tokens using hooks, and looking at the relationships between core and token modules.
After watching this series, you should have a firm grasp on the Drupal token API and be able to use it in your own custom modules in order to provide your users with static placeholder tokens that can be replaced with a dynamically calculated value.
Additional resources
In order to print out the pane title and settings form values as class names in our pane template file, we need to thread the pane object and settings array through a theme function so that they will be available to print out in our pane's template file.
In this lesson, we will:
- Walk through the pane theme function
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to implement a theme function for a panel pane.
Additional resources
The code for this plugin and module is located in sites/all/modules/demo_panestyles. See Companion Files to download the Files export, which also contains a demo site for Lessons 8-19 of Building Websites in Drupal 7 with Panels. Log in at /user with username "admin" and password "admin."
Now we have all the code in place for both our custom module and our style plugin. It's time to put it all together into our pane template file.
In this lesson...
- Connect values from settings form to template file
- Utilize values from pane object
- Utilize values from submitted settings form
All the code for the module and plugin is contained in the Resources section of this lesson. It's now your turn to create your own CTools Style Plugin!
Additional resources
The code for this plugin and module is located in sites/all/modules/demo_panestyles. See Companion Files to download the Files export, which also contains a demo site for Lessons 8-19 of Building Websites in Drupal 7 with Panels. Log in at /user with username "admin" and password "admin."
The sole purpose of our custom module is to implement a hook that will tell the CTools API that we have a plugin. Next, in our plugin's ".inc" file, we'll walk through the extensive $plugin array, understanding how the keys and values of this array correspond to functions and parameters inside the plugin.
In this lesson, we will:
- Hook into CTools inside custom module
- Explore
$pluginarray
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to implement the correct hook for CTools and understand how to customize your own $plugin array.
Additional resources
The code for this plugin and module is located in sites/all/modules/demo_panestyles. See Companion Files to download the Files export, which also contains a demo site for Lessons 8-19 of Building Websites in Drupal 7 with Panels. Log in at /user with username "admin" and password "admin."
Before we dive into the code of the module and plugins, let's set up the files and directories in a meaningful structure that's both scalable and one that will ensure that our plugin is disoverable by the CTools API.
In this lesson, we will:
- Create module files and directories
- Create plugin files and directories
By the end of this lesson, you will have all of the files created with a proper structure, ready for editing.
Additional resources
The code for this plugin and module is located in sites/all/modules/demo_panestyles. See Companion Files to download the Files export, which also contains a demo site for Lessons 8-19 of Building Websites in Drupal 7 with Panels. Log in at /user with username "admin" and password "admin."
The selling point of a CTools Style Plugin is the settings form. By providing a settings form to the site editor who can then change the style of the page using a pre-approved set of styles, you can both empower and provide appropriate constraints.
In this lesson, we will:
- Use the Form API
- Build a Styles Settings Form
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to build a settings form for your CTools Style Plugin.
Additional resources
The code for this plugin and module is located in sites/all/modules/demo_panestyles. See Companion Files to download the Files export, which also contains a demo site for Lessons 8-19 of Building Websites in Drupal 7 with Panels. Log in at /user with username "admin" and password "admin."
A CTools Style Plugin allows a developer to provide a settings form and a template file that can be chosen and configured by a site administrator using the Panels "Style" interface.
In this lesson, we will:
- Explore Panels' Style Interface
- Identify Default Panels Styles
- Introduce Demo Style Plugin
By the end of this lesson, you will understand how to access Styles in Panels and why you might want to create your own custom Styles interface for your site's editors to use.
Additional resources
The code for this plugin and module is located in sites/all/modules/demo_panestyles. See Companion Files to download the Files export, which also contains a demo site for Lessons 8-19 of Building Websites in Drupal 7 with Panels. Log in at /user with username "admin" and password "admin."
Panelizer configuration involves several layers of configuration. It can be challenging to find all the corners of configuration to export, without needing to still perform some extra manual steps after deployment. With Strongarm module, we can export the related settings that make Panelizer work, avoiding the need for extra manual steps.
In this lesson, we will:
- Enable Strongarm module
- Create new feature
- Export and Deploy Panelizer settings
By the end of this lesson, you should understand how to export all of Panelizer's settings plus the related settings that support its functionality.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
Panel Nodes module comes packaged with Panels and provides a new content type called Panel.
In this lesson...
- Enable Panel Nodes module
- Create a new node using Panel content type
- Build a simple multi-column page
By the end of this lesson, you will understand the basic functionality of Panel Nodes and why you may or may not want to use it to build one-off pages on your site.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
You can create your Panels layouts with HTML and CSS that can then be selected in the Panels UI.
In this lesson...
- Create a two-column, 60/40 layout
- Use existing layout to quickly get started
- Apply new layout to custom home page
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
Creating pages with Panels involves a lot of configuration which can take a lot of time and effort. In order to avoid re-doing all that work on another instance of the site, we can export this configuration into code using Features and deploy it in the usual way (using git or FTP).
In this lesson, we will:
- Export a custom panels page
- Take inventory of all panes
- Create a new Feature to export configuration
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to export a basic panel page configuration that contains a View using Features.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
With mini-panels, you can build portable panels components and place them as blocks in regions of your theme.
In this lesson...
- Build a 3-column mini-panel
- Place a menu in each column
- Place the mini-panel in the footer region as a block
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to build a mini-panel and understand how to place it in a region using the block administration page.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
Panelizer is a powerful module that allows you to attach panels to any entity and view mode in Drupal. You can create default templates for all content in a content type, for example, or you can create one-off pages with unique layouts and content panes.
In this lesson...
- Walk through Panelizer admin UI
- Panelize Article content
- Set up default Panelizer template
- Override versus Update Default Template
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to configure Panelizer settings, enable Panelizer for a content type, and understand the benefits and limitations of creating one-off pages that override the default template versus updating the default template.
Enabling the Panels In-Place Editor is recommended for this lesson.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
Panels provides export code that you can copy and paste into a module or directly import into another instance of the site.
In this lesson, we will:
- Export a panels page using Panels UI
- Import a panels page into another instance of site
By the end of this lesson, you will understand where to find the export code for a panel and be able to simply and quickly import it into another copy of your site.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Stylizer enables site editors to change the styles of panel pane backgrounds, content, text styles, borders, and heading styles. It provides an extensive settings form, including a live preview and integration with the Color module, for point-and-click color picking.
In this lesson, we will:
- Identify style options provided by Panels
- Enable Stylizer module
- Change Styles of a Panel Pane and Heading using Stylizer
By the end of this lesson you should have a good idea of whether or not you want to enable Stylizer on your Panels-based site and if you do, how to access and use it.
Stylizer module comes packaged with CTools.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
Views Content Panes is a module that comes packaged with Panels. It provides a new type of Views display called a Content Pane that enables you to pass off Views configuration to the Panel Pane.
In this lesson, we will:
- Enable Views Content Panes module
- Build a View using Content Pane display
- Explore Pane Configuration in Views
By the end of this lesson, you will have a better idea of why you will want to use content panes in Views whenever you are placing Views in Panels.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
We'll use Page Manager, Panels, and Views to create a customized user account page that features articles authored by the user whose account is being viewed.
In this lesson...
- Build a view of articles with a contextual filter
- Create a customized user account page
By the end of this lesson, you'll walk away with ideas for how to create your own customized user account page.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
In a Views Content Pane display, it's possible to use exposed or contextual filters as panel pane configuration. We'll walk through this process and why you might want to utilize this feature of content panes.
In this lesson...
- Add an exposed filter to a view
- Use the exposed filter as panel pane configuration
- Place the same view twice with different configuration
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin
Additional resources
The default taxonomy term page provided by Drupal leaves much to be desired. If a taxonomy vocabulary has multiple levels, but content is only tagged with only the child term and not the parent, parent term pages are left with no content listed on them, despite the fact that there is content tagged with terms below it.
In this lesson...
- Create a taxonomy vocabulary with two levels of hierarchy
- Enable the Taxonomy Term Template
- Build a custom term page for each level of hierarchy
By the end of this lesson, you'll know how to create better taxonomy term pages using Views, contextual filters, and Panels.
Demo site log in:
- Navigate to /user
- Login with admin/admin