Drupal

From the Back Cover

Drupal is an exceptional Content Management System (CMS). From the ground up, it is well designed ad has an active development process that ensures a slick user experience and great performance. It is also a model Open Source project that boasts a mature and friendly community.

With the explosion in the number of blogs and forums on the Internet today, Drupal is poised to become one of the world's most useful and widespread applications. By combining a flexible and powerful CMS with an easy-to-use administration too, Drupal enables everyone, regardless of their background, to create exquisite websites.

To get the most from this potent and dynamic software, you need well considered, practical advice presented in a clear and logical manner. This book contains precisely that, and is the perfect companion for anyone who needs to make use of Drupal.

This book will help you create thoughtfully designed and elegant Drupal sites. You will:

• Discover how to install, configure and work with Drupal
• Add powerful functionality and create a distinct and unique look and feel for your site through the use of themes
• Plan a sophisticated user access policy and learn how to implement it
• Become an ace at creating, organizing, and managing content
• Make your own dynamic additions (like AJAX widgets) as well as implement other advanced features

This book is mainly aimed at beginners that would like to harness the powerful and sometimes complex CMS. If you're an intermediate you can learn more about customizing Drupal but experts might be able to get a few good tips from the book as well.

David Mercer uses a clear step-by-step process supported by graphics that helps you to install, configure and use Drupal effectively. The book is very well suited for beginners that don't have a lot of experience with databases and who need more then the technical and dry instructions that come with the CMS. 

After the essentials, David shows you how to do some basic customization that really make the book a benefit for the beginner that is not familiar with Drupal, PHP, Apache, and the rest of the LAMP lineup. The book is easy-to-read and is a great reference while working on a project. So if you're new with Drupal this is the book to use to get started with this great CMS.