Features of Drupal 9

Drupal 9 is a content management system (CMS) that is used to build and manage websites and web applications. It is an open-source platform that is developed and maintained by a global community of volunteers. Drupal 9 was released in June 2020 and is the latest version of Drupal.

Some of the key features of Drupal 9 include a user-friendly interface, support for multiple languages, content creation and management tools, and a range of customization and extensibility options. It also includes various performance improvements and security enhancements to help protect websites and improve the user experience.

User-friendly interface: 

The user-friendly interface feature of Drupal 9 refers to the overall design and layout of the platform, which is intended to make it easy for users to navigate and interact with the system. This includes features such as a clean and intuitive user interface, clear and consistent navigation, and easy-to-use tools and features.

Here are some of the examples that justify the user-friendly interface feature,

• A customizable dashboard that provides users with an overview of their site and access to key tools and features
• A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that enables users to create and edit content using a visual interface
• A range of pre-designed templates and layouts that make it easy for users to create professional-looking pages and content
• A drag-and-drop layout builder that enables users to easily create custom layouts for their pages and content

Content creation and management: 

Drupal 9 includes a range of tools and features that enable users to create and manage content, including text, images, videos, and more.

Content creation and management refers to the process of creating, organizing, and managing the content on a website or web application. In Drupal 9, there are a number of tools and features that enable users to create and manage content effectively.

Here are some of the examples that justify the content creation and management feature,

• A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that enables users to create and edit content using a visual interface
• A range of content types, such as pages, articles, and blog posts, enables users to create and organize different types of content
• Custom fields that enable users to add additional information or metadata to their content
• A media library that makes it easy to manage and reuse media assets such as images, videos, and documents
• Workflow tools that enable users to preview and stage content before publishing it live
• A range of modules and themes can be used to extend and customize the content creation and management capabilities of the platform

Support for multiple user roles: 

The support for multiple user roles feature in Drupal 9 enables administrators to create different user roles and assign permissions to those roles. This helps to ensure that users only have access to the features and tools that they need, which can be helpful for larger organizations with multiple users working on the same site.

Here are some of the examples that justify the support for the multiple user roles feature,

• Administrator: A user with full access to all features and tools on the site
• Editor: A user with the ability to create and edit content, but not manage site-wide settings
• Author: A user with the ability to create and publish content, but not edit or delete content created by others
• Contributor: A user with the ability to create content, but not publish it
• Viewer: A user with read-only access to the site
• To create and assign user roles in Drupal 9, administrators can use the user management tools in the administration interface. They can also use modules such as the Organic Groups module to create custom user roles and assign permissions to those roles.

Security enhancements: 

Security enhancements refer to features and improvements that help to protect websites and web applications from potential vulnerabilities and attacks. In Drupal 9, there are a number of security enhancements that help to improve the overall security of the platform.

Here are some of the examples that justify the security enhancements feature,

• Automated security updates, and patches: Drupal 9 includes a system that automatically applies security updates and patches to help protect against potential vulnerabilities and attacks.
• Improved password security: Drupal 9 includes features such as password hashing and salting to help protect against password-cracking attacks.
• Enhanced user management: Drupal 9 includes features such as two-factor authentication and user session management to help protect against unauthorized access.
• Improved input validation: Drupal 9 includes improved input validation to help protect against injection attacks and other types of malicious input.
• Security-focused coding practices: Drupal 9 includes coding practices and guidelines that are focused on security, including the use of secure coding practices and the implementation of security checks during the development process.

Performance improvements: 

Drupal 8 is a popular content management system (CMS) that was released in 2015. While it has a number of useful features and capabilities, there are also some limitations and flaws that users may encounter when using Drupal 8. 

Let us check out some examples of performance improvements,

• Complexity: Drupal 8 can be a complex platform to work with, particularly for users who are new to CMS systems or web development in general. It has a steep learning curve and may require a lot of time and effort to fully understand and utilize all of its features.
• Upgrade process: Upgrading from Drupal 8 to a newer version of Drupal requires a complete rebuild of the site, which can be time-consuming and difficult for users who have a large or complex site.
• Dependencies: Drupal 8 uses older versions of core dependencies such as PHP and Symfony, which may limit the performance and stability of the platform.
• Accessibility: Accessibility is an optional module that must be installed and configured in Drupal 8, which may not be suitable for users who need to build accessible websites.

Improved media management:

Drupal 9 includes significant improvements to media management over previous versions of Drupal. 

Some of the key improvements in Drupal 9 related to media management are

• Improved media library: The media library in Drupal 9 has been redesigned to be more user-friendly and easier to use. It includes features such as drag-and-drop uploading, inline metadata editing, and improved search and filtering capabilities.
• Enhanced media embedding: Drupal 9 includes an updated version of the WYSIWYG editor (CKEditor) that makes it easier to embed media from external sources such as YouTube and Twitter.
• Responsive images: Drupal 9 includes native support for responsive images, which means that images will automatically adjust to the size of the screen they are being viewed on. This helps to improve the user experience on mobile devices.
• Improved media handling: Drupal 9 includes a number of updates to improve the handling and processing of media files, including support for video transcoding and the ability to generate image styles on demand.

Enhanced accessibility: 

Drupal 9 includes several features to enhance the accessibility of websites. Some of these features include are the following:

• Improved contrast ratios: Drupal 9 includes improved contrast ratios to make the text and images on the website more easily readable for people with visual impairments.
• Keyboard navigation: Drupal 9 includes improved keyboard navigation to make it easier for users to navigate the website using just their keyboard.
• Semantic markup: Drupal 9 uses semantic markup, which helps screen readers understand the content on the page and provide a more accessible experience for users with visual impairments.
• Accessibility testing tools: Drupal 9 includes built-in accessibility testing tools that allow developers to test the accessibility of their website and identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Improved migration capabilities: 

Drupal 9 includes several improvements to the migration capabilities of the platform. Some of these improvements include the following:

• Improved migration tooling: Drupal 9 includes updated versions of the Migrate module and the Migrate Plus module, which provide a more powerful and flexible framework for migrating content and configuration into Drupal.
• Improved migration paths: Drupal 9 includes improved migration paths for upgrading from Drupal 6, Drupal 7, and Drupal 8, making it easier to migrate content and configuration from previous versions of Drupal.
• Improved migration performance: Drupal 9 includes performance improvements that make migration processes faster and more efficient.
• Improved migration support: Drupal 9 includes improved support for migrating content from other platforms, including WordPress and Adobe Experience Manager.

Modernized core dependencies: 

Drupal 9 is the latest version of the Drupal content management system (CMS). One of the main features of Drupal 9 is that it includes updated versions of many of its core dependencies, which are the following:

• Symfony: Drupal 9 includes the latest version of the Symfony PHP framework, which provides a set of tools and libraries for developing web applications.
• Twig: Drupal 9 includes the latest version of Twig, a template engine for PHP that allows developers to write flexible and maintainable templates for their websites.
• jQuery: Drupal 9 includes the latest version of the jQuery JavaScript library, which provides a set of tools for manipulating the DOM and handling events in the browser.
• CKEditor: Drupal 9 includes the latest version of CKEditor, a WYSIWYG text editor that allows users to easily create and edit content within the Drupal interface.

Updating these core dependencies helps to ensure that Drupal 9 is more performant, secure, and maintainable than previous versions of Drupal. It also allows developers to take advantage of the latest features and improvements in these underlying technologies.

Improved workflows: 

Drupal 9 includes a number of improvements to workflows that make it easier for users to manage and publish content on their sites. Some of the key improvements related to workflows in Drupal 9 include the following:

• Workflow modules: Drupal 9 includes a set of core workflow modules that provide a flexible and customizable framework for managing content and processes on your site. These modules allow you to define custom workflows for different types of content, and to specify different roles and permissions for different users.
• Improved content moderation: Drupal 9 includes an updated version of the content moderation module that makes it easier to manage and track changes to content as it moves through different stages of the publishing process.

Search engine optimization (SEO): 

Drupal 9 includes a number of features and tools that can help improve the search engine optimization (SEO) of your website. Some of the ways that Drupal 9 can help with SEO include the following:

• Metatags: Drupal 9 includes a metatags module that allows you to easily add and manage meta tags for your site's pages. Meta tags provide information about your website to search engines and can help improve its ranking in search results.
• URL Aliases: Drupal 9 allows you to create URL aliases for your pages, which can help improve the SEO of your site by making your URLs more descriptive and easier for search engines to understand.
• SEO Checklist: The SEO Checklist module provides a set of guidelines and recommendations for improving the SEO of your Drupal site. It includes a checklist of tasks that you can follow to optimize your site's content, structure, and technical SEO.
• XML Sitemap: Drupal 9 includes an XML Sitemap module that allows you to automatically generate a sitemap for your website. This sitemap can help search engines discover and index your website's pages, which can improve its ranking in search results.

Social media integration: 

Drupal 9 includes tools and features that enable users to integrate their websites with social media platforms.

Advanced content modeling: 

Advanced content modeling refers to the process of creating and managing structured content in a content management system (CMS) like Drupal. Drupal 9 includes several features that support advanced content modeling, including the following:

• Custom content types: Drupal 9 allows users to create custom content types with specific fields and field types to suit their needs. This allows users to create content that is structured and easy to manage.
• Fieldable entities: Drupal 9 allows users to attach fields to any entity, including nodes, users, comments, and taxonomy terms. This allows users to create custom fields for any content type and store additional data in a structured way.
• Paragraphs module: The Paragraphs module in Drupal 9 allows users to create flexible and reusable components that can be added to any content type. This allows users to create advanced content layouts and designs without the need for custom code.
• CKEditor: Drupal 9 includes the CKEditor content editor, which allows users to create and format content in a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface. This makes it easy for users to create structured and formatted content.

Improved testing and debugging: 

Drupal 9 includes tools and features that enable users to integrate their websites with social media platforms.

To add social media integration to a Drupal 9 website, you can use the Social Media Integration module. This module allows you to add links to your social media profiles on popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It also provides blocks that you can use to display, social media feeds on your website.

To install the Social Media Integration module:

• Go to the "Extend" page in your Drupal admin dashboard.
• Search for the "Social Media Integration" module.
• Check the box next to the module to select it, and then click the "Install" button at the bottom of the page.
• Once the installation is complete, click the "Install new theme" button to enable the module.

Enhanced developer experience: 

Drupal 9 includes various improvements that enhance the developer experience, including better support for modern development practices and tools.

Drupal 9 flaws:

As with any software, Drupal 9 may have some flaws or limitations. Some potential flaws or limitations of Drupal 9 may include:

• Complexity: Drupal is known for being a powerful and flexible platform, but this can also make it complex to use, especially for users who are new to the platform. This complexity may make it more difficult for some users to understand how to use all of the features and functionality of Drupal 9.
• Compatibility issues: Drupal 9 includes many new and updated features, which may cause compatibility issues with older modules or themes. This can make it more difficult to upgrade to Drupal 9 or to use certain features of the platform.
• Security vulnerabilities: As with any software, Drupal 9 may have security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. It is important to keep Drupal 9 up to date and to follow best practices for securing the platform to minimize the risk of security breaches.
• Limited support: Depending on the hosting provider or service that you use, you may have limited support for Drupal 9. This could make it more difficult to get help if you encounter any issues with the platform.

Drupal 8 vs. Drupal 9

Drupal 9, like any software, has its own set of flaws and limitations, and here is the list.

Feature	Drupal 8	Drupal 9
Release date	November 19, 2015,	June 3, 2020
Upgrade process	Major version upgrades require a complete rebuild of the site	Minor version upgrades can be performed in place, with automated backwards compatibility layers for deprecated code and APIs
Dependencies	Uses PHP 7.0, Symfony 2, and Twig 1	Uses PHP 7.4, Symfony 4, and Twig 2
Media management	Media management is a separate module that must be installed and configured	Media management is included in the core platform
Accessibility	Accessibility is an optional module that must be installed and configured	Accessibility improvements are included in the core platform
Security	Security updates and patches must be manually applied	Security updates and patches are automatically applied
Performance	Performance improvements must be manually applied	Performance improvements are included in the core platform
Migration	Migrating to a new version of Drupal requires a complete rebuild of the site	Migrating to a new version of Drupal can be done in place, with automated backwards compatibility layers for deprecated code and APIs