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Building Pages

Blocks vs Context vs Panels

What is a page? HTML Rendered by DrupalThrough a series of hooks and preprocessors

How does Drupal build pages? Menus

Regions

Blocks

Node

Widgets / Content provided by modules*

BLOCKS

What is a block?

How does the current block system work? Regions provided by theme

Visibility Enabled / Disabled

Path

Roles

Custom PHP in database = BAD

http://drupal.org/handbook/modules/block

CONTEXT The advanced page builder

What is Context? Context allows you to manage contextual conditions and reactions for different portions of your site. - http://drupal.org/project/context

It is a module.

http://drupal.org/project/context

Context UI

What does Context allow us to do? Much more powerful than block system. Menus

Views

Theme

No PHP in DB

Multiple context can exist per page.

PanelsThe visual page builder

What is Panels?At its core it is a drag and drop content manager that lets you visually design a layout and place content within that layout.

PANELS UI

What does Panels allow us to do? Drag-n-drop

Much more powerful than block system. Menus

Views

Theme

Built-in Caching mechanism

Content within page is aware of other content

Not limited to template regions

What are the benefits of using Panels or Context? More efficient

Rapid Development

Control more than blocks

Exportable

The FUTURE

PANELS vs

CONTEXT

Pros Powerful

Point-n-Click

Not dependent on template

Content/Context aware

Caching

Cons Path dependent

Complex UI

Pros Powerful

Point-n-Click

Content/Context aware

Simple UI

Cons Abstract

Limited layout options

When should I use Panels? Client or site-builders need to move content around

Complex page layouts

URL structured layouts Variants gives more flexibility

When should I use Context? Developer driven site

Theme provides enough regions Context Layout gives more flexibility

Context driven layouts