Drupal is a leading CMS for businesses of all types and sizes. Many companies are optimistic that the CMS will evolve and expand in tandem with their company as a solid and robust open-source platform. However, you need to hire an advanced-level web developer who is well-versed in the Drupal framework.
So, how do you find a developer with these skill sets? What are the skills you need to look for while hiring an advanced-level Drupal developer? An advanced-level Drupal developer should be aware of the skills necessary to design a site that matches or exceeds your expectations.
When interviewing potential Drupal developers, you can go over the skills they have to give and how those skills translate to Drupal. To make it simpler for you, we have prepared a list of few key skills your developer should know. As a result, you should prepare to employ a Drupal developer ready to design the ideal Drupal website for your requirements.
A Strong Knowledge of PHP & PHP Frameworks
While several developers can sail from one CMS to the next, primary coding languages need to be familiar to the developer to work with Drupal. As Drupal 7 gets created with PHP and Drupal 8 is constructed with Symfony (a PHP framework), you need to have working experience with PHP and PHP frameworks.
The customized production of Drupal also relies on MySQL and JQuery information. MySQL understanding is required to set up your Drupal database, while JQuery (javaScript library), primary DOM, occurrences, effects, and AJAX functions are simpler to do.
Experience Installing & Building Drupal Modules
Drupal modules enable you to incorporate a wide range of third-party resources and tools into your site. As a result, your web page will serve as both a portal for accessing all of your most commonly used resources from a single location and a more highly personalized tool for your website visitors to use.
In addition to installation, your developer should be able to create modules. If you have an application with no modules in mind, the developer needs to develop a personalized module for you.
Familiarity With Drupal Theme Development
Most of the functionality on your Drupal site gets provided by modules, but what about design? The theme of your site will have a significant impact on the look of your site (or user interface) and, as a result, the user experience you offer. Aside from a strong understanding of UI/UX architecture, properly theming a website is essential.
Although the Drupal community has thousands of themes to choose from (over 2,000+ now), you will find that most themes can fulfill most of your design needs but not all. If you expect your site to need a unique theme, you should make sure that your developer can create a custom theme if appropriate.
A Grasp on Version Control with Git
Developers use Git and GitHub to achieve version control for all project sizes and styles. Although using Git and GitHub has become commonplace, you can take comfort in knowing that your developer does, and here’s why git itself aids developers in their work by making it easier for them to access their project files.
Furthermore, by storing code in a GitHub repository, your developer can keep track of the code for each version of your Drupal project that they create. So, if anything goes wrong with the code in the future, he can roll it back to a previous version.
Debugging & Updating a Drupal Site
Aside from knowing how to use Git version control, Drupal developers should find bugs in their code as they write it. At the same time, no developer can spot any errors or issues while coding, the correction of mistakes will save time and prevent further problems during coding processes.
Although debugging during the development phase is beneficial, fixing bugs after the site goes live is critical. Not all Drupal developers provide post-launch maintenance, but those who do will make it much easier to ensure that your site is bug-free, up to date, and provides the best user experience for your users.
Command Line Interface (CLI) Tool
Working with a Command Line Interface Tool is an essential skill set for a Drupal developer. It allows you to be more involved in your activities. It can easily automate repetitive tasks, and it can complete tasks without switching from application to application. Also, using software like Drush to perform tasks typically takes three or more mouse clicks to complete.
Understanding Of Databases
Understanding how to deal with databases is a necessary skill for developers. Developers should perform all operations, such as creating, inserting, updating, and deleting records. Without a database, no company can make some application or software.
Knowing Basics Of Networking
In 70% – 80% of instances, developers work, or applications get based on the client-server model. It can redirect a request to a server around the network. Customers can be accessible from anywhere in the world. Basic networking knowledge is required for developers to create and maintain an application.
If the architecture is not getting configured, it may cause HTTP requests to fail over the network. In a client/server architecture, an individual or client sends an internet POST request processed on the server, and after the server processes the data request, the result gets returned to the client. Today, client-server architecture gets used in most applications such as web-based, online gaming, business automation, and cloud computing. So we cannot deny that networking fundamentals are also necessary skills for developers before they begin programming.
Cross-Platform Software
When a product gets built or created, it gets expected to run on various platforms such as Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. In a nutshell, cross-platform helps you to write code once and share it across several platforms.
Since most consumers already use mobile devices or smartphones to access products or services, a developer needs to create a product that the most significant number of systems can adopt. When the program gets tailored to the most important number of devices, it will gradually increase the number of customers. For a better career opportunity and growth in software development, whether you are a novice or advanced level programmer, you should be familiar with working with cross-platform software.
An In-Depth Knowledge of Drupal Security
If Drupal is your platform of choice, you are probably already aware of its high level of protection.
In a severe company project, the developer must also take care of security concerns and maintain the company’s entire data with proper backups, which is why any company expects a developer who handles the databases and is comfortable managing the whole records safely. SQL is without a doubt the most common classic database among drupal developers. If you want to be a good developer, you should write at least simple SQL queries. You can work with Oracle, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, and others.
Although it is one of the most reliable systems available, it is not resistant to security threats. As a result, your Drupal developer will need to know how to keep your new site safe. Ensuring the security of a Drupal domain, for the most part, is more concerned with keeping the site and its modules up to date. Nonetheless, to make your site as secure as possible, your developer would need to implement additional safeguards, such as installing protection modules to prevent bots from accessing sensitive files, among other items.
Other Skills
- Capability to study and install modules to meet project requirements;
- Ability to configure the basic modules and settings in the core to get a site up and running and Capability to use the Drush command-line tool.
- The ability to build a custom theme from scratch that adheres to HTML/CSS code standards
- The ability to customize the core, forms, and themes using template.php or custom modules rather than modifying the core files.
- The ability to create forms from scratch using the API and validation and posting to the database/email.
- The ability to create custom modules from the ground up using core hooks and module hooks.
- Be interested in the project, recognize naming conventions and the CVS scheme, and preferably have submitted any code or revisions.
- The developer should be familiar with some critical Drupal APIs. Consider the words Node and Queue.
Bottom Line
Drupal is a popular CMS to create websites for large corporations, universities, and organizations. Furthermore, it is a solid and efficient open-source platform that fully manages your business. However, you need to hire a good website developer to create a successful Drupal website. In the case of Drupal, you must employ a Drupal developer with a robust skillset. Otherwise, you can seek assistance from a web development service provider to meet the website’s requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
PHP is like the language Drupal speaks. Advanced developers are fluent in PHP, enabling them to create custom functionalities, modules, and themes to meet specific project needs.
It’s like being the architect of a building. Advanced developers excel at designing robust site architectures, ensuring scalability, performance, and a seamless user experience.
Absolutely! It’s like having a magic wand. Advanced developers can craft custom modules, add specialized features, and extend Drupal’s capabilities for your project.
It’s like tailoring your website for different outfits. Advanced developers implement responsive design practices, making your website look great and function seamlessly on any device.
Yes! It’s like having a high-performance engine. Advanced developers optimize code, implement caching strategies, and fine-tune configurations to ensure your website runs fast and efficiently.
Think of it like being part of a tech club. Advanced developers actively engage in the Drupal community, attend events, and stay informed about the latest updates, trends, and best practices.
Databases are like the memory of your website. Advanced developers are skilled in MySQL, ensuring efficient data storage, retrieval, and optimized database queries.
Think of it as being a website detective. Advanced developers excel in debugging, troubleshooting, and resolving issues promptly, ensuring a smooth and error-free user experience.
