Best method for Experienced Programmer to learn Drupal Framework

Question

I do mostly PHP programming but also have work experience in python, C++, Java, and Objective C. Our company is merging with another company that is a Drupal house which means I need to learn it quickly. Any tips, books, sites, blogs, etc. for an experienced programmer without any real Drupal experience?

Answer 1

I'm in the same boat at the moment. My boss has given me a bunch of ebooks on drupal, various Lullabot videos, etc.. but so far the best thing I've found so far has been the drupal site for the basics, then poking through the source of themes/plugins to see exactly how they work. Most of the published stuff, I've found, is fluffy "click here to publish a page. the end."

Answer 2

You might want to start with the API reference...

• http://api.drupal.org/

I started by just using Drupal and looking for the correct modules, but after some time, I realised that I need to do custom coding as well. The API reference is a great way to do that.

Also, when I need to use module-specific functions, I generally like to simply browse the module file and check what functions it contains. From time to time, this means writing new functions (for instance, the User module doesn't seem to have a function to check whether a user has a specific role assigned).

The basics (installation, module overviews...) plus some moderately advanced stuff can be learned from screencasts:

• http://gotdrupal.com/
• http://learnbythedrop.com/
• http://www.masteringdrupal.com/

Also great stuff to be learned over at Lullabot:

• http://www.lullabot.com/

I'm planning to do a series of vids on Drupal theming, although I'm unable to predict when it's going to be ready. This blog has some info about advanced theming:

• http://mydrupalblog.lhmdesign.com/

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

For development, the "Pro Drupal Development" book is the most useful reference I know of. I wrote a Getting Started with Drupal reference card that provides a quick overview along with links to useful resources.

For site building, "Using Drupal" book is useful, though the best practices are evolving a lot lately. Drush and Features are both changing a lot about how sites are being built.