Making and Using Features in Drupal

Nguyen Tien Si

GO1

Why?

Features?

Image source: https://www.drupal.org/node/580026

Key features

Deployment
Reusable
Versioning

Updating, modifying and reverting Features

Feature X
Feature Y
Feature Z

Pros and Cons

Pros

Can export almost components in Drupal to features
Easy to use: UI, Click and Click
Easy to deploy: Install & revert to stable configuration if have something wrong
It can be easily stored in version control
It can be debugged
It can be “diffed”
It has separation of content and configuration
Better for teamwork

Cons

Hard or Can't export dynamic content to features: Node, User, Taxonomy, Block.
Sometime have problem with menu link when site already is running on production.
Can't revert features when edit field option value (eg: CROM project)
Big problem with:
- No drush
- All in one features

Naming & Structure

Coding Standard

https://go1web.atlassian.net/wiki/display/GVN/Coding+standards%2C+security+and+best+practices

//Depend on JIRA key
//Example: SBH project
//If project is small and just has one features, should be:

  modules/
    contrib/
    custom/
    features/
      sbhf/ //main features 

//If project is big and have many features (like GC, Aduro), should be:

  modules/
    contrib/
    custom/
    features/
      sbh_core/ //core features
      sbh_blog/ //sub features

Deploy Workflow

Workflow

Dev
Stage
Prod

Code: Dev -> Stage -> Prod

Database: Prod -> Stage -> Dev

Tips & Best Practices

Menu Link

Avoid export menu link (dynamic content) into the features

// Dev site

features[menu_links][] = menu-header-menu_help:node/10 
//node/10 point to Help page

// Stage site
features[menu_links][] = menu-header-menu_help:node/10 
//node/10 point to other page

// Prod site
features[menu_links][] = menu-header-menu_help:node/10 
//node/10 point to other page

// So when deploy should be fail if don't have same database.

Development module

Avoid export development module into features

// Don't need development module on prod.

dependencies[] = devel

Field Option

Avoid change value of field option in field config

// Dev

foo|FOO

// Stage

FOO|FOO

// Should be fail when reverting

Solr server

Do not export solr server to features

// Dev site
URI: http://example-d.com/solr/drupal
Host: example.com
Protocol: http
Port: 80
Path: /solr/drupal

// Stage site
URI: https://example-s.com/solr/drupal
 
Host: example-s.com
Protocol: https
Port: 443
Path: /solr/drupal
User: user
Pass: [secret]