About the book

The Field module is a new core module in Drupal 7, and is the next generation of the legendary Drupal 6 CCK (Content Construction Kit) module. The CCK was a developer's best friend, used on any Drupal project of any size. Now, the Field module builds on the strength of the CCK module, bringing new features to Drupal 7.

The Field module allows custom data fields to be attached to Drupal entities (content nodes, users, taxonomy vocabularies, and so on) and takes care of storing, loading, editing, and rendering field data.

In Drupal 7, you can create content types and you can add fields to any content type. You can rearrange the order in which fields are displayed and you can specify the label position and format of the field. Unlike in earlier versions, you do not need to download a separate module to add fields to a content type.

Wouldn't you like to know more about how to use this important and interesting feature?

Drupal 7 Fields/CCK Beginner's Guide helps you to get started quickly and to get beyond the basics to take full advantage of the fields system. It covers the key features of Drupal 7 fields that will help you get your Drupal 7 website up and running with a step-by-step approach to building a Drupal 7 website with the new fields system.

Drupal 7 Fields/CCK Beginner's Guide will show you how to create custom content types and fields, add fields to comments and vocabularies, reuse the existing fields, create Boolean and list fields, set default values to fields, add term references to content types, add file fields and image fields, create custom image styles, format fields' display for different view modes, use contributed modules to enhance the fields system, configure field-level permissions using the field-level permission module, and also to theme fields using the new Drupal 7 theme system. You will also learn the ins and outs of the fields system from the database perspective.

This hands-on guide will teach you to build Drupal websites that get the most out of the Drupal 7 Field module's powerful features.

A step-by-step comprehensive guide to learning Drupal 7 fields from scratch while building a Drupal 7 website

What you will learn from this book :

  • Customize web content by creating custom content types and fields through the Field's user interface
  • Enrich website functionality by adding fields to content types, comments, and vocabularies
  • Explore the interaction between multiple-value fields and multiple-value widgets
  • Create multiple value fields with Boolean and list field types
  • Categorize web content with term-reference fields for your website
  • Add file attachment ability to your Drupal site with file fields
  • Adjust and configure image effects with image styles for your website
  • Display and configure images with image fields
  • Manage field display on teaser, full-content, and RSS views for your website
  • Add and work with contributed modules to enhance field functionality
  • Theme and lay out fields using CSS and the Drupal 7 theme system on your website
  • Discover fields behind-the-scenes from the database perspective

Approach

This book is a beginner's guide, which has a comprehensive and step-by-step approach to building Drupal websites with fields. The book has examples, quizzes, and challenges for self-assessment and plenty of screenshots for easier and quicker understanding.

Who this book is written for

This book is designed primarily for people who know some basics of Drupal and want to familiarize themselves with CCK/Field. However, technical users will also find the book useful, as we will explore a wide variety of techniques that are used to build websites with fields.

About the Author

Dave Poon is a web developer and designer based in Sydney. He started his career as a freelance graphic and web designer in 1998 and works with web development agencies and medium-size enterprises. After graduating from Central Queensland University with a degree in Multimedia Studies and a Master's degree in IT he began his love affair with Drupal, and works for a variety of companies using Drupal.
Dave Poon currently works as a Software Engineer for Suncorp Group in Sydney, he is also the director of Erlango (http://erlango.com), a web product development startup, located in Sydney and Hong Kong, using Drupal as a framework to create web products and customized CMS.
He was the technical reviewer for Drupal Intranets with Open Atrium, published by Packt Publishing.

Want a Sample?

To help promote the content provided within this book, Packt is generous enough to provide two sample articles (chapter excerpts) from the book:

Get 20% off!

If you order the book through the Packt website, you can save 20% off the cover price. Use Drupal7CCK20 (case sensitive) when ordering through the official book web page http://link.packtpub.com/UHWlAH

Packt donates directly to the Drupal Foundation

Packt also contributes a portion of every book sale back to Drupal. So purchasing any Packt book on Drupal provides financial support for the project.

Comments

aaron1948’s picture

I have skimmed through this book, and it seems quite interesting and informational.

However, I came upon two issues that are preventing me from participating in the tutorial example the book uses, whereby a reader follows along and builds an example project.

1. The publisher, Packt, provides downloadable Code -- but (a) neither this "Learn by doing" book, nor its Website provide any instructions about how to use the Code. (b) The code contains Drupal installation files from a Drupal 7.0alpha installation. So how does one use this "old" code when Drupal 7 has reached the 7.8 version? (c) Does one use the code by doing a standalone installation? Or copy it over a 7.8 installation? Why and how would a reader use code from a previous version? (d) And, again, simply, what should one do with the Code -- no instructions or tips are provided, although the book's cover contains the phrase, "Beginner's Guide."

2. Even more perplexing: On page 8, the reader is told that he/she can follow along with the book's site building tutorials by either downloading the project file from www.packtpub.com, OR going to www.drupal7fieldsbook.com. But the first screen at www.drupal7fieldsbook.com requires a username and password--but the book does not provide these. So the site is not accessible. In the downloadable code, there is a text file that contains two usernames and passwords, but neither of these work and, anyway, a book reader should not have to download Code in order to view the book's website project, or download the Code to search for access information.

So now I'm left with a book that has Code and a website that are inaccessible. I hope I'm missing something. If I'm not, this book has serious useability issues.

Anonymous’s picture

I'm following this book to learn about fields.

I have downloaded the code but the explanations to install it where too complicated.
I am a beginner, learning the basics, that's the point of buying this book.

Also to access the website indicated on page 9, www.drupal7fieldsbook.com
you need a login and a password.
My packtpub.com login does not work.

The author made the hardest part by presenting us a nice step by step concrete
project development to learn fields and included a companion site.
The final touch could be letting us see the project on the site
and facilitate the use of the code to build it ourselves.

So if anyone knows a quick way to install the code and
also how to get the credentials to access the website,
please let us know ...

Thank you.

tonydearaujo’s picture

This book may be an introduction to fields but I don't believe the book is written for beginners in Drupal core.
The author assumes we already know how to install and configure a basic Drupal site.
The problem I see when someone new to Drupal reads this book is that it does more harm than good. Unless the reader is just trying to have an overview of what fields are all about without attempting to follow all the detailed exercises. It may also be a good reference book so if you are a beginner to Drupal, keep the book as it will make more sense later.

Now, if the reader has done a couple of installations then he/she should have no problem adapt his or her own situation to this book and everything should work out.

As for how to install Drupal there are many articles about it online.
Here's one of my own:
http://icontemp.com/lusitanus/d7_quick_install_guide
It's a bit different, more like a checklist of the procedures I take when I install Drupal myself.
I hope it helps someone.
tony

firecentaur’s picture

Hi I just checked, and unfortunately, the promotional code Drupal7CCK20 is no longer valid...