Do those of you who are using Drupal for commercial sites generally do all the work on a developmental server and get everything just so before moving it all to a live server even if there isn't currently anything on the live server as far as content? Just curious
I am thinking about using Drupal for building a new website for a nonprofit group that collects environmental data from a large number of members, all of whom are stored in a MySQL database and identified by member ID numbers. The member ID numbers also associate them to all of the data they have submitted and allow them access to their personal data. Currently everything is implemented as a hodge-podge of custom Perl and PHP scripts that read from the database.
I already have my entire website created using java. I want to use Drupal just for one page of the site, which has a blog type format to it, making drupal ideal. Can I duplicate the template I already have for my website so that someone who visits the site won't be able to tell the difference between the drupal page and every over page?
I've made a few Drupal sites, mostly the basic stuff: adjusting some themes, adding some modules and configuring them, etc. During all that I've learned the basics, and I found my way through quite a few problems I encountered.
But some of the real basics I forgot to use, so I decided to a project for myself now, do it without any time pressure and do it like it's supposed to be. And that's where I would like some feedback from you, to see if I understand everything correctly and to push me in the right directions where needed.
First of all, the site I want to make. With a mate of mine I'm going to Australia in September and I want to make a site to make a site where we can tell everyone where we're planning on going and I'd like to try and keep a blog while we're there, a photo album, all that kind of stuff. Nothing I haven't done before, but now comes the first part that I never did : taxonomy/categories. Reading about it it sounds perfect to me to use for this little project.
I would like to know whether drupal is the solution to a project I am developing. This is whats happening:
2 sets of users.
User type 1 Free
Signs up with their personal details, personal statements and location and perhaps video clip or image.
They cannot view other profiles or search (either user)
User type 2 Currently free but may be a fee at a later date.
Can search and view for type 1 users, cannot view other type 2 users.
Limited details i.e company name, company profile, telephone.