So I'm one month into learning Drupal, and the more I learn the more I'm impressed. The code is so compact but powerful -- it HAS to be the best use of PHP around. Congrats and thanks. I can't believe it's free!
I find my biggest problems are with themeing. I'm sure I still have much to learn, but it's definitely counter intuitive for me to control the way data is presented. I have picky clients who want their data JUST SO.
I am probably not doing this in the most Drupal-ly way, but I end up making CCK nodes (I have 4 or 5 types) and then show them directly in node view, teaser view and list view. The 'view' mode of fields has been cleaned and handled by Drupal, so I know I SHOULD use that, but it also always have extra paragraph tags, or a wrapping divs with classes put in there. I know it's for my own good -- but I want to control that. So I use the 'value' mode sometimes (I know, for shame) -- and of course then I run into problems when my users put in smart quotes, etc.
What I wish is that I could get a cleaned version of the value with ONLY HTML that my clients put in there. I'll take care of the wrapping divs and classes in my tpl files!
Anyone else feel that way? Again, I'm sure as I get more comfortable I'll be able to go with the existing flow better. BUt for right now, I love Drupal right up until I have to show the presentation of my customized content, and then I become very aware of how naive I am in this system! Oh, I know there's a way to theme a particular FIELD with Views. But CCK? How do I create and set a handler? It doesn't feel like that's what I'm suposed to do anyway.