The Wise Report

Drupal 10, the latest major release of the Drupal content management system (CMS), brings numerous enhancements that improve user experience, developer workflows, and overall performance. It builds upon the strong foundation of Drupal 9 but introduces modernized features, new tools, and future-ready technologies.

Here’s an overview of Drupal 10:

1. Key Features and Improvements in Drupal 10:

a) Updated Front-End Theme (Olivero)

• Olivero is the new default front-end theme for Drupal 10. It provides a modern, clean, and accessible design out of the box, making it easier for content creators and developers to build visually appealing websites.
• Olivero is fully responsive, WCAG AA compliant for accessibility, and optimized for usability.

b) New Back-End Theme (Claro)

• Claro is a new administration theme designed to offer a more user-friendly and accessible experience for site administrators and content editors.
• It has a cleaner interface, improved usability, and modern aesthetics, replacing the aging Seven theme that was used in previous versions.

c) CKEditor 5

• Drupal 10 integrates CKEditor 5 as the new rich text editor, replacing CKEditor 4.
• CKEditor 5 comes with a revamped user interface, better support for modern web standards, collaborative editing features, and enhanced performance.
• It offers customizable toolbar options, better media handling, and drag-and-drop capabilities, improving the content editing experience.

d) Symfony 6 and PHP 8.1 Compatibility

• Drupal 10 is built on Symfony 6, the latest version of the popular PHP framework that Drupal uses. Symfony 6 brings performance improvements, better security, and access to the latest PHP features.
• PHP 8.1 compatibility ensures that Drupal 10 leverages the latest PHP performance optimizations and security features. This also aligns with the goal of keeping Drupal up-to-date with modern development practices.

e) Automatic Updates

• One of the major innovations in Drupal 10 is automatic updates, which streamline the process of keeping Drupal core and contributed modules up to date. This feature is highly anticipated as it reduces the manual work involved in applying security patches and new updates, making Drupal more secure and easier to maintain.

f) Decoupled and Headless CMS Improvements

• Drupal 10 continues to improve its support for headless (or decoupled) architecture, which allows developers to use Drupal as a back-end CMS while delivering content to front-end frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.
• Enhanced support for JSON:API and GraphQL ensures that Drupal remains a strong option for decoupled CMS projects, enabling seamless content delivery to multiple platforms and devices.

g) Removed Deprecated Code

• With Drupal 10, all deprecated code from previous versions (especially from Drupal 9) has been removed. This helps streamline the codebase, ensuring faster execution and less legacy bloat.
• This also means that any modules or custom code relying on deprecated APIs from Drupal 9 will need to be updated or refactored.

h) JavaScript Modernization

• Drupal 10 embraces modern JavaScript practices and libraries. Outdated libraries like jQuery UI, which were previously bundled with Drupal, have been removed in favor of modern JavaScript frameworks.
• This aligns Drupal with current JavaScript trends, making it easier to integrate with popular frameworks and improve front-end performance.

i) Starterkit Theme Generator

• Drupal 10 introduces the Starterkit theme generator, which simplifies the process of creating custom themes. Instead of extending existing themes, developers can use the Starterkit tool to generate a theme with base features that they can further modify.
• This new approach ensures that themes are more maintainable and future-proof, as it allows custom themes to evolve independently of their parent themes.

2. Why Upgrade to Drupal 10?

• Performance: Symfony 6 and PHP 8.1 offer performance improvements that make websites built on Drupal 10 faster and more scalable.
• Security: Keeping your site up-to-date with the latest security standards is critical. Drupal 10, with features like automatic updates, ensures that security patches are applied promptly.
• User Experience: Both front-end users and administrators benefit from the cleaner, more modern themes (Olivero and Claro) and the improved editing experience with CKEditor 5.
• Future-Proofing: Upgrading to Drupal 10 ensures that your site will be supported for the foreseeable future. Drupal 9’s end-of-life is planned for November 2023, while Drupal 10 will receive long-term support.

3. Challenges of Upgrading to Drupal 10

• Module Compatibility: While many popular contributed modules are compatible with Drupal 10, some may need updates to work with the new version. Custom modules may also require refactoring to remove deprecated APIs from Drupal 9.
• Theme Updates: If you’re using custom themes or heavily modified older themes, you’ll likely need to update them to align with the new theming standards introduced by the Olivero theme and the Starterkit tool.
• Learning Curve: While Drupal 10 offers many improvements, there might be a learning curve for teams transitioning from earlier versions, particularly with new tools like CKEditor 5 and changes in JavaScript libraries.

4. Key Use Cases for Drupal 10

• Enterprise-Level Websites: Drupal 10 is a great choice for large, complex sites that require scalability, security, and flexibility. It is widely used in industries like government, education, media, and healthcare.
• Decoupled/Headless CMS: Drupal 10’s robust API-first architecture makes it ideal for building headless applications where content is delivered to front-end frameworks, mobile apps, or IoT devices.
• Content-Heavy Sites: For websites with a lot of content or complex content structures (like news portals or educational institutions), Drupal 10’s powerful content management capabilities are a significant advantage.
• Multi-Site Management: Drupal 10 is perfect for organizations that need to manage multiple websites from a single platform, thanks to its multi-site capabilities and flexible architecture.

Conclusion:

Drupal 10 represents a significant step forward in terms of usability, performance, and future-readiness. With modernized themes, a new text editor, and ongoing support for decoupled CMS architectures, Drupal 10 positions itself as a powerful platform for enterprise-level web development. While upgrading might come with some challenges, the long-term benefits in terms of security, performance, and developer experience make Drupal 10 an excellent choice for organizations looking to maintain cutting-edge websites.