Cynthia Mijares's Blog Posts

Google is always improving!  So, here's an update to my last post on how to add a Google map to your website.

Many websites have a "Contact" or "Directions" page that requires a map. You can use Google Maps to create a customized map and embed it on your webpage. 

Creating a Google Map

1. Log into your Google account.
2. Navigate to Google Maps.
3. Enter the location in the search bar and press enter/return on your keyboard.

Share or Embed a Google Map

1. In the lower right corner of the browser winder, click the gear button and select Share and embed map. 
   

   

2. You will get a two options, Share link or Embed map.  
3. To share the map link, select the link and add that to your website so users can click to see a Google map.
   

   

4. To embed the map in your website, click the Embed map tab. Select the iframe code provided by Google.
   

   

5. Go the the webpage where you want to embed a Google Map.
6. Click the Edit tab.
7. Be sure the Text format is set to Full HTML. Then in the Body field paste the embed code.

Taxonomy.  What is it and why should I use it in my Drupal site?  In this blog post I will introduce you to the Taxonomy module.

By definition, taxonomy is the division of things into ordered groups or categories. In this use case, we have a site with many pages and I want to specify certain pages for students and other pages for faculty or staff.

Create a taxonomy vocabulary and terms

1. Enable the Taxomony module.
2. From Structure > Taxonomy > Add Vocabulary, create a new Taxonomy Vocabulary.
3. Once your vocabulary is created, click add terms.
4. Add a term and optional description.  You have the option to Generate automatic URL alias which will give you a page of all the items tagged with this term. Then click Save. Repeat this step for each additional term.

Add taxonomy field to a content type

See a previous post to add new fields to a content type as a reference.

1. Select a field type of Term reference and a widget of Check boxes/radio buttons or Select list.  Autocomplete term widget (tagging) is used when you want to allow the user to add their own terms.
2. Choose the Vocabulary to reference then click Save field settings. Set any additional settings then click Save settings.

Next time you create or edit that content type, you will have the option to categorize it with the term(s) you created. You can place the term ID URL in a menu and easily access content tagged with that term ID.

Going further with Taxonomy

In addition to seeing a taxonomy page for each term, you can use your taxonomy terms to control what shows up in a filtered view, but that's a tutorial for another day.

Welcome back! This is the blog post number ten in a series on how to create a Drupal 7 personal website using Stanford Sites. Last time we learned how to create a new content type. In this post we'll customize the node edit form.

Customizing the node edit form lets you reorder fields so that they are presented to your content creators in a more intuitive way. Think about how your content creators will be adding information for this particular content type, and try to order the fields in the most logically, related way.

Manage the node edit form

1. From the admin menu bar, navigate to Structure > Content types > Basic page > Manage form.
2. On the Manage form page, you can:

• Click and drag the double-pointed arrow to re-arrange the order fields.
• Check the Hide option to hide the field from the node edit form.
• Use the double-pointed arrow to drag fields to a different Region or click on the region box arrow to move a field to the Main column, Right region, or Footer region of the edit form.

When you are finished editing, remember to click the Save button.

Create a field grouping

You can also group fields into collapsible field groupings for a better user experience in the node edit form.

1. From the admin menu bar, click on Modules and enable the Fieldgroup module. Click Save configuration.
2. From the admin menu bar, navigate to Structure > Content types > Basic page > Manage fields.
3. On the Manage fields page, Add new group.
   
4. Give your group a Label and Group name.
5. Click the Save button.
6. Once you save the Content type, you will see the new group listed with the rest of the fields.
7. Use the double-pointed arrow to drag fields in a different order and nest fields under groupings.
8. When you are finished editing, click the Save button.

Edit a Fieldset

The fieldset is set to be collapsible and required by default.  This can be edited by clicking on the gear button.  Options include:

• Update the field group label.
• Change the fieldgroup settings to open, collapsed, or collapsible.
• Mark group for required fields.
• Add extra CSS classes.

When done, click the Update button. Then scroll to the bottom and click the Save button.

Check it out!

Now when a new Basic page is created or edited, the image field is now in a collapsed fieldgroup called Advanced. Click Advanced to open and edit the additional fields. Then click Advanced again to collapse the fieldgroup.

Better late than never for a BADCamp wrap-up! This year I was able to attend both the Higher Ed Summit on Friday and conference sessions on Saturday at Bay Area Drupal Camp. My personal highlights are below.

Higher Ed Summit

Collaboration Drupal training for researchers

Quinn from UC Berkeley presented some tips for us to train researchers on how to use Drupal.  Drupal installation is a big barrier to overcome. 

• Researchers just want to focus on their research
• Drupal terminology is a new language (blocks, menus etc.)
• Visual components are really helpful at a second meeting
• Find the right balance and when to present warnings to the client – we don't want to scare them off
• Want to establish a good workflow in creating the structure correct the first time around
• Examples are crucial in deciding structure to go forward with (content types and views)

Benefits of Cloud Hosting

Jeff from Pantheon shared with a new way of thinking about our University websites.

• Universities are using websites primarily for marketing
• Think of websites as a utility like electricity instead of something to build and maintain
• Take advantage of Pantheon cloud hosting – one less thing to worry about

It was a great to share ideas and be inspired by the work that other folks are doing. 

Things that sparked my interest

• PP Profile - manipulate images in the WYSIWYG with ckeditor 4
• Top Shelf Modules - work actively with maintainers to improve code quality, consistency, documentation, support issue queue questions, push patches and set standards which makes contrib better for the Drupal community.