25 Cool Drupal modules for site builders | February 2016
Let’s get straight to the point:
1. Infinite scroll
On many websites we are currently seeing ‘infinite scroll’ instead of page numbers. For sure you know how it works: at the bottom of a list with items (f.e. an activity stream) 20 new items are automatically loaded.
This module implements a ‘jQuery auto-pager plugin’ that provides the above functionality. It is possible to configure:
- on which page it is active;
- a ‘load more’ button or automatically loading new items.
Infinite scroll
Drupal 7
2. OpenLucius Inline Images
This module provides Drupal distribution OpenLucius to add images to text.
The image is well protected as well: only users in the relevant (work)group can view images and directly request them via url — users that are not a member of the group cannot.
The Drupal Grants system is respected, something that all other ‘image managers’ are lacking; that’s why we decided to ‘scratch our own itch.
OpenLucius inline images
Drupal 7
3. Simple social icons
Social icons are omnipresent on webpages. It is a direct integral connection to your online presence. This module provides an easy way to place the icons and display personal colors. Furthermore, this module implements 2 blocks:
- ‘Share’ (parts) of a page.
- ‘Follow’ for example your Twitter account or Facebook page.
Social icons
Drupal 8 alpha
4. Secure Login
Safely sending data over the internet will be standard in the near future. Search engines like Google will probably better evaluate protected websites.
This module facilitates sending and receiving encrypted data via https. For example, data from forms and passwords. It also forces safely sending cookies to prevent session hijacking.
Secure Login
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
5. Watcher
If you want to be informed about changes in an article or the posted comments, then this module can help. It makes sure that visitors of your Drupal website can ‘watch’ (follow) nodes and comments, also without posting a comment themselves. Some features:
- Email notifications can be set per node.
- Usable for both anonymous and registered visitors.
- Configurable email templates.
- Visitors can receive an overview of everything they are ‘watching’ (following).
Watcher
Drupal 7
6. Colorbox (Drupal 8 release)
Colorbox is a jQuery plugin, mainly used to display images in a pop-up slideshow. This module implements Colorbox in Drupal and has been popular since Drupal 6; the Drupal 8 version has been released yesterday.
Colorbox
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
7. Markdown (Drupal 8 Release)
Markdown, for me an indispensible tool when writing content. You don’t want to fiddle around with a WYSIWYG editor but you do want to format text quickly and easy? Markdown. Now also available in Drupal 8. Nice!
Markdown
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
8. Isotope (with Masonry)
‘Filter & sort magical layouts’ is the tagline of Isotope, a javascript library which is beautifully aligning blocks on your webpages, on every device and screen.
This module can be integrated with Drupal Views, so you can align simple selections of content by Isotope — without having to integrate the javascript in your Drupal system. But Views is not necessary, you can also use it in your own theme features.
Isotope
Drupal 7
9. Toolbar Menu
Some admin pages are visited often and you want to reach at once. This module helps configure which items are displayed in the main menu.
Toolbar menu
Drupal 8
10. Focal Point
Drupal can automatically crop images so they are always beautifully aligned for your visitors. But it can happen that Drupal cuts important pieces of an image.
This module provides a solution for this: you select a ‘focal point’ in the image so Drupal knows the key point in the image. When the image is automatically cropped this point will be considered key and will not be cut out.
Focal point
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8 dev
11. Node-level Blocks
By default it is possible to place a Drupal block on certain pages based on content type or specific paths and nodes. But you can always select just one region (position) on the page (f.e. left sidebar). This module allows you to determine per node in which region the block should be placed.
Also see this blog by Deeson
Node level blocks
Drupal 7
12. Simple hierarchical select
If you have a lot of vocabularies and terms that are hierarchically (nested) structured then it can sometimes be a challenge to find the right one when adding content. This module solves this problem by displaying the hierarchy in various drop down boxes so you can find the right term more quickly.
Simple hierarchical select
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8 alpha
13. Computed Field
Provides a field (Drupal Field) where you can define certain logics (via PHP) such as calculations on users/node data or values from other imported fields. You can find some code snippets here as an example.
Note that this code will be placed in the database, and not in GIT. Bugtracking is therefore also more difficult and ‘Pareviewing’ of the code is not taken into account. This module is not recommended when you are working in a team of developers on a Drupal System.
Computed Field
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
14. Custom Publishing Options
Sometimes you are in need of additional ‘publishing options’ with a node, like ‘archive’ or ‘featured’. Through this module they can be configured and used in Views.
Custom Publishing Options
Drupal 7
15. Override Node Options
In some cases you want content managers to only enter a title and description, but not ‘author’, ‘revisions’ or for example ‘sticky’. In default Drupal you have the choice between everything and nothing. But with this module you can set more detailed permissions per field, so that certain roles have limited rights to modify node fields.
Override Node Options
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
16. Disqus
Commenting platform that can be integrated on every website and with lots of added value compared to the default Drupal response system, read here more why. This module is easy to install and integrates Disqus in your Drupal system.
Disqus
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
17. Publication Date
Drupal nodes have by default a ‘created’ and ‘changed’ date, but no ‘published’ date. Sometimes this can come in handy.
Publication Date
Drupal 7
18. Restrict password change
Within Drupal core users can be given rights to add other users, but then they can also automatically change the passwords of everybody. If you don’t want that, then install this module to add a new permission ‘change other users password’.
Restrict password change
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
19. User Expire
Do you want to give a user temporarily access to your Drupal system, for example a client in your social intranet or a temporary content manager? This module helps creating temporary access and ensures a user is automatically blocked after a certain time. This way you cannot forget it and data will not accidentally leak.
User Expire
Drupal 7
20. Custom Search
Do you like to give your Drupal visitors more options when searching than just one search box? This module provides a solution for this by searching in desired content types or a specific module. You can also configure the type of field instead of just a free text field.
Custom search
Drupal 7 & Drupal 8
21. Cache Flush
Drupal has standard limited configuration options to empty the cache. This module provides a solution for this. It claims to be the ‘ultimate tool’ to empty caches within Drupal. It is possible to make a number of presets to set all the requirements related to caches for different servers. Usable with all roles and since version 3 it is also supporting Memcache and Varnish.
Cache Flush
Drupal 7 & drupal 8
22. Relative Path to Absolute URLs
Provides a filter that generates absolute url’s from relative url’s; so relevant images are also becoming visible in for example newsletters, Drupal planet and other external systems.
Relative Path to Absolute URLs
Drupal 7 & drupal 8
23. Flush Facebook Cache
I have encountered this more often: after writing a blog and posting it on Facebook, I wanted to change a text or image. But once Facebook has indexed your page, it is placed in the cache. The next time you are posting the url of your page on Facebook, it shows an outdated image. This module provides a solution for that.
Flush Facebook Cache
Drupal 7
24. Bootstrap Library (Drupal 8 release)
Release for Drupal 8 of the popular HTML framework Bootstrap — our favourite.
Bootstrap Library
25. Views Autocomplete Filters
In Views you can set up filters through which visitors of your Drupal system can filter (search) a.o. with free text fields within a View (f.e. a list with content). This makes the search easier by adding an ‘auto complete’. So as soon as the visitor starts to type, this module will complement the entry with suggestions. See also this tutorial:
Wrap up
Ok, that’s it for this month. Questions or feedback? Let me know. Next month again a cool modules update, so stay tuned!
