Getting Started with Drupal

← Return to the Drupal User Guide

Lets begin by learning how to login to Drupal, then move onto the learning about how of the Drupal console works, and finally end with how publishing works.

1.1 Logging Into Drupal

You only need a web browser to use Drupal. You do not need to download or install any special software. Access to specific websites and profiles on the Swarthmore College website are dependent on your individual user permissions.

1. To login to Drupal, type swarthmore.edu/user into the web browser of your choice.
2. Login using your network username and password credentials.
3. After logging in, you will be redirected to your Drupal Account Information page.

Tip

You'll know you've successfully logged into Drupal when you see My Sites and your name appear in the black menu bar at the top of the browser window.

Figure: The Drupal toolbar after a successful login.

1.2 How the Drupal Console Works

Clicking on your name will open a submenu below the black menu bar with a Log Out option. You can use this to logout of Drupal when you are done editing content in the system.

Figure: The Drupal toolbar showing the logout button

1.2.1 My Sites

Clicking My Sites will open a submenu below the black menu bar that has two options:

1. View My Sites - lists all the websites that you currently have permission to edit.
2. View My Profiles - lists all the profiles that you currently have permission to edit.

Figure: The View My Sites page lists the websites you have permission to edit.

1.2.2 View My Sites

Clicking the View My Sites link will display a list all the websites that you currently have permission to edit. It will also indicate if the website is currently published.

1. Websites | Profiles - lets you toggle between websites or profiles.
2. Search - allows you to search the list of websites. This tool helpful if you have access to multiple websites.
3. Title | Website Published - Displays the site(s) that you have have access to edit. Clicking the site name will take you directly to the website so that you can begin editing it. Website Published displays if the website is currently published or not.

Figure: The View My Sites page lists the websites you have permission to edit.

Drupal Training

You must complete Drupal training before being given editing access to any website.

If you have questions about user permissions, please contact web-update@swarthmore.edu.

1.2.3 View My Profiles

View My Profiles lists all the Drupal profiles that you have permission to edit. It also indicates whether each profile is currently published. Selecting a name from the list will take you directly to that person's profile so you can begin editing it.

Most Drupal users will only have permission to edit their own profile. Some departments, however, grant shared access so designated staff members can manage profiles on behalf of others. This is commonly used by administrative assistants who maintain faculty profile information, such as office hours and contact details.

1. Websites | Profiles — Switches between the websites and profiles lists.
2. Search — Searches the list of profiles. This is especially useful if you have permission to edit multiple profiles.
3. Name | Profile Page Published — Displays the profiles you have permission to edit. Selecting a name opens that profile for editing. The list also indicates whether each profile page is currently published.

Tip

Most Drupal editors will only have permission to edit their own profile unless shared access has been configured for their department.

Figure: The View My Profiles page lists the Drupal profiles you have permission to edit.

1.2.4 Toolbar Controls

The upper-right corner of the Drupal toolbar contains two controls that let you customize your editing experience.

1. Toggle Contextual Links — Turns Drupal's in-context editing mode on or off. When enabled, edit icons appear next to editable content throughout the page.
2. Toggle Menu Bar Orientation — Switches the Drupal administration toolbar between a horizontal layout across the top of the page and a vertical layout along the left side.

Figure: The Drupal toolbar includes controls for enabling contextual editing and changing the toolbar layout.

1.2.5 Toggle Contextual Links

The Toggle Contextual Links button enables Drupal's in-context editing mode. When turned on, pencil icons appear next to editable content throughout the page, allowing you to jump directly to the editor for a section or component without first navigating through the menu bar.

This feature is especially useful when making small changes because it lets you edit content directly where it appears on the page.

Tip

Contextual links are only visible to users with permission to edit the page. Website visitors will never see these edit icons.

Figure: When contextual links are enabled, edit icons appear next to editable content throughout the page.

1.2.6 Toggle Menu Bar Orientation

The Toggle Menu Bar Orientation button changes how the Drupal administration toolbar is displayed.

• Horizontal — Displays the toolbar across the top of the browser window. This is the default layout.
• Vertical — Displays the toolbar in a collapsible panel along the left side of the browser window. Some editors prefer this layout because it provides more vertical space for editing.

You can switch between the two layouts at any time. Drupal remembers your preference for future editing sessions.

Horizontal Toolbar

Figure: The default horizontal toolbar layout.

Vertical Toolbar

Figure: The optional vertical toolbar layout.

1.3 How Publishing Works

Every page in Drupal exists in one of three publishing states: Published, Draft, or Unpublished. Understanding these states is important because they determine who can view your content.

• Published — The page is live and publicly accessible. Visitors can view the page using its URL.
• Draft — A working copy that is only visible to Drupal editors. Drafts allow you and your collaborators to make changes without affecting the live website. When the page is ready, change its state to Published and save it to make the changes public.
• Unpublished — The page is hidden from public view but remains in Drupal. Unpublishing does not delete the page. It can be edited and republished later. Visitors who attempt to access an unpublished page will receive an Access Forbidden message.

Before You Unpublish

• Unpublishing does not delete a page. If you need a page permanently removed from Drupal, contact the Web Team.
• Never unpublish your site's homepage.
• Avoid unpublishing pages that have child pages or other dependencies unless you understand the impact on your site.

1.3.1 The Publishing Console

The publishing controls are located in the right-hand column of the page editor. From top to bottom, you'll find the following sections:

1. Last Saved / Author — Displays when the page was last saved and identifies the original author.
2. Revision Log Message — Lets you record notes about the changes you've made. Revision log messages are visible only to Drupal editors and can help collaborators understand what changed between versions.
3. Change To — Controls the page's publishing state (Draft, Published, or Unpublished).
4. Menu Settings — Allows you to add the page to your site's navigation. This is an advanced option and is covered later in this guide.
5. Save / Cancel — Located beside the page title, outside the right column. Select Save to commit your changes or Cancel to discard them.

Figure: The publishing controls are located in the right-hand column of the page editor.

After making changes to a page, you typically have two options:

• Save as Draft — Saves your changes without making them visible to the public.
• Publish — Makes the current version of the page publicly available.

You can also Unpublish a page to remove it from public view while keeping it in Drupal.

Unpublishing Pages

If you unpublish a page, it will no longer be accessible to website visitors. The page is not deleted and can be republished later.

If you unpublish an existing public page, please notify the Web Team at web-update@swarthmore.edu (or submit a support request) so search engine listings can be updated if necessary.

To change a page's publishing state:

1. Select the desired state from the Change To menu.
2. Click Save.

Figure: Select the desired publishing state before saving the page.