Drupal 7, a version of considerable prominence, is set to reach its end-of-life on January 1, 2025. Beyond this juncture, the Drupal community will discontinue its provision of support for websites reliant on Drupal 7. This impending shift leaves these websites susceptible to potential security vulnerabilities, while also depriving them of indispensable updates. As this life cycle milestone approaches, now presents an ideal opportunity to contemplate the proactive migration of your website from Drupal 7 to the forthcoming domains of both Drupal 9 and 10. Initiating this migration process in a timely manner will effectively ensure the ongoing security and currency of your website.
Get a Free ProposalDrupal 8 embarked on a fresh and innovative path, eliminating all the architectural barriers that hindered the growth and development of the CMS. Previously, significant effort was required to work with the primitive development structure. However, with Drupal 8, the CMS embraced modern technologies such as a more object-oriented approach using Symfony, API-driven architecture, Twig templating, and an array of other advanced features. These updates marked a substantial leap forward, enhancing the overall capabilities and flexibility of Drupal.
Drupal 9 represents a cleaned and refactored version of Drupal 8, boasting a plethora of modern-day web development features, exceptional security measures, and a robust framework. Drupal 8 paved the way for this transformation by removing architectural barriers and the need for extensive effort in the primitive development stage. It embraced cutting-edge technologies like Symfony for more object-oriented programming, an API-driven approach, and Twig templating, along with various other advanced features. One of the most noteworthy aspects of Drupal 9 is its seamless upgradability to future versions without requiring a complete core rebuild. This feature has made the Drupal innovation model highly attractive to developers and business owners seeking to create robust and secure websites. The advantages of using Drupal 9 are numerous, some of which are listed below:
- Headless CMS
- Better Performance
- Powerful Drupal Core
- Secure and Easy Theming
- Modern Day Programming Standards
- Secure PHP support
- Layout Builder
- API Driven
Drupal 10 continues the evolution initiated by Drupal 9, building upon its foundation with further enhancements and innovation. This iteration embraces the latest web development trends and maintains a strong focus on security and performance. Just as Drupal 9 streamlined the transition from Drupal 8, Drupal 10 offers a smooth upgrade path, allowing websites to seamlessly adapt to new advancements. With its commitment to modern technologies, developer-friendly features, and a dedication to staying at the forefront of digital experiences, Drupal 10 empowers businesses and developers to create cutting-edge websites that stand the test of time.
Drupal 9 Migration
Regarding Drupal 9 migration, the community takes on the responsibility of offering a comprehensive migration checklist along with a list of available migration paths for all contributed projects. Additionally, the community diligently assesses the security status of each project using this data, equipping site developers with essential information to initiate and successfully carry out the migration process. This valuable support from the Drupal community proves highly beneficial, as it saves web developers a significant amount of time and frustration, ensuring a smoother transition to Drupal 9.
Drupal 7 sites were originally built to run on PHP 5.3, and there are still some sites using this version today. However, the latest PHP version available is 8.1.7, which is not compatible with Drupal 7. On the other hand, there is another version of Drupal that is perfectly compatible with PHP 8.1.7, but I'll leave that discovery to you. The End-of-Life (EOL) announcement for Drupal 7 serves as a gentle push from Drupal to encourage users to proceed with the necessary upgrade. To help illustrate this point, here's a relevant illustration
migration step
FAQs
Are you worried, that migration will be difficult and expensive?
The complexity of migration depends on the complexity of the Drupal 7 website and the list of the contributed modules that are not continued on Drupal 9 for example, field collections, organic groups, etc, and custom modules you created to extend the functionality of the CMS or web application. There are several other modules that provide optimal requirements which can satisfy the requirement of your website. The only thing we have to do is to migrate the data from the old module/system to the new module which might necessarily take building the custom module or migration path for it. The cost of the migration depends on the complexity of the website and we can definitely help you here to achieve your goals.
What do to do with the contributed modules that no longer exist in Drupal 9, like rules?
The option here for the contributed modules is to find alternative modules which can proivde similar features, for example, field collections can be ported to the paragraphs, and Rules module features can be partly supported by the new module in Drupal 9 ECA: Event - Condition - Action. The other option could be to get rid of the module and rebuild the functionality in a custom way or create a custom module for it.
What to do with field collections migration?
Field collection is one of the popular contributed modules used in Drupal 7 and for a lot of content-heavy websites, this is surely the first choice to populate the content in the backend. We came to know an issue that breaks the migration from field collection to the paragraphs in Drupal 9 whenever following the default migration path created by the Drupal community. Here you need a small supporting custom module to migrate the contents manually and we have a module ready for it.
What to do with the custom themes?
The theming API in Drupal 8-9 has been slightly changed as compared to Drupal 7 so there will be a necessary checklist and the procedures to upgrade it. The file names were changed for example all the .tpl files were replaced by the .html.twig and also there is a great advancement in loading the JS and CSS files based on the libraries YML file. In general, since the programming pattern of Drupal 8/9 is different from Drupal 7 there will be a bit of work to fix those codes and APIs in Drupal 9. The rest of the content types, nodes, blocks, views, and field override patterns are the same. Do you have a complicated theme being used in Drupal 7, plan ahead then later. If you need help get in touch with us.
How does Drupal 9/10 differ from other platforms?
Drupal 9/10 differentiates itself from other platforms by actively embracing new technologies and programming standards. Its strong open-source community contributes to cost savings and expertise. With consistent updates, enhanced performance, and scalability, Drupal remains a dynamic choice for modern web development, setting it apart from platforms that might be slower to adapt.
What are the groundbreaking features that distinguish Drupal 9/10 from previous versions?
Drupal 9/10 introduces an array of revolutionary features that set it apart from its predecessors. Notable among these is its API-first architecture, prominently featuring the JSON: API. This empowers businesses to swiftly craft decoupled, headless applications, fostering enhanced speed and flexibility. The Layout Builder stands out as another innovation, streamlining the creation of frontend pages without necessitating deep development involvement.The Media Library marks a significant shift in file management, entirely overhauling the traditional file architecture from Drupal 7. This modern approach simplifies file handling, improving user experience and efficiency. Additionally, Drupal 9/10 showcases a plethora of new contributed modules, injecting enterprise-level empowerment into the heart of Drupal systems.
Incorporating these mind-blowing features, Drupal 9/10 reaffirms its commitment to elevating user experiences, facilitating rapid development, and bolstering the platform's capabilities for both businesses and developers alike.
