Getting Started

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 Drupal publishing works.

1.1 Logging Into Drupal

You only need a web browser in order to use Drupal. You do not need to install any software. Depending on your permissions, you will be able to access different sections of the website. All faculty and staff always have access their own Drupal profiles. Learn more about editing your Drupal profile. Access to other sections of the Swarthmore 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.

3. After successfully logging in, you will be automatically redirected to your Drupal Account Information page.

Note: You’ll know that your logged into Drupal when you see a black menu bar appear at the top of the browser window that has your name.

1.2 The Drupal Menu Bar

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.

1.2.1 My Sites

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

1.2.2 View My Sites

View My Sites will list the websites that you currently have permission to edit. It will also indicate if the website is published. By clicking on one of the sites listed, you will be taken directly there and can begin editing the site. Learn more about editing websites

1. View My Sites is currently selected.

2. Allows you to search your list of websites

3. Displays the site(s) that you have access to edit. Clicking the name will take you directly to the site. The list will also indicate if the website is published or not.

1.2.3 View My Profiles

View My Profiles will list all the Drupal profiles that you have permission to edit. It will also indicate if the profile is currently published. By clicking on one of the names listed, you will be taken directly there and can begin editing the Drupal profile information.

Most Drupal users will only have access to their own profile. However, some departments are setup to allow certain members of their group to be able to access other people’s profiles. This is most common for administrative assistants of academic departments who often times support faculty with maintaining their online information (such as changing office hours). Learn more about editing profiles.

1.3 Toggle Contextual Links & Toggle Menu Bar Orientation

1.3.1 Toggle Contextual Links

Located in the upper right corner of the Drupal menu bar is blue button labelled Toggle Contextual Links. When enabled, the Drupal editor will display a series of pencil icons next to every section (or component) that can be edited. This allows editors to conveniently edit content anywhere on the page without having to use the menu bar.

1.3.2 Toggle Menu Bar Orientation

Located in the upper right corner of the Drupal menu bar is an arrow icon. This will switch the Drupal menu functions from appearing as horizontal bar across the top of the browser to a vertical left column. Switching the arrow in the vertical layout will change the view back to the horizontal layout.

Menu Bar - Horizontal Orientation

Menu Bar - Vertical Orientation

1.4.1 Published | Draft | Unpublished

Every webpage in the Drupal CMS can have a Published version and a Draft Version, OR be set as Unpublished.

• Published - The published version of the page is what the public sees when they visit the page’s URL.

• Draft - This is working copy (or DRAFT) of a webpage that can only be accessed by Drupal editors. This is the version that you and your team would work on when making changes to a page. Once the page is ready and/or has been approved for publication, you would change the state from Draft to Publish to make it become the published version.

• Unpublished - If you no longer wish a page to be available to the public, then you can change the state to unpublished. Unpublished does not mean delete. The page still exists in the Drupal CMS and can be restored (or published) again by your group. If anyone from the public goes to an unpublished page, they will get a “404 Page Not Found” error message

1.4.2 How Publishing Works

All Drupal publishing is managed in the Drupal editor’s right column.

1. Last Saved / Author - This section will tell you when the last time this page was updated and who made the change.

2. Revision Log Message - You can also add notes/comments to each saved version that only you and other Drupal editors can see. This can be helpful tool when there are multiple editors making changes to same page as it lets you track what changed with each save.

3. Change To - This drop down lets you change the page state (published, draft, unpublish)

4. Menu Settings - This advanced feature lets you add a page directly to your navigation

5. Save / Cancel - You can click SAVE to commit your changes to the system or CANCEL if you do not wish to save your changes.

1. Change to Draft - To create a new DRAFT (or update an existing DRAFT), simply select DRAFT in the drop down and hit SAVE.

2. Change to Published - To make your content changes (or current DRAFT) the new published version, select PUBLISHED, and hit SAVE.