Feature

At DrupalCon Los Angeles, the question on everyone’s lips was: “When will Drupal 8 be released?”

Each time it was asked, it felt more and more like a recurring dream. Is this thing real, or did some Belgian guy start a rumor?

Hmmm…

Views in core? Really?

Drupal configuration in code?

Ha! Now I know you're kidding!

Well guess what: Drupal 8 is not just some intangible vision that Drupalistas keep dreaming about. It exists and, ready or not, here it comes, barreling down the road. Very soon, my friend, the dream will become reality.

But bear in mind that the Drupal 8 dream is a lot like Disneyland:

• Entry to the park ain’t free. (You're going to have to acquire some new skills.)
• There will be long lines for your favorite rides. (Not all modules will be stable right away.)
• At the end of the day, you’ll be pooped. (Your first Drupal 8 project will exhaust you.)
• You might be too small for some attractions. (Neither you nor your clients will be quite ready-to-go on Day One of Drupal 8’s release.)

Putting skepticism aside, I am truly excited about the things coming in Drupal 8. The one new feature that I’m particularly excited about – and I think many others are, too – is Configuration Management. Drupal 8 will finally give us the ability to store site settings and configurations in code instead of mingled with content in the database. For me, and for your DevOps person, that’s the dream: Finally, no more scribbling notes on the back of an envelope for what we changed so we can remember to do it live in production.

If you’re as excited about configuration management as I am, you may stop reading now and just jump in and play with Drupal 8. Or maybe take a look at this article from a couple of Drupal Watchdog issues ago.

But if you're not ready to take the plunge, or know that you’ll be using Drupal 7 for a while longer, then please read on.