Developing new modules for Drupal 6? Porting older modules? Packt Publishing has just released a new book, Learning Drupal 6 Module Development, by Matt Butcher. This book is targeted toward PHP programmers interested in Drupal 6 module development.

The book takes a hands-on approach. Each chapter walks through the development of a module, theme, or installation profile. As the reader progresses through the book, she or he will be able to create increasingly sophisticated Drupal modules.

If you're new to Drupal development (but have PHP development experience), this book will get you developing modules right away. Are you a more seasoned Drupal developer just looking to get some modules updated? This book focuses on many of the new features, changes, and improvements made in Drupal 6. Check out the sample chapter Creating Our First Module (1.3M PDF) to get a feel for how the book is written.

The book deals with numerous topics, and introduces the prominent Drupal APIs. Here are some of the major topics covered:

• Creating new modules from scratch.
• Using Drupal's JavaScript library and jQuery to add AJAX functionality.
• Creating custom content types.
• Working with hooks.
• Handling forms with the Forms API.
• Making use of common core Drupal functions.
• Using the Drupal 6 menu subsystem.
• Working with the database APIs (including the new Schema API).
• Using the Theme API to add default theming into your modules.
• Sending mail using the improved Drupal 6 mail API.
• Using the Node API.
• Working with actions and triggers.
• Creating a custom installation profile to package your own Drupal suite.

Check out the book's main page for a more in-depth description of the book's contents.

The book is available in both softcover and downloadable eBook format. You can get it straight from Packt, or from Amazon and other tech book vendors.

Thanks to those I met at DrupalCon. This book was heavily influenced by conversations I had there. And a huge thanks (again) to those of you who were technical reviewers on the book. Your insights and suggestions were tremendous.

Best,

Matt Butcher
Book: http://www.packtpub.com/drupal-6-module-development/book
Author Profile: http://www.packtpub.com/author_view_profile/id/4

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