Talking Drupal

Today we are talking about AI, How it can be privacy focused, and What amazee.ai is doing to help with guest Michael Schmid. We'll also cover LiteLLM AI Provider as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/515

• Privacy Concerns with AI
• Amazee's Privacy-Focused AI Solutions
• Foundation Models and Their Importance
• AI-Powered Search in Drupal
• Customizing AI Responses and Search
• Proprietary vs. Open Source Models
• Understanding Neural Networks
• Training and Weights in Models
• Integrating AI with Drupal
• Practical Steps to Implement AI in Drupal
• AI and MCP for Automation
• Open Source Models in AI
• Future Directions for MAI AI
• Conclusion and Contact Information

• amazee.ai
• Foundation models
• amazee ai provider & amazee ai vector db module
• Drupal AI module
• AI Chatbot
• MCP
• DrupalGovCon

Michael Schmid - amazee.ai schnitzel

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Rich Lawson - richlawson.co rklawson

Matt Glaman - mglaman.dev mglaman

• Brief description:
  • AI provider for using LiteLLM. LiteLLM is a gateway that allows connecting to LLMs without accessing the providers directly using the same API as OpenAI along with other governance goodies.
• Module name/project name:
  • LiteLLM AI Provider
• Brief history
  • How old: created on 24 February 2025
  • Versions available: beta, 1.1.0 and 1.0.0 to track main AI module
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
• Usage stats:
  • 439
• Maintainer(s):
  • marcus_johansson, andrewbelcher, justanothermark of FreelyGive
• Module features and usage
  • Basically like OpenAI provider but allows it to work with non-OpenAI models and other logic that's in the OpenAI provider module.

Today we are talking about HTMX, What it is, and why it could be a game changer for Drupal with our guests Shawn Duncan & Carson Gross. We'll also cover RefreshLess as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/514

• What is HTMX
• HTMX and Drupal Integration
• Community and Contribution
• Discussing HTMX and Its Integration
• HTMX's Stability and Composition
• Programming with HTMX: A Lego-like Experience
• Drupal's HTMX Initiative
• Proof of Concept and Community Involvement
• HTMX's Flexibility and Developer Experience
• Big Pipe and HTMX Integration
• Comparing HTMX with Hotwire Turbo
• Getting Involved with the HTMX Initiative

• [Plan] Gradually replace Drupal's AJAX system with HTMX
• HTMX in core Proof of Concept
• HTMX contrib module
• HTMX Documentation
• Hypermedia Systems - Carson's book
• A comparison of Hypermedia Application architecture with Single Page Application. Available for purchase and free online.
• Academic Paper on HTMX
• FACET
• Essays
  • HTMX Sucks
  • Locality of behavior
  • Future of HTMX
• Drupal community initiatives
• Contrast of htmx vs hotwire
• grugbrain
• Primeagen
• Fireship dev

Shawn Duncan - HTMX intiative fathershawn Carson Gross - bigsky.software 1cg

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Rich Lawson - richlawson.co rklawson

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted to give your Drupal site a more application-like feel, by only reloading parts of the page that need to change? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • RefreshLess
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Mar 2016 by Wim Leers, but recent releases are by ambient.impact, a fellow Canadian
  • Versions available: 2.0.0-alpha9
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Documentation
  • Number of open issues: 40 open issues, only 2 of which are active bugs against the current branch
• Usage stats:
  • 2 sites
• Module features and usage
  • The RefreshLess module aims to give Drupal sites a smooth, fast, and responsive experience by using Javascript to selectively update the parts of the existing page that need to change, instead of a full page refresh. It uses the HTML5 History API to ensure the browsing behaviour is equivalent, and unsupported browsers will see a standard page refresh instead
  • Using RefreshLess also makes it possible to use transitions (with or without the View Transition API in modern browsers), morphing, and persistent elements to enhance the application-like feel
  • There is some indication that sites may encounter issues if they use RefreshLess with JS aggregation enabled, so it's probably better to use it if your site has HTTP/2 enabled
  • RefreshLess is currently built on the Turbo library originally built for Ruby on Rails, but there is already an issue open to move the implementation to use HTMX instead

Today we are talking about Working from home, heading back to the office, and the current state of remote work with guest Kaleem Clarkson. We'll also cover Microsoft 365 Connector as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/513

• Exploring Remote Work with Kaleem Clarkson
• Trust Issues in Management
• Employee Red Flags and Data-Driven Decisions
• Managerial Concerns with Return to Office Policies
• Respectful Implementation of Return to Office
• Challenges of Enforcing Office Mandates
• Benefits of In-Person Work
• Hybrid Work Models and Their Challenges
• Variations in Hybrid Work Policies
• Impact of Seniority on Office Policies
• Cutting DEI Initiatives: Fear and Legal Risks
• Employer Brand and Social Contracts

Blend Me Inc

Kaleem Clarkson - kclarkson

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Rich Lawson - richlawson.co rklawson

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted your Drupal site to integrate with Microsoft 365, so users can log in with their Azure AD credentials, and then have direct access to shared files, see recent emails, and more? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Microsoft 365 Connector
• Brief history
  • How old: created in July 2019 by immoreel, though the most recent release is by Boris Doesborg (batigolix), both of Finalist, a Dutch Drupal shop
  • Versions available: 5.0.22 and 5.1.0-beta1, the latter of which supports Drupal 9.4, 10, and 11
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Two documentation guide available
  • Number of open issues: 18 open issues, 1 of which is a bug, though it is postponed waiting for more info
• Usage stats:
  • 365 sites
• Module features and usage
  • This module integrates your Drupal site with the Microsoft Graph API, a unified API that provides a single endpoint for accessing data and intelligence from Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and more
  • Microsoft 365 Connector includes more than a dozen submodules, each of which provide specific capabilities like Single Sign-On, syncing data to Drupal user accounts, sending Teams messages from within Drupal, and more
  • You can also use this module to do things like automatically add an event node to your Outlook calendar, and invite other people at the same time
  • It's worth noting that in the documentation guide the submodules are named "Office 365", which is probably what the module was named until around 5 years ago when Microsoft retired the Office 365 name
  • Finally, setting up this module requires registering an app in Azure AD, so it's not for the casual user. But if you're working on an intranet or similar collaboration platform for an organization that is heavily invested in the Microsoft 365 suite, this could make for a compelling integration

In this episode of Talking Drupal Cafe, Stephen and Nic continue Talking Drupal #510's discuss about Drupal Hooks. They discuss the challenges, successes, and the importance of community collaboration in open-source projects. Nic also touches on the personal impact of working on Drupal core and the balancing act between contributing to the project and client work. Along the way, they share personal anecdotes, including a discussion on watches and coffee preferences. Watch this insightful conversation to better understand the evolution of Drupal hooks and the dedication behind core development.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/cafe007

Stephen Cross is a seasoned Drupal developer, community advocate and content creator with over a two decades of experience building and optimizing web applications. In 2013 he founded and still hosts the Talking Drupal podcast, a community show where he's published over 500 interviews and deep-dives with core contributors, agency leads and end-users—helping drive best practices and innovation across the ecosystem. Capitalizing on his podcast production expertise, Stephen also offers end-to-end remote video podcast services: he handles all technical planning, multi-camera recording, post-production editing and distribution, so clients can focus solely on their content. He's used this service to help real-estate, fitness, interior-design and other niche shows establish polished, engaging interview- and panel-style programs. Outside of Drupal and media, Stephen is an horology enthusiast, he collects Casio and mechanical watches, and is a Linux and Raspberry Pi enthusiast.

Nic Laflin is an accomplished Drupal architect and the founder of nLightened Development LLC, a web development and design firm established in 2008 that leverages highly extensible CMS frameworks to solve complex business challenges. They've been working with Drupal since late 2008, delivering creative solutions for a diverse roster of clients—from government agencies and e-commerce platforms to higher-education institutions and HIPAA-compliant medical services. Recently, Nic has focused on Native Web Components for platform-agnostic design, and has deep experience integrating AWS and building mobile application back ends. A recognized Drupal guru, Nic speaks regularly at regional Drupal camps and co-hosts the Talking Drupal podcast, where they share best practices and innovations with the community. Outside of technology, Nic enjoys building with LEGO, experimenting in the kitchen, and designing home automation projects. You can learn more at www.nlightened.net.

• Discussing the Game Blueprints
• Drupal Hooks and Core Contributions
• Procedural vs Object-Oriented Hooks
• Challenges and Project Management
• Bulk Conversion and Future Steps
• Scaling Back and Procedural Hooks
• Challenges and Lessons Learned
• Balancing Core Contributions and Client Work
• Documentation and Community Awareness
• Impact on Client Work
• Core Committers and Project Management
• Coffee Preferences and Personal Interests
• Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan Stephen Cross - StephenCross.com

Today we are talking about The Member Platform, Why it was created, and How you can get involved with guest JD Leonard. We'll also cover Profile as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/512

• Introduction to Member Platform
• Member Platform: Origin and Vision
• Member Platform Features and MVP
• Post-MVP Vision and Challenges
• SaaS Solutions and Drupal Forge
• CRM Project and Member Platform Vision
• Evaluating CRM Options
• Integrating External CRMs with Drupal
• Targeting Different Market Segments
• Current Progress and Future Plans
• Community Involvement and Contributions
• Getting Involved with Member Platform

• Member Platform
  • https://www.drupal.org/project/member
  • Drupal Slack #member-platform
  • Sign up for Member Platform news
• CRM
  • https://www.drupal.org/project/crm
  • Drupal Slack #crm
• Drupal forge
• Drupito
  • https://debugacademy.com/
  • https://drupito.com/
• Erpal
• CRM Core
• CIVICRM
• Contributors to Drupal Core

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi JD Leonard - jdleonard

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted to store user information in one or more configurable profiles, independent of the user entity itself? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Profile
• Brief history
  • How old: Project created in Oct 2015 by bojanz (boy-yan Z), but seems to originate in code that was in the 4.0.x branch of Drupal core. Recent releases are by Jonathan Sacksick (jsacksick) or Centarro
  • Versions available: 8.x-1.12, which supports Drupal 9, 10, and 11
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Number of open issues: 125 open issues, 53 of which are bugs
• Usage stats:
  • 34,338 sites
• Module features and usage
  • Profiles are conceptually separate from the user account, and users will even edit their profile in a separate tab, which is a pretty common pattern
  • A site can have multiple profile types, and then use permissions and roles to determine who can create which kind of profile
  • Profile forms can optionally be shown during registration
  • Profile fields can also be set as private, meaning that the value will only be visible to the user and site admins
  • By default profiles will be displayed on the user's view page, and this can be configured in the "Manage Display" tab on accounts
  • Profiles are also optionally revisionable
  • The project page also notes that profiles are not currently translatable, but there is an issue with a patch, so you can try that if it's a requirement for you

Today we are talking about The UI Suite Module, It's module eco-system, and what's new in the 2.0 release with guest Pierre Dureau. We'll also cover Field Formatter Range as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/511

• What is UI Suite?
• UI Suite 2.0: Major Updates and Features
• Introduction to UI Suite Recipes
• Challenges with Drupal Themes
• Site Templates and UI Suite
• Component Compatibility and Community Education
• Design System Modules and Best Practices
• Experience Builder and UI Suite Integration
• Modernizing Display Tools
• Introducing the Distributor Tool
• Future of UI Suite and Core Integration
• Getting Involved with UI Suite

• UI Suite
• [Meta] Make Drupal the first "design-system native" CMS + Unify & simplify render & theme systems
• sdc_devel
• Do's Don'ts For SDC
  • use all the props & slots in templates
  • use the automatically defined attributes property
  • do not define any props or slots that are unused
  • define in the YAML all the props & slots you use in templates
  • props schema must be understandable by the display builder: no empty objects, empty arrays, arrays of empty objects, bag of props…
  • Example Fix
• Display Builder
• Adopt UI Patterns 2 to prepare developers and users for Experience Builder
• Getting started

Pierre Dureau - drupal.org/project/ui_suite pdureau

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi JD Leonard - jdleonard

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted to show only a subset of field values on your Drupal entity displays? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Field Formatter Range
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Jan 2024 by Florent Torregrosa (Grimreaper), but today's guest Pierre is also a maintainer
  • Versions available: 8.x-1.6
• Maintainership
  • Minimally maintained & Maintenance fixes only
  • Security coverage
  • NO open issues
• Usage stats:
  • 1,362 sites
• Module features and usage
  • Unlike some competing solutions, this module uses third party settings to work on virtually any formatter for a multivalued field
  • As part of the configuration, a site builder can specify the offset (where to start), the number of field values to show, and the order in which to show them.
  • The order can be standard or reverse, or it can list them in a random order
  • The module page gives the example of an entity with 15 images attached, and being able to show only the first 5. Or maybe only the 5 most recent?
  • I think if you combined this module with the Custom Field module module we talked about in episode #505, you could achieve some interesting things with simple configuration. For example, you could have an FAQ page and have the teaser for it show three random answers for it.

Join Carlos Ospina and Ana Laura Coto as they discuss their unique perspectives on work-life balance, the blending of personal and professional lives, and the challenges and opportunities within the Drupal community. From remote working experiences, integrating AI in their workflow, to the importance of small and medium-sized projects in sustaining the Drupal ecosystem, the conversation reveals insightful and diverse views. Hear their inspiring story of collaboration, love for Drupal, and their vision for making the Drupal community more inclusive and accessible globally.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/cafe006

Carlos is a seasoned Drupal Architect and active contributor in the Drupal community. With over two decades of experience in open-source technologies, Carlos specializes in site architecture, development guidance, and performance optimization. He is the founder of Palcera, a digital agency looking to deliver high-quality Drupal services to clients across the Americas. Carlos is known for his community engagement through events, meetups, and mentorship within the Latin American Drupal scene and the US community. He frequently shares his knowledge through talks, workshops, and contributions to Drupal.org, helping to advance the platform and support new developers. Passionate about building inclusive tech communities, Carlos champions collaboration and continuous learning in open source and the development of a more global community for Drupal.

Ana is a dedicated Drupal developer and advocate. With a background in front-end development and user experience, Ana Laura brings a passion for building accessible, user-centered websites using open-source technologies. She is an active member of the Drupal community, contributing to both local and international events as a speaker, organizer, and mentor. Ana Laura is especially committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in tech, helping to create welcoming spaces for underrepresented voices. Through her contributions to Drupal.org and community initiatives, she continues to inspire collaboration and growth within the Drupal ecosystem.

• How We Met: A Unique Beginning
• Different Perspectives on Work-Life Balance
• Challenges and Benefits of Working from Home
• The Drupal Community and Family Life
• The Role of AI in Our Work
• Future of Drupal and Community Challenges
• Challenges and Opportunities in the Drupal Job Market
• The Evolution and Pricing of Drupal
• Reviving the Drupal Community
• Global Perspectives on Drupal's Future
• The Importance of Inclusivity in Drupal
• Personal Reflections and Future Goals
• Concluding Thoughts

A Drupal Couple The IXP Program IXP registration Site Palcera

Carlos Ospino A Drupal Couple camoa Ana Laura Coto A Drupal Couple anilucoto

Today we are talking about Drupal Hooks, why they got changed in core, and what to do now with guest Karoly Négyesi better known as Chx. We'll also cover Media Folders as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/510

• Deep Dive into Drupal Hooks
• The Evolution of Drupal Hooks
• Challenges and Solutions in Hook Conversion
• Community Involvement and Contributions
• The Future of Drupal Hook System
• Introduction to Procedural Hooks
• Understanding Theme Hooks
• Complexities of Preprocess Hooks
• Converting Hooks to Object-Oriented
• Impact on Contributed Modules
• Challenges in Core Conversion
• Future of Drupal Hooks
• Lightning Round and Conclusion

• Hooks becoming OOP
• Convert everything everwhere all at once
  • Conversion script
  • Conversion patches
• Ordering hooks OOP
• Preprocess hooks
• Render API change
• 2009 issue for form api ungrokable
• 2007 change for calling themes hook
• Giant issue with all of the hook related links
• Longest hook in core: entity_query_tag__entity_test_mulrev__entity_query_entity_test_mulrev_alter_tag_test_alter

Károly Negyesi - ghost-of-drupal-past

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted to have your Drupal site's media assets presented in a UI that evokes the hierarchy of a filesystem? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Media Folders
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Apr 2025 by João Mauricio (jmauricio)
  • Versions available: 1.0.3 which supports Drupal 10.3 and 11
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Number of open issues: 9 open issues, 2 of which are bugs, although one was just fixed
• Usage stats:
  • 61 sites
• Module features and usage
  • The module mimics a file structure by associating media entities with a taxonomy hierarchy
  • It then provides an intuitive, drag-and-drop UI to move items between locations, drag in new items, or even search within a particular "folder", including a recursive search
  • When you drag in files, it uses "smart" logic to automatically assign files to Media bundles
  • It provides a form display widget, a view display widget, a CKEditor plugin, and it's compatible with other filesystem modules, like S3 File System
  • This kind of interface is a requirement I've seen in RFPs by companies looking for a new CMS, so having this available as a drop-in solution

Today we are talking about DrupalCon, Wordpress, and what a wordpress guy can learn at a Drupal Event with guest Chris Reynolds. We'll also cover Shortcode as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/509

• The Pros and Cons of Short Codes
• Chris Reynolds' Journey to DrupalCon
• Comparing DrupalCon and WordCamp
• Funding and Organization of WordPress Events
• The Collaborative Spirit of the Drupal Community
• Wishlist for WordPress Features
• Composer Support in WordPress and Drupal
• Backward Compatibility in WordPress
• Challenges with Composer in Drupal
• Config Management in WordPress vs. Drupal
• Responsive Image Management
• User Experience in Drupal
• Community Collaboration Between WordPress and Drupal

• A Wordpresser Goes To DrupalCon Atlanta 2025
• wpcfm
• Longhorn PHP Conference Oct 23-25 in Austin, TX
  • Call for proposals through July 18
  • Join #texas-camp in Drupal Slack if you're interested in organizing a mini Texas Camp to pair with Longhorn PHP
• WP community collective

Chris Reynolds - jazzsequence.com jazzsequence

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi JD Leonard - jdleonard

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted your Drupal site to support WordPress-style shortcodes, macros to be used within content? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Shortcode
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Sep 2010 by Dénes Szabó (denes.szabo) of Tag1
  • Versions available: 2.0.3, which supports ^9.3 ^10 ^11
• Maintainership
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Number of open issues: 30 open issues, 3 of which are bugs against the current branch
• Usage stats:
  • 13,260 sites (almost 70% are D7 however)
• Module features and usage
  • For anyone not familiar with WordPress short codes, the documentation describes them as macros, and most often they are used for inserting elements into content such as image galleries, videos, playlists, and more. Shortcodes can also wrap content, however, and it's possible to nest shortcodes as well.
  • Drupal typically solves the problems addressed by shortcodes using custom HTML elements, as implemented in the media ecosystem, or with the Entity Embed module. I think that shortcodes may also be useful in places where Drupal might also rely on tokens, albeit with an additional module like Token Filter.
  • Gutenberg includes a Shortcode block that can be used as a flexible way to add a variety of elements into a post's content.
  • I think Shortcodes are an interesting paradigm because they're really a tool for power users. Instead of providing a UI to browse and choose elements for something like an image gallery, they allow a savvy editor to quickly write a tag that will construct a gallery using numerical ID values.
  • I don't think this is a tool that most Drupal sites will need, but it could be a really good way for experienced WordPress teams to feel more at home when starting to work with Drupal.

Join Mike Miles and Aubrey Sambor as they discuss their experiences with public speaking at tech conferences, including the challenges and joys of presenting technical and big-picture talks. Dive into their personal summer plans, ranging from trips to Cape Cod and Asheville to beer festivals and camping adventures. The conversation also explores recent technology updates, such as Figma's site builder and Apple's new 'Liquid Glass' design, emphasizing the importance of accessibility. Tune in for a casual, insightful chat about professional growth, summer fun, and the ever-evolving tech landscape.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/cafe005

Mike is passionate about development and working with the latest open source technologies. He has been working in web engineering since 2003, utilizing a number of different technologies, languages and frameworks. He has been working with Drupal since 2008 and is a regular contributor to the community and project. From 2015 to 2024 he was the lead organizer of the Boston Drupal Meetup Group. Since 2017 has been one of the organizers of New England Drupal Camp.

In his day-to-day role as Director of Web Development at MIT Sloan, Mike leads the development, maintenance and growth of the digital properties for the school, as well as, the development team that supports them. He is a public speaker and regularly presents at technical conferences around the world. Since 2013 Mike has presented dozens of talks at many different conferences/camps across the globe.

Aubrey is a lead front end developer and accessibility advocate with over 19 years of experience in software development and leadership. She specializes in writing modern CSS, semantic HTML, and performant JavaScript and brings almost two decades of experience in web development across higher education, non-profits, and public sector projects.

Aubrey is an active member of the Drupal community, contributing to open source initiatives and speaking at regional and national conferences. She champions accessibility best practices and writes about front end development, music reviews, and knitting projects on her blog, aubreysambor.com.

When she's not coding, Aubrey enjoys running, spinning her own yarn, fountain pens, and exploring local coffee shops and breweries.

• Casual Conversation and Weather
• Fitness Routines and Treadmills
• Podcast Preferences
• Remote Work and Buffer Time
• Job Search and Conference Experience
• Travel Stories and Conference Talks
• Halloween and Conference Talks
• Evolving as a Speaker
• Technical vs. Idea-Driven Talks
• Managing Bugs and Building Trust
• Balancing Multiple Talks
• Figma Sites and Accessibility Concerns
• Apple's Liquid Glass Design
• Nostalgia for Old Tech
• Summer Plans and Conferences

Mike Miles - mike-miles.com mikemiles86 Aubrey Sambor - aubreysambor.com starshaped