Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Drupal 8 Module Development
Drupal 8 Module Development

Drupal 8 Module Development: Build and customize Drupal 8 modules and extensions efficiently

eBook
€8.99 €29.99
Paperback
€36.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Drupal 8 Module Development

Creating Your First Module

Now that we have covered some of the introductory aspects of Drupal 8 module development, it’s time to dive right into the meat of what we are doing here--module creation.

Here are some of the important topics that we will cover in this chapter:

  • Creating a new Drupal 8 module--the files that are necessary to get started
  • Creating a route and controller
  • Creating and using a service
  • Creating a form
  • Creating a custom block
  • Working with links
  • Using the Event Dispatcher

Concretely, in this chapter, we will create a new custom module called Hello World. In this module, we will define a route that maps to a Controller and that outputs the age-old programming message. So, this will be our first win.

Next, we will define a service that our Controller will use to pimp up our message. After all, we don't want the same message presented to the user...

Creating a module

Creating a simple Drupal 8 module is not difficult. You only need one file to get it recognized by the core installation and to be able to enable it. In this state, it won't do much, but it will be installable. Let's first take a look at how to do this, and then we will progressively add meat to it in order to achieve the goals set out at the beginning of the chapter.

Custom Drupal 8 modules typically belong inside the /custom directory of the /modules folder found inside the root Drupal installation. You would put contributed modules inside a /contrib directory instead, in order to have a clear distinction. This is a standard practice, so that is where we will place our custom module, called Hello World.

We will start by creating a folder called hello_world. This will also be the module's machine name used in many other places. Inside, we will...

Using services in Drupal 8

Before we go and use our service in the Controller we created, let's take a breather and run through the ways you can make use of services once they are registered.

There are essentially two ways--statically and injected. The first is done by a static call to the Service Container, whereas the second uses dependency injection to pass the object through the constructor (or in some rare cases, a setter method). However, let's check out how, why, and what is the real difference.

Statically, you would use the global Drupal class to instantiate a service:

$service = \Drupal::service('hello_world.salutation');

This is how we use services in the .module files and classes, which are not exposed to the Service Container and into which we cannot inject--although the latter instances are rare. A few popular services also have shorthand methods...

Blocks

Custom blocks in Drupal 8 are plugins. Finally, we encounter our first plugin type. For the sake of full disclosure, the content blocks that you create through the UI to place in a region and the custom blocks that are placed in a region are content entities. So, the block system is a good example of how entities and plugins work hand in hand in Drupal 8, and not to make matters too complex for you, configuration entities (about which we will learn in a later chapter) also play a big role here.

The block system in Drupal 8 is a great shift from its predecessor. Before, you had to implement two obligatory hooks plus two optional hooks if you wanted the block to have a configuration, and the latter was always saved somewhere that had nothing to do with the block itself. In Drupal 8, we work with a simple plugin class that can be made container-aware (that is, we can inject...

Working with links

One of the principle characteristics of a web application is the myriad of links between its resources. They are in fact the glue that brings it together. So, in this section, I want to show you a few common techniques used while working with links programmatically in Drupal 8.

There are two main aspects when talking about link building in Drupal--the URL and the actual link tag itself. So, creating a link involves a two-step process that deals with these two, but can also be shortened into a single call via some helper methods.

The URL

URLs in Drupal 8 are represented with the Drupal\Core\Url class, which has a number of static methods that allow you to create an instance. The most important of these is...

Event Dispatcher and redirects

A common thing you'll have to do as a module developer is to intercept a given request and redirect it to another page, and more often than not, this will have to be dynamic, depending on the current user or other contextual info. Drupal 7 developers know very well that this has always been an easy task. Simply implement hook_init(), which gets called on each request and then use the famous drupal_goto() function. This, however, is no longer the case in Drupal 8. What we have to do now is subscribe to the kernel.request event (remember this from the preceding chapter?) and then change the response directly. However, before seeing an example of this, let's take a look at how we can perform a simpler redirect from within a Controller.

Redirecting...

Summary

In this chapter, we covered a great deal of info about the things you need to know when developing Drupal 8 modules. The first thing we did was create our very own module skeleton that can be installed on a Drupal 8 site. Then, we saw how to create a new page at a specific path (route) and show some basic data on that page. Nothing too complex, but enough to illustrate one of the most common tasks you will do as a module developer. We then took that to new level and abstracted the logic for that data calculation into a service. Not only that, but we also saw how we can use that service, and, more importantly, how we should use it. Next, we saw how we can work with the Form API in Drupal 8 to allow administrators to add some configuration to the site. A very important takeaway here was also that the Form API page in Drupal 8 will prove invaluable going forward because you...

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon
Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • Unleash the power of Drupal 8 programming by creating efficient modules and extensions
  • Explore a plethora of Drupal 8 APIs and get the best out of them using the power of PHP coding
  • Learn to implement efficient data management and data security by creating dedicated modules for it.

Description

Drupal is an open source web-based content management system (CMS) that can be used for building anything from simple websites to complex applications. It enables individuals and organizations to build platforms that engage users and deliver the right content at the right time. Drupal 8 is an exciting new development in the Drupal community. However, the differences from the previous version are substantial and this can put quite some pressure on Drupal 7 developers that need to catch up. This book aims to help such developers in getting up to speed with Drupal 8 module development. The book first introduces you to the Drupal 8 architecture and its subsystems before diving into creating your first module with basic functionality. Building upon that, you will cover many core APIs and functionalities available to module developers. You will work with the Drupal logging and mailing systems, learn how to output data using the theme layer and work with menus and links programmatically. Then, you will learn how to work with different kinds of data storages, create custom entities, field types and leverage the Database API for lower level database queries. Moreover, you will learn about the Drupal 8 access system and caching layer as well as the APIs used for data processing (queues and batches). You will further see how to introduce javascript into your module, work with the various file systems and ensure the code you write works on multilingual sites. Finally, you will learn how to programmatically work with Views, write automated tests for your functionality and also write secure code in general. By the end of the book, you will have learned how to develop your own custom module from scratch that can help solve a small problem or even provide complex functionality. And who knows, maybe you’ll even contribute it back to the Drupal community.

Who is this book for?

The primary target of this book is Drupal developers who want to learn how to write modules and carry out development in Drupal 8. It is also intended for Drupal site builders and PHP developers who have basic Object Oriented Programming skills. A little bit of Symfony experience is helpful but not mandatory.

What you will learn

  • Write a Drupal 8 module with custom functionality and hook into various extension points
  • Master numerous Drupal 8 sub-systems and APIs
  • Model, store, and manipulate data in various ways and for various purposes
  • Display data and content in a presentable and secure way
  • Learn about the theme system and render arrays
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Switzerland

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

€11.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

€16.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Oct 27, 2017
Length: 566 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782168775
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Switzerland

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

€11.95

Premium delivery 3 - 6 business days

€16.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Oct 27, 2017
Length: 566 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782168775
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 106.97
Drupal 8 Module Development
€36.99
Drupal 8 Development Cookbook
€36.99
Drupal 8 Blueprints
€32.99
Total 106.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

18 Chapters
Developing for Drupal 8 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Your First Module Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Logging and Mailing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Theming Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Menus and Menu Links Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Data Modeling and Storage Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Your Own Custom Entity and Plugin Types Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
The Database API Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Custom Fields Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Access Control Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Caching Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
JavaScript and the Ajax API Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Internationalization and Languages Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Batches, Queues, and Cron Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Views Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with Files and Images Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Automated Testing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Drupal 8 Security Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.3
(8 Ratings)
5 star 62.5%
4 star 12.5%
3 star 12.5%
2 star 12.5%
1 star 0%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




Asiq Apr 24, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book if you want to learn Drupal8.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
James Danforth Feb 15, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Excellent is an understatement. This book is allowing me to get up to speed on Drupal 8 development at least 10X faster than if I had to sort through all the Drupal 8 documentation on my own. The book is my train into a big Drupal territory. If you need to develop in version 8 and you need to get fast track information on how to do it well, fast, this is the book for you. The book vastly flattens out the early part of Drupal 8's learning curve for those without a lot of experience with it. I would buy it again for sure.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazon Customer Jul 19, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Very good book for Drupal developers.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
M.G. Aug 14, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Throughly conceived, and brilliantly executed. A really good resource for an in-depth look at Drupal 8's many aspects. Use it for reference all the time.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
William A. Kudrle Jun 09, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I am surprised that this has not gotten more reviews. I have not found another book that is as thorough and in-depth about how Drupal 8 works. It goes over custom module development, as the title implies, but it also goes into depth about how the internals of Drupal 8 work as well. Many improvements have been made to the internals of Drupal 8, but it is difficult to know many of them unless you have a text like this to guide you. I liken this book to what Pro Drupal Development by John Van Dyke was for Drupal 6. Reading through Van Dyke's book was what gave me the ability to actually create custom Drupal 6 modules. This book is doing that for me for Drupal 8. The only criticism that I would have is that it would be nice to have more details about how to use the Drupal console to create custom modules and plugins. That may be too much of a moving target, but in practical terms just getting the basic modules and plugins to be generated with Drupal console can be a confidence boost and provide some understanding from the immediate feedback of the basic custom code.I highly recommend this book if you really want to understand what is going in with Drupal 8 and/or intend to do any custom programming.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela