Drupal has always been known for its flexibility, scalability, and robust community support, and with the release of Drupal 10, it continues to raise the bar for what’s possible with a content management system. If you’ve been using Drupal for a while, or you’re considering it for your next project, you’ll want to explore the new features and enhancements that come with this exciting release.
In this blog post, we’ll take a deep dive into the most notable changes in Drupal 10, including the improvements in usability, performance, and security that make it an even more powerful platform for building websites.
1. Updated and Modernized Admin UI
One of the most noticeable changes in Drupal 10 is the overhaul of the Admin User Interface (UI). With the aim of improving the overall user experience, the updated UI offers a cleaner, more intuitive design that helps both beginners and experienced developers navigate the system with ease.
Key Highlights:
- CKEditor 5: Drupal 10 introduces CKEditor 5, a new version of the popular WYSIWYG editor. It comes with modern features like better accessibility, inline editing, improved media handling, and more.
- Claro Admin Theme: The default administrative theme in Drupal 10 is Claro, which replaces the previous Seven theme. Claro provides a more modern and accessible design, offering a much smoother and visually appealing admin experience.
- More Consistent UI: Expect a more cohesive design language across the entire platform, with a focus on improved accessibility, better navigation, and a responsive interface.
2. Enhanced Performance with Symfony 6
Drupal 10 runs on Symfony 6, the latest version of the Symfony PHP framework. This update brings various performance optimizations, allowing Drupal to run faster and more efficiently. The upgrade to Symfony 6 also means that Drupal is now aligned with the most current versions of popular libraries, which ensures better performance, security, and compatibility.
Key Highlights:
- Faster Load Times: Enhanced caching and improved code structure contribute to faster page loads.
- Better Compatibility: As Symfony 6 becomes the backbone of Drupal 10, it’s easier to integrate with other modern PHP libraries and services.
- Support for PHP 8.1 and 8.2: Drupal 10 supports PHP 8.1 and 8.2, which brings improvements in speed and security, along with new language features.
3. Deprecation of Legacy Code and Modules
With every new major release, Drupal continues to evolve by phasing out legacy code and modules. In Drupal 10, several deprecated elements have been removed or replaced to make the system more modern, streamlined, and maintainable. This includes the removal of old themes, modules, and functions that were either outdated or no longer necessary.
Key Highlights:
- Deprecated Themes: The Bartik theme has been deprecated in favor of modern, responsive themes.
- Old Modules Removed: Modules that were either too niche or had better alternatives are now removed. For example, the Overlay module is no longer available.
- Improved Composer Support: Drupal 10 makes extensive use of Composer, a PHP dependency management tool, to handle libraries and packages. This ensures that Drupal stays up-to-date with the latest PHP and JavaScript dependencies.
4. Better Media Management and Media Library
Managing media (images, videos, documents, etc.) has always been a critical part of building a website. Drupal 10 introduces several improvements to media management, making it even easier to work with media assets directly within the CMS.
Key Highlights:
- Enhanced Media Library: The new Media Library interface allows for better management and organization of media files. You can upload, categorize, and reuse media assets more efficiently, with better preview options and tagging.
- Improved Media Field Handling: Adding media fields to content types is now more straightforward, and you can easily embed media into content with drag-and-drop functionality.
- Support for Remote Media: Drupal 10 also makes it easier to manage media from external sources (like external file systems or cloud services) directly within the platform.
5. Improved Accessibility
Accessibility remains a top priority in Drupal 10, with various improvements aimed at making the platform more usable for everyone, regardless of ability. Drupal has long had a reputation for prioritizing accessibility, and the improvements in version 10 are no exception.
Key Highlights:
- Better Keyboard Navigation: The admin interface has been updated to allow for more accessible keyboard navigation, ensuring users can complete tasks without a mouse.
- WAI-ARIA Support: The Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) guidelines are better implemented, improving accessibility for screen readers and other assistive technologies.
- Color Contrast and Visual Enhancements: Improvements to color contrast and the general design of the admin interface make it easier for users with visual impairments to navigate and interact with the platform.
6. New API and Developer Tools
Drupal 10 continues to be a developer-friendly CMS, offering advanced tools and APIs that make customizations and integrations easier than ever before. Some of the most important changes for developers include:
Key Highlights:
- Automatic Updates: Drupal 10 introduces automatic updates for core components and contributed modules. This means you can now keep your site up-to-date more easily, reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities.
- Improved REST API: The REST API in Drupal 10 has been enhanced to make it easier to integrate with external systems, mobile apps, and third-party services.
- Symfony Components: With the updated Symfony 6 support, developers can take advantage of the latest Symfony components, which offer powerful tools for building modern, scalable applications.
7. New Default Starter Theme: Olivero
Drupal 10 ships with a new default frontend theme called Olivero, designed to offer a modern, accessible, and responsive base theme for building websites. Olivero replaces the older Bartik theme, and it brings a more visually appealing and user-friendly experience for both developers and end users.
Key Highlights:
- Responsive Design: Olivero is fully responsive, meaning it automatically adapts to different screen sizes, from mobile phones to desktops.
- Modern and Clean Aesthetics: The theme uses a clean design with a focus on typography, colors, and layouts, providing a contemporary look and feel right out of the box.
- Enhanced Customizability: While Olivero is a great starter theme, it’s also highly customizable, allowing developers to tweak it to fit any project’s needs.
8. Security Enhancements
As always, Drupal takes security very seriously. With Drupal 10, security improvements have been made to ensure your website remains protected from potential threats.
Key Highlights:
- More Secure Password Hashing: Drupal 10 uses modern password hashing techniques, improving security for user accounts.
- Core Security Updates: Automatic core updates ensure that security patches are applied without the need for manual intervention, helping to keep your site secure.
Conclusion
Drupal 10 is a game-changer for both content creators and developers. With its sleek, modern admin interface, enhanced performance, and focus on accessibility and security, Drupal 10 is a CMS that’s more powerful and user-friendly than ever before. Whether you’re building a simple blog, an enterprise-level site, or something in between, the new features and improvements in Drupal 10 will help you create a website that’s faster, more secure, and easier to manage.
If you’re already using Drupal, upgrading to version 10 will provide you with significant benefits. If you’re just starting with Drupal, now is the perfect time to explore this robust CMS and take advantage of its exciting new features. Happy building!