Drupal 8 Blocks: A Look Into Their Newfound Power and Struggle

ChrisSnyder

Blocks have always been part of the glue that holds any Drupal site together. This is no less true in Drupal 8. Blocks in Drupal 8 have changed significantly from their use in Drupal 7. We will look at different ways that fieldable block types, display modes, inline editing, contextual plugins, and contributed modules change the way we build our sites using blocks. We will also take some time to look at some of the headaches you might run into and some solutions.

This session will cover:

  • What is a Drupal block
  • How blocks in Drupal 8 have changed since Drupal 7
  • Tips for working with blocks
  • Block architecture methodologies
  • Blocks and configuration management (content vs. configuration)
  • Block theming tips
  • Inline editing
  • Adding and editing blocks from the frontend theme (Place Block)
  • Block visibility & contextual plugins
  • Segmenting your site with blocks
  • Contributed modules that enhance blocks

While this session is accessible to beginner Drupal 8 site builders and developers, some more intermediate topics will be covered.

Session Track

Site Building

Experience Level

Beginner

Drupal Version