DrupalCon LA 2015 - get involved with the Coding and Development track

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This year, we’re looking to the future, and not just in technology. With Drupal 8 hurtling towards completion and the fantastic growth and availability of evolving web technologies, this is an exciting time to engage with one of the world’s largest open-source development communities. The DrupalCon Los Angeles 2015 Coding and Development track is focused on preparing developers for the future of Drupal and the expanding web software universe.

Our focus this year isn’t limited to Drupal. Our daily toolkits are filled with many different technologies and people, and this year’s Coding and Development track reflects that. Topics include preparation for and participation in Drupal 8; engagement with other frameworks and technologies; high performance and large scale development experiences; and exploring the advantages of participating in open-source culture. Let’s take a closer look at the topics.

Drupal 8

The conversion is beginning! Drupal 8 is close enough that new development can seriously consider D8 as an option, and there’s a lot that both beginner and experienced developers should know. Join us for tools and techniques for upgrading existing and building new modules, and learn how to get involved with the mechanics of Drupal 8 development.

Engaging with the Wider Coding & Development Universe

Believe it or not, there’s more than Drupal out there - and that’s a good thing. Evolving technologies such as Node.js, Angular and Backbone are used as part of complete product solutions in conjunction with Drupal. Then there’s Headless Drupal, where Drupal is used as a backend API powering distinct applications. Of course, Drupal 8 brings modern development practices, which includes object-oriented programming standards, namespaces, and dependency injection. When working with other technologies, industry-wide standards such as PSR are essential for interoperability.

Coding for Performance

Everybody wants a fast site, no matter what the scale, and there’s a lot of different ways to get there. Effective caching strategies, from the server, code, delivery layers, to the browser all work together to quickly bring your latest content to the audience. There’s plenty of code and query optimizations, performance analysis and best practices that are worth sharing and contributing to. Under the hood, PHP’s own internals work both for and against performance, so learning how it works and how to optimize is essential. Case studies work well in this area, including both Large Scale Drupal (LSD) sites and the ultra-lightweight sites where performance is a sink-or-swim.

The Cultural Component to Coding & Development

This is paradoxically new and old; there’s more to development than just the pure mechanics. Collaboration is better than going it alone; we can only succeed by working with others. Coding best practices and standards - including testing strategies - allows disparate components to work together seamlessly. We’ll discuss mentoring and multiplication, so you can grow your dev team and get more done. The culture of disruptive open-source is a fascinating and important aspect of development, where the business politics for opening proprietary projects up and replacing commercial with open source can be explored.

Stop Thinking About it and Do it!

We all have stories to tell, and DrupalCon is one of the best places we can share them. Submit your DrupalCon LA session proposals today. You’ve got until February 27th, and that’s coming up fast!

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Jon Peck
Coding and Development Track Chair
DrupalCon Los Angeles