First draft of a Drupal book outline on content types

I am putting together a book about Drupal content types and have the first draft of an outline created. It is definitely a draft but I am looking for community feedback to make it better

Here are few questions to get you started:

  1. What should be added?
  2. What should be removed?
  3. Would you read this book? Why or why not?
  4. What would make the book better?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks in advance.

Current Outline Draft

Proposed book title:  Drupal 6 Content Types

Target Audience:  Drupal site builders (or administrators) and designers, who want to develop custom content displays using views.

Prerequisites:  Drupal experience essential. HTML, CSS, and a bit of PHP highly preferable.

 

Chapter 1: Content Type Concepts (20 pages)

This chapter covers content type basics. It provides a good foundation on how to think about content types and get the reader started breaking down their own content types.

Topics covered:

  • What is a content type?
  • How to decide what becomes a content type.
  • Breaking content down to small components.
  • Examples and exercise.

Chapter 2: Core Content Types (30 pages)

This chapter covers the content types and features that come with Drupal core. Topics here ensure the reader can handle the Drupal core content type system. It also supports the following chapter by showing the need for CCK.

Topics covered:

  • Creating a content type.
  • Content type settings.
  • Permissions.

Chapter 3: CCK Module (40 pages)

This chapter covers

Topics covered:

  • Adding fields.
  • Text fields.
  • Number fields.
  • Options widgets.
  • Field groups.
  • Changing field display settings.

Chapter 4: CCK Fields and Recipes (40 pages)

This chapter introduces several popular CCK field types and how to use them through real world recipe style examples.

Topics covered:

  • User reference module.
  • Node reference module.
  • Link module.
  • Email module.
  • Addresses module.
  • Date module.
  • Phone module.
  • Filefield module.
  • Imagefield module.
  • Emfield module.
  • Content Taxonomy module.

Chapter 5: Theming (30 pages)

This chapter covers theming as it relates to content types.

Topics covered:

  • Node template and suggestions.
  • Theming all fields.
  • Theming specific fields.
  • Overriding field formatters.

Chapter 6: Advanced CCK (30 pages)

This chapter covers more advanced CCK topics and touch on topics outside the scope of this book.

Topics covered:

  • Field level permissions.
  • Custom field formatters.
  • Devel generate module.

Chapter 7: Displaying Content with Views Module (40 pages)

This chapter is a quick overview of the Views module and how it is used to display content types.

Topics covered:

  • Creating content views by example.
  • Views settings.

Comments

Anonymous's picture

"How to decide what becomes a content type."

I could have used this one today.

Anonymous's picture

Alan,

Pfff, would've loved this book when I first started - with the growing number of users I think you will have a strong audience. You might want to include an epilogish chapter...

When it's time to make a Module.

True, you can do 90% of everything with CCK and Views, but, there are times when it just makes more sense to create a Module.

Just my 2 cents..

Would love to review the book/drafts as they come available.

Anonymous's picture

Alan,

Using wysiwug editors with custom fields.

Setting up min permissions for various roles, creator, editor, reader

Anonymous's picture

Theming: Perhaps a nod to the Contemplate module?

Anonymous's picture

I could use this book too.

I think a look at Rich Media content types... video, sound, flash, and images. I also think you need to delve into stuff that is not "content" and how is it different: menus, users, etc.

I like books that abstract things. So something that finds ways to explain how content is like a grocery list in one chapter. But then how is creating content like an assembly line in another.

Do you want anyone to review a draft?

Anonymous's picture

I think the danger will be "scope creep". If you stay focused on content types including media I think it will be a great book. I like the focused format of Packt's Drupal books -- in fact I just purchased 10 of their Drupal eBooks to start out my well-rounded Drupal library, and downloaded them. Be sure to offer that format as well.

I would be happy to review what you have when you are ready. I am over Web Technologies for a large international company and we are bringing up a whole set of Drupal sites in a number of different languages.