CCK, Views, and Panels, are top Drupal modules we all know and love because they're necessary for building amazing Drupal websites; but what about the modules you haven't heard of, those little gems that can really give your site something extra? I'm going to take a look at the top 5 Drupal modules that you might not know about but are worth a look. Some of them are still in Alpha or Beta so be sure install with caution as they may not be ready for prime-time.
- Multi Node Add
I first found this module when I was working on a sports site and needed to add numerous team and player nodes. Adding teams and players one at a time was painstakingly slow, add to that the frustration of having game and statistical data to assign to each player and really you’ve got a content creators nightmare. After a little digging for a better solution I stumbled across the Multi Node Add module and now I can add as many as needed with just a few clicks. br>
P.S. It also can come in handy for those hand coded site migrations when node import is just not an option; cut, paste, cut, paste, cut, paste then save as needed!
br>
- Inline AJAX Search
If you’ve used Google.com recently for a web search, then you’ve probably noticed the list of results starts to populate below your search box; Inline AJAX Search adds that exact same functionality to your Drupal website. Instead of site visitors having to wait for a new page to load with results they can just move the mouse down to the result they're looking for; simple and easy. What I love about this option is that you can display the results in a views style format with a node title and small content teaser to be sure the page you’re going to is what you need. Less clicks to content = happy clients and customers.
br>
- dRealty IDX
I know, it's still "very much in BETA", but just the possibility has me excited. I can't tell you how many times we've talked to Real Estate professionals that needed this solution and Drupal just wasn't there yet.
Here’s just 2 of the features that had me hooked
- Provides an interface to Setup a MLS feed, allowing a user to import various entities into the Drupal system.
- Users can select to import Property Listings, Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Offices, and Open Houses
Once you’ve imported the data you can then manipulate it any way you want setting up custom views built around what will service your client best.
- Drag’n’Drop Uploads – Who doesn’t love to drag and drop files where they need them; it’s so much easier than navigating the file folder mine field to find what you need. The nice thing about this module is its integrated with a bunch of other Drupal modules so out of the box it’s pretty smooth. You can even set it up to flow right into designated cck fields, did I say awesome? I will say that after testing there were some drawbacks as I had to install it on 3 sites before I finally got it working, but other than that I’m certain we’ll be adding this one to the LevelTen Essentials Distrubtion.
br>
- Quiz Module – When it comes to Drupal modules this thing is the gold standard. It’s been intertwined with just about everything Drupal has to offer and with a little work on the installation you can setup a fully functional testing and evaluation site. The module is designed to convert your site into a web test administration site with restriction systems, timed tests, multiple choice, true false, and short answer questions; plus a results and statistics system it’s truly amazing. With the numerous features, it had my client astounded and then confused why everything in Drupal wasn’t that easy to do.
br>
Overall, I think these are just five beginning examples of some of the more obscure Drupal modules; over the next few weeks I hope to highlight more and more as we gear up for DrupalCamp/OpenCamp Dallas.
br>
Did I miss your favorite module; are there a few you wouldn’t consider building a site without? I’d love to hear your thoughts about some of the other interesting things module creators are doing with Drupal. br>
Photo Credit
