How to Publish a Module or Theme on Drupal.org
Since Drupal.org is owned by you, the Drupal Community users and the Drupal Association (DA), it is different from other CMS tools. It eliminates company ownership and interference. DA’s priority is serving its users. Corporations that want to be a part of the community can do so as contributors.
Drupal is popular amongst developers for its advanced user interface. It can accommodate a variety of content, such as text and media with many customized features. Its USP, however, is Drupal’s community, which helps you leverage it to its full potential. Drupal.org is amongst the largest open-source communities worldwide that are used for creating software, writing documents, and providing support. For enhanced growth and learning, Drupal.org is definitely one of the best for companies to join.
There are several reasons for wanting to contribute to the Drupal Community. It can help in improving programming skills, boost the company’s brand image, and foster open source culture. Once you step into it, you will know how brilliant a decision it is to give back to the Drupal Community.
What are the modes for publishing projects?
On Drupal.org, we can publish a project under two types of modes, i.e, Sandbox Mode and Full Mode. These modes share some basic key features, such as both have a project page, a Git repository, an issue queue, and the ability to appoint co-maintainers.
There are also a few significant differences between the Sandbox Mode and Full mode. The following table summarizes some of these differences:
| Sandbox Mode | Full Mode |
|---|---|
| The URL format is something like this: http://drupal.org/sandbox/username/node-id. | The URL format is a human-readable short-name (i.e. http://drupal.org/project/[ project_name ]. |
| The project contains an experimental unstable code and is not ready for general use. | The project contains a stable code and is ready for general use. |
| Searching and downloading the project’s code is quite difficult for end users. | The project appears in the ‘Main Project Issue Submission’ drop-down. |
| On the project page, you’ll get an “Experimental Project” warning message with a yellow background. | End-users get stable releases that can be downloaded. |
What are the requirements for publishing projects on Drupal.org?
Before moving to the process of publishing, you need to fulfill two basic requirements. These are:
1. A confirmed account on Drupal.org
You must have a confirmed account on Drupal.org for creating a project.
If you are new and you are getting a message ‘Your account is not yet confirmed’ on your profile page, just follow the link given in the message and request for updating your account.
2. Git Access
You must have GIT access to your repository.
How to publish a project on Drupal.org?
For publishing your project on Drupal.org, you need to follow three simple steps. These are:
1. Create a sandbox project
The first step is to create a sandbox project from the dashboard of your Drupal account. From the dashboard, redirect to the path “My Projects > Add a new project”.
After clicking on ‘Module Project’, fill out the form. This new project will, first, become a Sandbox project.
If you have permission to upgrade projects from Sandbox to Full Projects, you will see a checkbox allowing you to choose ‘Full Project’. However, it is advised to start with a Sandbox.
Click on the ‘Version control’ tab at the top of the new project page for instructions on how to start committing code to your Sandbox repository.
2. Promote the project from Sandbox Mode to Full Mode
Once you get ready with the development code in the Sandbox environment, you can promote your project to the Full Mode. After doing this, anyone will be able to easily download your project.
3. Apply for security advisory policy coverage for your project
After publishing the project to Full Mode, you will need to get security advisory policy coverage from the Drupal Community Security Team for your project. This policy will ensure that your project does not have any issues with security and anyone can easily install the project on their website.
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