The ability to create as many content types and fields as needed seems to be one of Drupal’s best characteristics. Got a special use case? Create a new content type! And another one, and another! Or add more fields! Unfortunately, that approach can lead to architecture that is rigid and confusing, especially for content editors and clients. Why not challenge that model and use a single content type? This session is a case study of Any Page, our version of a single-content-type structure, that illustrates: • Why standard IA models lead to complex content type structures. • How to focus on content organization rather than content types. • What fields to include in a single-content type model. • How to use Entity Construction Kit to create reusable building blocks. • Why content editors love Inline Entity Forms. • Alternative models for tagging. • The life cycle of a page, or how an Announcement can become an Event, then change to a Resource Page. • Roadblocks, shortcomings, and how Any Page 2.0 will be different.

1. One Content Type
to Rule Them All
Case study of “Any Page” single-content
type implementation

2. Presenters
Will Jackson
● Senior Developer
● Resident Commerce
Consultant
● System Administrator
● Module Maintainer
Anne Easterling
● Front-end dev and site
builder
● “Configuration Queen”
● UX/IA consultant
● Most important role:
Advocate for end-user
and editors

3. Introductions
● Why single-content
type?
● Our model: Any Page
● ECK and other
construction tips
● Demo
● Next steps
● Who are you?
● Site building
experience?
● Other: back-end,
themers?
● Why are you here?
● Most content types
on a site?

4. Why single-content type?

5. Problem 1: Content type overload
● Advantage of Drupal: Add as many content
types and fields as needed
● Disadvantage of Drupal: Add as many
content types and fields as you think you
need
● And content types are rigid!

6. How many content types are too many?

7. Traditional Content Models
● Focus on “content types.”
● Assume that unique content type is needed
for each page variation.
● Still connect presentation to architecture.
(References:
http://pointnorth.io/#content-modeling
http://alistapart.com/article/content-modelling-a-master-skill)

8. Source: Content Modelling: A Master Skill, A List Apart

9. ● Single-page and long-form pages.
● Mix of visuals: images, videos, graphics.
● Editors want to control order of elements.
● Mix of default and custom sidebar blocks.
Problem 2: Design trends

10. Single-content type solution:
Any Page

11. ● Rather than content types, IA focuses on
content organization.
● Complex pages (such as landing pages) can
be controlled by editors.
● Easier flexibility for non-content regions,
such as sidebars.
Single-content type solutions

12. Single content type: Any Page
Content model
Content type
Fields
Custom Theming
⇒ Site structure
⇒ Page type tags
⇒ Reusable blocks
⇒ Built-in style options

13. Example: Events
Content type:
● Title
● Date
● Location
● Description
● Type of event
● Registration form
● Photo, gallery, video
● Speakers
● Handouts
Single content type:
● Title
● Tag: Event, Types
● Blocks:
Event, Text, Image,
Video, Person, Doc
Attachments, etc.

14. STRUCTURE
Entity Construction Kit
Entity Reference
Inline Entity Form
Context, Features
Views, View Field
Media
Automatic Entity Label
Any Page: Module magic
UX ENHANCEMENTS/PRESENTATION
Field Group
Multiple Selects
Display Suite / Extras
Fields Conditional
Field Formatter Settings
Field Formatter Conditions

15. Entity Construction Kit
● Create/Manage entities and bundles from UI.
● Manage properties and custom behaviors.
● Create bundles to share entity configuration.
● Thousands of compatible modules (Field UI).

16. Entity Construction Kit

17. Entity Construction Kit

18. Entity Construction Kit

19. Alternative tagging: Options entity
● “Options” entity type with two bundles
● Option Type: parent, such as Page Type
● Option: child, such as Event, Blog, Product,
News, etc.
● Also used for supporting options in the Any
Blocks: Layout Options, Link Style, Image
Style, Color Scheme, etc.

20. Option fields
● Label: human-friendly description
● Machine name:
o CSS-friendly string
o Applied as classes to streamline theming
o Related to Bootstrap classes or variables
● Example - Block Color Scheme:
o Label: Purple background / white text
o Machine name: color_brand_contrast_white

21. Option Types in use on Text Block style options

22. Any Page node fields
● Title
● Tags: Page type,
categories
● Teaser and teaser
image
● Entity reference fields:
o Main content
o Left sidebar
o Right sidebar
o Content top
o Content bottom
● Default globals

23. Page Type tag is
alternative to separate
content types. Can be
changed as node usage
changes.
Other functional or
presentation tagging
can be added as
needed.

24. Recommend using Teaser because
there is no standard Body field to
use as a fallback.

25. Any Block types
● Each type based on functionality.
● Most block types can be used in any field.
(AKA page region: main content, sidebar, etc.)
● Limited field reuse.

26. Any Block types
● Text block
● Accordion block
● Contact block
● Document Attachments
block
● Event block
● Featured Media block
● Form block
● Image (grid / slideshow)
● Link (menu-style)
● Location block
● Product
● System block (blocks
from core and modules)
● Video block
● View / List block (blocks
from Views)

27. Any Block: Text block
● Administrative Title
● Display Title
(with optional link)
● Style Options
(alignment, padding, color,
layout)
● Body
● Image
o Options
(style, position, link)
o Image
(base and hover)
● Links
o Link style
(text or button)
o Title (optional link)
o Links

28. ● Created by the Commerce Guys for Commerce Kickstart.
● Create referenced entities inline without leaving the form.
● Integrate with any new or pre-existing entity.
● Streamline content forms
Inline Entity Form

29. Inline Entity Form

30. Demonstration

31. Life cycle of a page
1. Announcement: Text, images
2. Event: Retag. Add Event, Location blocks
3. Report: Retag. Add Video block.
4. Resource: Retag. Add Document
Attachment block.

32. ● Performance
o Complex configurations may be resource intensive.
● Commerce
o Additional customization required for contrib displays
● Search
o Contributed Module Limitations
Technical considerations

33. Any Page 2.0
● Basic Main Content: Text block fields
without being in Entity Block
● Custom Main Content: Convert original
Main Content.
● Tagging: Taxonomy may be better
● Image handling: Implement Field Formatter

34. Review
● Advantages of a single content type
o Content that evolves to what you need
o Simplify the process for content editors
● Condense Content Types
o Solve the problem of “a content type for everything”

35. Questions/Giveaway
Are there any questions?

36. SCREENSHOTS

37. Two custom entity types
Any Page uses two custom
entity types: Any Block and
Option Type

38. Related: Item Sets
used in block
Special Purpose
Parent Bundle (no blocks)
Container block
“Workhorse”
Any Block bundles
Any Block: parent bundle
Text Block: multi-purpose
“workhorse” also includes image
and links
Accordion Block: primary field is
multi-field Accordion Item Set.
Multi-Block Wrapper: allows other
blocks to be displayed in one row.
SEO Description: not available as
block; used separately.

39. Any Block properties
Administrative Title (instead of
Title) for easier labeling
All bundles have separate
Display Title field

40. Main content field
Create or reuse entities in
this region.
All blocks are displayed in a
vertical stack.

41. Left sidebar field
Create or reuse entities in
this region.
All blocks are displayed in a
vertical stack.
Option to override default
display settings on Global
sidebar blocks.

42. Right sidebar field
Create or reuse entities in
this region.
All blocks are displayed in a
vertical stack.

43. Content top field
Display options for blocks
displayed in Content Top
region.
Create or reuse entities in
this region.

44. Content bottom field
Display options for blocks
displayed in Content Bottom
region.
Create or reuse entities in
this region.