If your website is on Drupal 8 it’s time to upgrade to Drupal 9 so that you can start enjoying it’s benefits.
That said, if you’re reading this and your website is still on Drupal 7 and you think you have plenty of time with the extended Drupal 7 end of life until November 2022, we hate to break it to you but...it’s also time for you to start thinking about your upgrade path to Drupal 9. You can learn more about that here.
In the meantime we’ll break down some of the changes and features you can expect in Drupal 9.
Backward Compatible
Drupal 9 has a backward compatibility feature, meaning that it is compatible with its predecessor, i.e., Drupal 8. What this means is that if you have created any modules, data or configurations on Drupal 8 you will be able to use it on Drupal 9 as well.
The biggest benefit of Drupal 9 being backward compatible is that you can take along your historical baggage without sacrificing speed or performance. That way all your hard work will function just like before, which is unlike the case with Drupal 7 to Drupal 8.
Faster and Better Performance
Speaking of performance, Drupal 9 improves performance in the following ways:
- Mobile-first approach with responsive images - displaying the best sized images based on size.
- Multiple workflows using Content Workflow
- Improved initial page loading with BigPipe increasing page view performance
- Enhanced multilingual capabilities
- Structured content that encompasses phone, email, date and time
Goodbye Panelizer Hello Layout Builder
For those of you who were used to having both Panelizer and Layout Builder in Drupal 8 this might be a big change for you. In Drupal 9 Panelizer has been removed and replaced solely by Layout Builder.
Deep breaths...change is good.
Cleaner Code Base
On the note of good things, what’s better than a squeaky clean slate?
With Drupal 9 comes the elimination of the deprecated Drupal 8 code providing you with a version of Drupal that is so fresh, so clean (bonus points for those who can name that reference).
One thing to note here is that if you have any custom modules you will need to include their refactoring in your strategy and planning for your upgrade to Drupal 9. Depending on how many you have, and how complex they are this could add to the overall budget.
Unsure whether you have custom modules - or how many you have? We can help with that! Get in touch with one of our strategists today to learn more about our complimentary Drupal 9 Upgrade review.
Symfony and Twig
Along with Drupal 9 come new versions of Symfony and Twig which ensure security along with a better performance.
Headless CMS
With an industry wide trend of an API-first approach Drupal 9 empowers you to explore the world of a Headless CMS. By building powerful front-ends with a JavaScript framework, like React or Angular you’ll not only experience more freedom but also be able to save time by creating once and publishing anywhere, build with a more forward thinking API-first approach and enjoy easier resourcing.
All of these elements will help you deliver a more seamless experience for your customers.
Upgrade to Drupal 9 with Us
Are you ready to start reaping the benefits of Drupal 9? Connect with our experienced Drupal strategists to ensure that your migration experience, whether you are coming from Drupal 7 or Drupal 8, is a smooth one.
- Log in to post comments
