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Today we are talking about The Drupal At-Large Board Seat, What the job entails, and some common misconceptions with guest Fei Lauren. We'll also cover Token Browser as our module of the week.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/533

Topics

• Understanding the Drupal Association at Large Board Seat
• Responsibilities and Experiences of a Board Member
• Challenges and Insights from Serving on the Board
• Community Representation and Accountability
• Skills and Qualities for Aspiring Board Members
• Navigating Board Member Responsibilities
• Community Perception and Board Care
• Global Community Engagement
• Challenges and Impact of Board Decisions
• Encouraging Non-Technical Contributions
• Reflections and Future Plans
• Election Process and Imposter Syndrome

Resources

• Board of directors working groups
• Board of directors

Guests

Fei Lauren - feilauren

Hosts

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan

MOTW Correspondent

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted an improved token browser that loads quickly and doesn't have a depth limit? There's a module for that.
• Module name/project name:
  • Token Browser
• Brief history
  • How old: created in Nov 2025 by Andy Marquis (apmsooner)
  • https://talkingdrupal.com/505
  • Versions available: 1.0.0 which works with Drupal core 11.3 or newer
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage
  • Number of open issues: 2 open issues, 1 of which is a bug
• Usage stats:
  • 3 sites
• Module features and usage
  • The Token Browser module provides a rebuilt version of the standard token browser. Notably, it only renders the first level during the initial request, and then requests deeper levels as needed using all the latest HTMX improvements in Drupal core 11.3
  • It's worth noting that the initial version requires an alternative theme function be attached to form elements where you want to use the new Token Browser, so it doesn't actually replace the standard version
  • Also, there seems to be an issue where the HTMX library doesn't load on cached pages, which is the one open issue. I pinged Andy about it and it sounds like he has a fix in the works.
  • Finally, this module is similar to an older module called Fast Token Browser, but that module was never updated to work with versions of Drupal newer than 7, and relied on jQuery for its AJAX functionality

Day 22 - Label in Name Dec 22, 2025 0

You're using voice control to navigate a website because typing is painful today. You see a button that says "Submit" - perfect, that's what you need. You say clearly: "Click Submit." Nothing happens. You try again: "Click Submit button." Still nothing. Frustrated, you finally say "Show numbers" to overlay numbers on every interactive element, then speak the number to activate the button.

Read More

Did you know that you don't have to build a Drupal site from scratch? Distributions are ready-made starter kits that enable you to launch a functional website in a few hours, rather than weeks. We present 11 proven and full-featured distributions – from e-learning platforms to systems for agriculture. We created two of the distributions at Droptica.

It’s the holiday season, and the end of the year always brings a natural pause. People are logging off, taking breaks, and spending time away from screens. Still, it’s hard not to feel a small sense of curiosity about what’s coming next. Drupal has a way of staying active even during quieter weeks, and that steady rhythm is part of what keeps the community moving forward.

This year brought several key milestones. Drupal Canvas was officially released, offering a new visual editing experience designed to improve usability for site builders. Drupal 11.3.0 introduced performance upgrades, stable navigation tools, and native HTMX support. The first full release of the Drupal CMS distribution made it easier to start with Drupal out of the box. The Drupal AI initiative continued to evolve, with version 1.2 and increased community collaboration on machine learning and automation use cases. And with Drupal 7 officially reaching the end of life, more users migrated forward, strengthening the ecosystem overall.

Looking ahead, early development on Drupal 12 has begun. Conversations are already underway around modernisation, editorial improvements, and more automation. For now, most of us are offline and enjoying a slower pace. But as always, the Drupal community will return with new energy. Let’s welcome 2026 and see what the next chapter brings.

INTERVIEW

• Two Builders, One Drupal: Where UI Suite Really Stands

TUTORIAL

• Drupal Migration Taxonomy Audit, Part 2: How to Analyze Your Data and Build a Migration-Ready Taxonomy Plan
• Drupal Service Container Deep Dive (Part 2): Aliases, Autowiring, and Named Arguments

EVENT

• Genero Builds on DrupalCon Nara to Drive Digital Transformation Through Open Source in Japan
• Open Source, Open Minds and Open Rates at Mauticon 2025
• Register for Drupal in a Day at DrupalCon Chicago 2026
• DrupalCamp Poland 2026 Set for May 16 in Wrocław
• DrupalCon Europe 2026 Heads to Rotterdam in September

DISCOVER DRUPAL

• Drupal 11.3.0 Released with HTMX Support and Major Performance Upgrades
• Stephen Mulvihill Adds Native Drupal Integration to n8n Automation Platform
• GitLab CI Now Supports 2,000+ Contributed Projects in the Drupal Ecosystem
• Carlos Ospina Expands Claude Skills with Systematic Tools for Drupal and Design
• AI Accessibility Checker Automates WCAG Audits with OpenAI Integration

ORGANIZATION NEWS

• acolono Releases NanoBanana Modules for AI-Powered Media Editing in Drupal
• Acquia Launches AI-Powered SaaS CMS ‘Source’ with Built-In Content Agents
• British Council and Opencentric Win Gold for Blended Learning Programme

We acknowledge that there are more stories to share. However, due to selection constraints, we must pause further exploration for now. To get timely updates, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky, and Facebook. You can also join us on Drupal Slack at #thedroptimes.

Thank you.

Kazima Abbas
Sub-editor
The DropTimes

Advent Calendar day 22 – So, I heard we won’t need junior devs now we have generative AI? james Mon, 12/22/2025 - 09:00 Lenny Moskalyk

As we prepare to open the last few doors of our Advent calendar, I think it’s a good point to consider our future. A lot of the speakers we’ve featured so far have many years of experience in Drupal, what about new blood?

As a special treat, today’s door features not one talk, but two!

The first one, from DrupalCon Vienna, was a discussion between Hilmar Hallbjörnsson, Jean-Paul Vosmeer, Rachel Lawson, and Lenny Moskalyk, which gave it very much a BoF (“Birds of a feather”) feel, which seems appropriate as it was a BoF the previous year that kicked off the initiative they were talking about.

Jean-Paul Vosmeer

The…

Tags

• Advent Calendar 2025

Drupal 11: Controlling LED Lights Using A REST Service

Following on from my article looking at the Pimoroni Plasma 2350 W I decided to do something interesting with the Wifi interface that would connect to a Drupal site.

The firmware of the Plasma 2350 W from Pimoroni comes with an example that connects to a free API to update the colour randomly. Once I saw this in action I realised that it shouldn't be too hard to convert that to pull the data from a Drupal REST service instead.

It is quite easy to create RESTful services in Drupal; it just needs a single class. All I would need to do is create a form to control the colour that is selected in the REST service.

In this article we will look at creating a Drupal module containing a RESTful interface, which we will connect to with the Plasma 2350 W to update the colour of the lights.

Setting Up The Form

In order to allow the colour of the LED lights to be set I needed to create a form that would do just that.

To save the colour to the system we will use the state service, which is a handy little key/value service that allows us to write simple values to the database. This service is a good way of storing values that aren't part of the Drupal configuration system. Ideally, you want values that can be easily recreated by the system if they don't already exist. The colour setting is therefore an ideal candidate for the state service.

Setting the form up with this service injected is simple enough, but we can also simplify the form integration by abstracting away the get and set methods for the state itself.

This is what the basic structure of the form class looks like.

philipnorton42 Sun, 12/21/2025 - 18:46

Day 21 - Text Flexibility Dec 21, 2025 0

You're reading a website, but the text feels cramped. Lines are too close together, making it hard to track from one line to the next. Words blur together. You try increasing your browser's font size, but that only makes part of the problem worse - now the text is bigger but still squished together.

If you could just add a little more space between lines, between words, between letters... you'd be able to read comfortably. But when you try using a browser extension to adjust spacing, the layout breaks. Text gets cut off. Paragraphs overlap. Buttons disappear.

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Advent Calendar day 21 – Recipes: It’s About Time! james Sun, 12/21/2025 - 09:00

Today is the twenty-first day of our Advent calendar, and it also happens to be the winter solstice – a moment defined by time, cycles, and transitions. It seemed a good time to revisit a talk by Martin Anderson-Clutz of Acquia, which he gave at DrupalCon Nara.

Martin discussed the Drupal recipe system, starting with what recipes are, and why they are needed. Drupal recipes were introduced to solve long-standing problems with Drupal distributions and install profiles, which were difficult to maintain, not composable, and often discovered too late in a project. Recipes are lightweight, code-free…

Tags

• Advent Calendar 2025
• Recipes
• Events
• time

Day 20 - Bypass Blocks Dec 20, 2025 0

Imagine navigating a website with only your keyboard. You hit Tab to move through interactive elements. First tab: logo link. Second tab: search box. Third tab: first navigation link. Fourth, fifth, sixth tabs: more navigation links. Seventh tab: social media icons. Eighth tab: language selector. Finally, after nine or ten tab presses, you reach the actual content of the page.

Now imagine doing this on every single page you visit. Every. Single. Time.

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Advent Calendar day 20 – Using Storybook To Preview Single Directory Components james Sat, 12/20/2025 - 09:00

Welcome back to day 20 of the Drupal Advent Calendar, where we look at a talk from DrupalCamp Scotland, where Philip  Norton of Code Enigma and #! Code discussed ways of making Single Directory Components easier to use with design tools.

The talk introduces how Storybook can be effectively integrated with Drupal using Single Directory Components (SDCs). Historically, Storybook and Drupal required duplicating front-end work, but SDCs now allow developers to build components once in Drupal and place them directly in Storybook. This fits well with modern Drupal theming practices and prepares for…

Tags

• Advent Calendar 2025
• Single Directory Components
• Storybook

Day 19 - Identify Input Purpose Dec 19, 2025 0

You're checking out on an e-commerce site for the tenth time this month. You start typing your shipping address... and your browser suggests the wrong address. You're trying to enter your work email, and it keeps suggesting your personal email. You give up and type everything manually, again.

Or maybe you're someone with a cognitive disability who struggles to remember your address. Your browser could help you fill in forms automatically - but only if the website tells the browser what kind of information each field expects.

Read More

In this interview with The DropTimes, Michael Fanini reflects on more than a decade of Drupal contribution, the evolution of the UI Suite Initiative, and the thinking behind Display Builder. He discusses design systems, Drupal core APIs, and how UI Suite positions itself alongside initiatives like Canvas, offering a grounded perspective on where Drupal’s front end is heading.

As the holiday season arrives, many in the Drupal community are beginning to slow down, reflect on the year gone by, and think ahead to what’s next. While this time of year often brings a welcome pause, it is also an ideal moment to plan for the opportunities that lie ahead in 2026. 

One important step worth taking before the year wraps up is registering for DrupalCon Chicago 2026.

Image

DrupalCon continues to be the flagship gathering for the global Drupal community. It brings together developers, designers, marketers, strategists, agency leaders, and contributors from around the world to learn, collaborate, and share experiences. 

Each DrupalCon offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest developments in Drupal, exchange practical knowledge, and strengthen connections across the ecosystem.

Registering early allows attendees to plan with confidence. With a confirmed spot, it becomes easier to align professional development goals, secure organizational support, and plan travel well in advance. Early registration also helps reduce last-minute pressure as the event approaches, making the overall experience smoother and more enjoyable.

DrupalCon Chicago 2026 will feature a diverse program designed to support learning and collaboration across roles and experience levels. 

Attendees can expect:

• Insightful sessions covering Drupal CMS, AI, and digital experience platforms
• Keynotes from leaders within the Drupal community and beyond
• Opportunities to engage directly with contributors, maintainers, and peers
• Meaningful discussions that extend beyond sessions into the wider community

The host city adds another dimension to the experience. Chicago offers a rich blend of culture, architecture, and innovation, providing an inspiring setting for conversations about the future of open-source technology and digital experiences. DrupalCon Chicago 2026 is set to be both professionally rewarding and personally memorable.

As the year comes to a close, this is a good time to make thoughtful decisions for the year ahead. Before fully stepping into the holiday break, consider taking a moment to register for DrupalCon Chicago 2026. It’s a simple action now that helps set the stage for learning, connection, and growth in the coming year.

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Early Bird registration for DrupalCon Chicago 2026 is open until 5 January 2026, 7:59 am CST, and community members are encouraged to register soon to secure their participation.

 

Authored By: Iwantha Lekamge, DrupalCon Chicago 2026 Marketing & Outreach Committee Member

Advent Calendar day 19 – From Fear to Freedom james Fri, 12/19/2025 - 09:00

For today’s Advent Calendar door, we’re joined by Eric Michalsen, who was keen to tell us about a talk he saw at DrupalCamp Asheville… 

From Fear to Freedom: Mastering Drupal Updates with a Structured Approach

The talk by Carlos Ospina of Palcera LLC in Columbia talked about all aspects of keeping a Drupal site up to date.

Through a combination of best practices, live demonstrations, and practical tools, learn how to confidently manage their Drupal updates, including how to prepare their custom code for version changes and avoid common API pitfalls.

Topics covered include:

• A structured approach…