Drupal has announced that the stable Drupal 9.0.0 will be released on June 3, 2020. The beta version of this forthcoming release is available for download now. The official development team at Drupal has done extensive work before releasing the beta version. So, we can expect this release on the scheduled date. This release will be another pivotal update for Drupal website development services and related offerings.
Key Features of Drupal 9.0.0 (Preview)
Drupal 9.0.0 is the biggest release after Drupal 8. The previous major releases have a track record of significantly drifting away from their previous version. Drupal 8, for instance, looked starkly different from Drupal 7. However, Drupal 9 would be an exception in that sense. As we can make an educated guess from the beta version, Drupal 9 would be functionally very much similar with the latest minor update of Drupal 8.
Changes in Modules & Themes in Drupal 9
Almost half of the themes and modules in the forthcoming version have either stable or a developer version. That means Drupal 9 is compatible with these themes and modules. The remaining themes and modules have a working patch.
The themes and modules that have a compatible or developer version include:
• Admin toolbar
• Pathauto
• Entity Reference
• Paragraphs
• Redirect
• Sitemap
• Mail system
Third-Party Dependency Updates
Drupal 8 uses several third-party tools, including CKEditor 4, jQuery UI 3.2, and Twig 1. Drupal 9 will change these third-party APIs. So it will affect Drupal’s backward compatibility with third-party software tools. Drupal maintains a tradition of changing such third-party compatibilities in its major releases. This also impacts Drupal web services in terms of development.
Some important third-party libraries will be updated and some others will remain unchanged in Drupal 9.
Another important update in Drupal 9 is the use of a new version of Symfony, the PHP web application framework. Since Symfony 3 ends in November 2021, Drupal 9 will use the latest version of Symfony, version 4.4.
Using Drupal 9 for Web Development Projects
If you’re associated with Drupal website development services and want to be an early adopter of the Drupal 9 version, here’s some suggestions:
You can update your platform for Drupal web services immediately after the stable release in June 2020.
If you want to start early, use Drupal 8.8 and 8.9 for developing solutions and then test the solution. Then test the solution on Drupal once the new version is assessed properly.
Make sure you don’t use any deprecated API in custom code. And check compatibility of APIs with Drupal 9.
Conclusion
According to Drupal, the new release will be a cleaned-up version of its predecessors. Although it similar to Drupal 8 in functional aspects, it will be significantly better in terms of navigation and overall user experience. Also, the process of updating from Drupal 8 to 9 is much easier than the earlier ones. Drupal India, a leading provider of Drupal web design services to businesses and organizations worldwide. We have empowered many businesses to best use web solutions and achieve desired growth.
FAQs
Q. What is Drupal used for?
Drupal is an open-source web development framework. Drupal is widely used to develop a diverse range of websites Drupal includes a content management platform and a development framework.
Q. How long does it take to develop a Drupal website?
The development time of a Drupal website depends on your requirements. If your requirements are limited and predefined it takes comparatively less time. At Drupal India, we build websites in the shortest turnaround time possible.
Q. How much does it cost to build a Drupal Website?
The development cost for a Drupal website depends on what kind of website you need. Costs are lower for a website with basic themes and features. If you need a high-performance site with more advanced features, the cost will be different. We offer competitive pricing every kind of website.