Aaron Couch

originally posted: http://www.zivtech.com/blog/creating-custom-plugin-context

Context is one of the most useful architectural modules for Drupal. Context works by setting conditions such as a path or a node type and, if that condition is present, reactions such as adding blocks to regions or setting an active menu.

Context comes with a number of useful conditions and reactions. But what if you need something more specific? Context offers a well-built API that makes creating your own conditions and reactions a relatively painless procedure. The API is well documented but hopefully this example will be useful for some folks.

I've gotten together with some folks around Madison to start a group called "Net Neutral Wisconsin." The specter of a tiered internet has been hanging over our heads for a number of years now. The image above, if I recall correctly, is at least four or five years old.

Like most folks working on the web I spend most of my time doing my development on my local machine. At Zivtech we also have a development server on which we test and share and allow the clients to add content and give us feedback. And then we have the live sites themselves. If everyone is up-to-date between the three, the sites will look exactly the same except for the URLs.

To help differentiate I made this simple Grease Monkey script: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/84808 that places an unobtrusive reminder in the bottom corner of the screen. Just a helpful tool for the grind.

photo by Peter Coons

Thanks to the folks from UW and Brazen who helped put together DrupalCamp Wisconsin in Madison this past Friday and Saturday. There were over a hundred folks in attendance, great sessions, and Drupal cupcakes!

Here are the slides from my presentations: