1.7 million active websites use Drupal on the internet. Thus, you’ll find that it’s a very reliable CMS with many features. Also, Drupal is constantly evolving, and that’s why it comes with many new features and improvements.
One of the major updates released on June 3, 2020, is Drupal 9; given this, businesses would need to upgrade to it sooner or later to gain full functionality and continue to be able to receive security updates for Drupal.
However, upgrading from Drupal 7 or 8 to Drupal 9 is much easier and faster if you consider hiring a Drupal development company. Let’s dive into more details and understand the Drupal 9 features And Tips To Upgrade, which you can use to upgrade from Drupal 7/8 to 9.
In this section, we’ll share the most critical Drupal 9 features. These are the ones that you should pay attention to when migrating to Drupal 9:
Backward Compatibility
With the Drupal feature, you can use all the modules and files from D8/9 without any trouble. You can keep your database tables in D7/8 and upgrade only the codebase. You won’t lose any websites or files when upgrading.
Drupal 9 does not restrict your performance or speed while dealing with the historical baggage, which is a crucial component of being backward compatible. By doing this, Drupal will continue to run quickly, be uncluttered, and be current.
Faster And Better Performance
Mobile traffic and speed are the biggest challenges on the internet today. Therefore, Drupal 9 has focused on performance improvements and making the best mobile experience possible for its users; this makes the CMS more responsive and faster.
As it’s responsive images, drupal 9 features where mobiles can display the best-sized images and consume less data. The following Drupal 9 features can be used to create effective workflows:
Drupal 9 code was developed in the most modular way to provide a high level of extensibility and a clean code base for new developments. You can explore and customize Drupal 9 modules without any problem or hassle, making it easier for new developers to dive into the codebase.
Additionally, the Drupal feature comes with the elimination of deprecated Drupal 8 code. Thus, the clean code base makes Drupal development faster and more transparent- making the code more elegant and improving the performance of the Drupal site.
Another important Drupal 9 feature that business owners should know about is the new versions of Symfony and Twig in Drupal 9. Symfony is a PHP framework used for Drupal 9 core, and Twig is the template engine.
In Drupal 8, these frameworks were version 3, which has been out of support for over two years. However, in this new version, both will be up-to-date (version 2.0 for Twig and version 4 for Symfony). This is a significant update and a vital part of Drupal 9 features that improve performance, developer experience, and security.
Headless Drupal is a concept Drupal 9 features that separates your content and data from a front-end website. In other words, it allows the managing of content, and this is done without the need to see the web page.
This is a significant update for Drupal 9 features, and as such, it makes Drupal development faster and more efficient.
Panelizer Will Be Removed And Replaced:
Panelizer is one of the modules from Drupal 9 that was dropped. The layout builder will take the place of the Panelizer. In Drupal 9, Layout Builder provides a much better experience than Panelizer.
The Layout Builder is a Drupal feature that quickly helps you build content layouts with drag-and-drop functionality. Thus, simple page building becomes more manageable and quicker. Also, it will be more flexible and customizable than Panelizer as it’s based on the Block concept of Drupal 8.
As Drupal 9 will eliminate all the deprecated code, it will reduce the number of third-party dependencies. Also, there is no code duplication among modules, and hence, this will make module creation faster and easier.
These unique Drupal 9 features help make website development highly efficient, quick, and rapid. In addition, as the third-party dependencies are reduced, there will be less possibility of attacks by hackers who might have used different codes in those dependencies.
Now that you know the essential Drupal 9 features, let’s dive into the benefits of upgrading from Drupal 8 to 9:
Increased Security
Drupal 8 is already one of the most secure CMS. However, Drupal 9 has taken security to new heights. The CMS was already among the most secure out there, but by axing depreciated code and third-party dependencies, Drupal 9 is even more robust than its predecessor.
Improved Performance And Scalability
Drupal 9 will be faster and more scalable than Drupal 8. You’ll be able to handle more user traffic, which is why it’s called a faster CMS.
Improved Developer Experience
Improved developer experience comes standard with Drupal 9. The latest version has drastically reduced the risks associated with the hacking that were present in Drupal 8. Deprecated code and third-party dependencies are a thing of the past, so there’s no need for hacks that could harm website performance or security.
Prioritizing The Beginner Experience
There is no need to get into technical details or be an expert. Drupal 9 will provide beginners with a simple, intuitive, easy-to-use experience.
Reduce Development And Maintenance Costs
A clean codebase makes Drupal development faster and easier. As the codebase is more modular, it will reduce the number of bugs and fixes. That, in turn, means there will be reduced maintenance, updates, and patch costs.
Well-Structured Data Engine
Drupal 9 will feature removing deprecated code and third-party dependencies. This will make Drupal 8 data more organized, clean, simple, and secure, a vital part of Drupal 9 features that improve performance and security.
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Before starting the upgrade process, you must identify the requirements of Drupal 8 and Drupal 9. There are some prerequisites that you will have to fulfill:
Here are some steps that you should follow to upgrade your Drupal 8 website to Drupal 9:
Step 1: Prepare The Server:
Before installing Drupal 9, you will need to prepare the server. Verify that all the extensions are compatible with the latest version of Drupal Core. Moreover, it’s also vital to ensure that your Apache web server has sufficient disk space and bandwidth for your website.
Step 2: Update To Drupal 8.8 or 8.9
To ease the upgrade process, you should update Drupal 8 to Drupal 8.8 or Drupal 8.9. In addition, you should edit/remove the third-party modules that are not compatible with Drupal 9. This step will make it easier for you to upgrade and avoid errors.
Step 3: Upgrade Status Module
To check if your Drupal site is upgraded, follow these steps: First, navigate to the Reports tab on the dashboard. Secondly, select Upgrade Status Module from the menu. This helpful tool will provide an overview of the current status of your site’s Drupal version, modules, and themes installed, as well as the database type used.
Step 4: Upgrade Custom Code
To prepare for Drupal 9, custom modules and themes need to be updated with code dependencies that will be supported. In addition, functions and actions from Drupal 8.8 or 8.9 must also be adjusted to ensure compatibility with the new version of Drupal 9.
Step 5: Update Drupal Core Code & Database
Finally, it is time to move from Drupal 8 to Drupal 9. If there are no errors in installing your Drupal 9, you can install it on the same server. Now you have completed the Drupal 9 upgrade process.
As you have seen, upgrading your website to Drupal 9 is very important. The features of Drupal 9 are unique, and it will provide you with a faster, more secure, and user-friendly CMS. With these fantastic features, it will be even easier to leverage the benefits of Drupal 9 features to help you have better website performance and security.
You should ensure your site is compatible with the latest version of Drupal 9 before you upgrade it. If you are still trying to figure out the benefits of boosting your website to Drupal 9, you should look at those fantastic benefits. Moreover, In addition, you can consult professionals at Drupal development company, who can help you make the upgrade a seamless and hassle-free process.
