1. What is Views in Drupal?
Views is a powerful query builder and display tool in Drupal that allows you to fetch, filter, sort, and display content (nodes, users, taxonomy terms, etc.) without writing custom code. It is included in Drupal 8, 9, and 10 core.
Key Points:
- Create lists, tables, grids, slideshows, or any custom content display.
- Fetch data from any content type or entity.
- Provides a user-friendly interface to build complex queries.
2. Key Concepts in Views:
- View: A saved query that fetches and displays data.
- Display: Different ways to present the same view (Page, Block, Feed, Attachment).
- Filter: Conditions to limit data (published status, author, date).
- Sort: Order data (newest first, alphabetical, highest score).
- Field: Specific columns/data to show (title, body, image).
- Argument (Contextual Filter): Dynamically change results based on URL parameters.
- Relationships: Link related content (show author info with node data).
- Exposed Filter: Allows users to filter content via UI (search box, dropdown).
3. Features of Views in Drupal:
- Display content in multiple formats (Table, Grid, HTML List, Slideshow, RSS Feed, JSON).
- Flexible filtering and sorting.
- Contextual filtering (dynamic views based on URL or user).
- Exposed filters for user interaction.
- Relationships between content.
- Multiple displays (Page, Block, Feed, Attachment).
- Pagination & Infinite scroll.
- Access control integration.
- Export & API support (JSON, XML, RSS).
- Reusable and extensible displays.
4. How Views Enhance Drupal Web Applications:
- No coding required.
- Dynamic content presentation.
- Improves user experience with search, filtering, and pagination.
- Reusable components (blocks, multiple displays).
- Integration with other modules (Panels, Layout Builder, Paragraphs).
- Supports REST and headless Drupal.
- Performance friendly (caching support).
5. Example Use Cases:
- Recent articles block on homepage.
- Author-specific content pages.
- Product catalog with filters and sorting.
- User directory or member list.
- RSS feeds for blog posts or events.
- Admin reports with table views.
Summary:
Views in Drupal acts as a dynamic content query builder and presentation layer, allowing the creation of rich, interactive, and reusable content displays without writing SQL or custom code. It is one of the most powerful tools in Drupal for building advanced web applications efficiently.
