Drupal 9.x Project Development Checklist

A checklist of common tools, settings, modules etc to check for a Drupal 9.x web project

Want to use a Docker image for development? Head to https://github.com/theodorosploumis/gitpod-drupal-workspace!

How to use this? I usually copy this checklist to a Github issue so I won't forget anything. Most of the times I delete items from the list so this is the full list.

Server type

• Ubuntu LTS, stable (eg 20.04)

Server setup

Prefer to install all software globally.

• php8 (see required php extensions for drupal 9.x)
• mysql
• apache2
• git
• patch
• drush-launcher
• composer
• openssh-server
• nodejs/npm (if needed)

Dev Packages (if needed)

• sass-lang.com

SaaS

• Create Github/Bitbucket/Gitlab repository
• Create Project Management project (eg TeamWork)
• Create a Trello board (if using Trello)
• Setup Slack
• Setup CI (eg Travis)

Modules

• admin_toolbar
• ctools
• pathauto
• pathologic
• redirect
• token
• google_analytics
• simple_sitemap

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• backup_migrate
• config_update
• config_devel
• devel
• features
• masquerade
• stage_file_proxy

Themes (base)

• omega
• bootstrap
• zurb_foundation
• kashmir
• neato
• basic
• xtheme
• gesso
• radix
• cog
• bear_skin
• classy (core theme)

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• adminimal_theme

Drupal Settings

• Enable dev mode
• Enable php error_log
• Enable apache2 error_log
• Copy ssh keys

Site Architecture

• Content types
• Vocabularies
• Entity Fields
• Blocks
• Menus and menu links
• View modes
• User Roles
• Views
• Text editor filters
• Text editor widgets/plugins
• Image styles
• REST pages
• Site functionality (eg search, mailchimp etc)
• New things to try (eg a new tool)

Testing

• User Scenarios/Stories
• Test UI functionality (behat)
• Test user permissions (PhpUnit)
• Test user input (behat)
• Test browsers (browserstack etc)
• Test devices (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• W3C WAI level 1 accessibility validation
• Google Mobile Friendly test
• Google PageSpeed test
• Pingdom Website Speed Test
• Yellow Lab Tools

Development tasks

• Create Project folder
• Create drush aliases
• git-flow init
• drupal console chain commands
• Setup cron jobs
• Set xdebug
• IDE setup (eg Phpstorm)
• Create teamocil file
• Create bash aliases

After development tasks

• Disable modules: *_ui, dblog, devel, admin_menu, simplytest, kint.
• Enable Caches
• Enable syslog module
• Provide customer credentials
• Maintenance aggreement
• Submit to SE (eg Google), use xmlsitemap
• Submit to Google Analytics
• Submit to Google Webmaster tools
• Submit to Showcase sites
• Publish on my personal site (work)
• Publish any Open source project that can be useful

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• Get raw README.md
• Edit README.md