25+ Drupal Interview Questions and Answers

Preparing for a Drupal interview might seem like a daunting task. Especially given the complexity and extensive capabilities of this popular content management system. It is crucial to have a firm grasp of its fundamental concepts, features, and technical nuances. This guide, thus, is designed to equip you with 25+ Drupal Interview Questions and Answers. Read on to learn more! 

Table of contents 

1) Top 25+ frequently asked Drupal Interview Questions 

a) What is Drupal? 

b) What are some of the most commonly used PHP-based CMSs? 

c) Why is Drupal so popular and called a powerful framework? 

d) What are the system requirements for Drupal installation? 

e) Mention the key features of Drupal. 

f) What is a module in Drupal? 

g) What are some modules that are used in Drupal? 

h) What is a sub-theme in Drupal? 

i) What does PDO mean? 

j) What do you mean DRUSH in Drupal? 

2) Conclusion 

Top 25+ frequently asked Drupal Interview Questions 

Whether you're preparing for a job interview or just looking to deepen your Drupal knowledge, understanding these key questions can give you a significant edge. Below, we've compiled over 25 essential Drupal interview questions along with their answers to help you prepare. 

1) What is Drupal? 

Drupal an open-source and free Content Management System. It is written in PHP. It is used as a back-end framework. It ranges from personal blogs to corporate, political, and government sites.
 

2) What are some of the most commonly used PHP-based CMSs? 

The most commonly used PHP-based CMSs include Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and WordPress. 

3) Why is Drupal so popular and called a powerful framework? 

Drupal is popular due to its robust performance, superior security features, and scalability. This makes it suitable for websites of all sizes. It's also highly customisable and can support numerous modules and themes that can adapt to virtually any requirement. 

4) What are the system requirements for Drupal installation? 

The basic requirements for Drupal installation include a web server (Apache, Nginx, or Microsoft IIS), PHP (version 7.3 or higher recommended), and a database like MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or SQLite. 

5) Mention the key features of Drupal. 

Key features of Drupal include its flexible content architecture, high scalability, extensive API support, reliable performance, and strong security measures. It also has a large community and thousands of modules and themes. 

6) What is a module in Drupal? 

In Drupal, a module is the collection of files that contains some functionality and is written in PHP. Modules extend Drupal's core capabilities and add new features or customise Drupal's behaviour and appearance. 

7) What are some modules that are used in Drupal? 

Common modules used in Drupal include Views, Token, Pathauto, Webform, and CKEditor, among others. 

8) What is a sub-theme in Drupal? 

A sub-theme in Drupal is a theme that inherits resources from another theme, called the base theme. Sub-themes allow you to override resources of the base theme, providing flexibility in customising the appearance of your site. 

9) What does PDO mean? 

PDO stands for PHP Data Objects. It is a database access layer providing a uniform method of access to multiple databases. 

10) What do you mean DRUSH in Drupal? 

DRUSH, or Drupal Shell, is a command line shell and scripting interface for Drupal. It helps in managing and administering Drupal websites efficiently. 

11) Can Drupal run on the command line? 

Yes, Drupal can be run on the command line using DRUSH, which provides powerful command line tools to interact with Drupal right from the terminal. 

12) Explain the use of Ctools in Drupal. 

Ctools is a set of APIs and tools to help developers improve their Drupal websites. It includes features like modal dialogue, content type management, and views content panes, among others. 

13) What are the render arrays in Drupal? 

Render arrays are the absolute basic building blocks of Drupal content. They provide a structured way to programmatically alter the content before it is displayed. 

14) What are patches? 

In the context of Drupal, patches are pieces of code that fix bugs, add new features, or solve security vulnerabilities in a Drupal site. They are used to modify Drupal core and contributed modules/themes. 

15) Is it possible to disable core required modules through Drupal admin? 

No, it is not possible to disable core required modules through the Drupal administration interface. This is because they are essential for Drupal to function correctly. 

16) Explain the database system in Drupal. 

Drupal uses a database abstraction layer, which allows you to use different database systems without changing the core code. It supports several types of databases, such as MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. 

Learn all about universal data query language with our SQL Courses – register today! 

17) What are the supported databases by Drupal? 

Drupal supports MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite databases. 

18) How can you drop a table using the module in Drupal? 

To drop a table using a module in Drupal, you can use the `db_drop_table()` function within your module's `.install` file, specifying the table to be removed. 

19) What is Drupal distribution, and when should you use it? 

Drupal distributions are full copies of Drupal that include Drupal core. In addition to the main software, there are also other programs such as themes, modules, libraries, and installation profiles that can be installed. They provide a quick starting point tailored for specific use cases. 

Learn top-notch technologies for versatile web solutions App & Web Development Training – join now! 

20) Explain what Drupal weight is. 

The 'weight' in Drupal is used to specify the order of processing or displaying various elements, such as modules, fields, or even menu items. Lower weights are processed first. 

21) Explain what Drupal cron is. 

Drupal cron handles tasks that need to be executed periodically, such as checking for updates, publishing scheduled posts, or cleaning up database logs. 

22) Name the translations available in Drupal. 

Drupal supports multilingual capabilities and translations into many languages, facilitated by the Drupal community worldwide. 

23) Name the five conceptual layers in the Drupal system. 

The five conceptual layers in Drupal are data (nodes, entities), modules (extends functionality), themes (presentation), distribution (pre-configured customisation), and core (base system). 

24) Can you explain the API in Drupal 7? 

The API in Drupal 7 provides numerous functions that developers can use to perform operations, allowing them to create and manage content, users, and various services programmatically. 

25) What is a node in Drupal? 

A node in Drupal is any piece of individual content. For example, a page, poll, article, blog entry, or forum topic. 

26) What is template.php in Drupal? 

The `template.php` file in a Drupal theme is where theme customisation and preprocessing functions are stored. It's used to override default theming functions. 

27) Why is the 'search' function in Drupal better than other CMSs? 

The 'search' function in Drupal is highly efficient and customisable, offering advanced search capabilities, including the use of search modules and hooks for refining search results. 

28) Explain hooks in Drupal. 

Hooks are functions that allow modules to interact with the Drupal core. They make it possible for modules to alter or extend the behaviour of Drupal's core functionalities. 

Conclusion 

Having a strong grip on these 25+ Drupal Interview Questions and Answers can help you master any technical round. These will also deepen your grasp of how Drupal operates, making you a more effective developer and administrator. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced user, there's no end to learning!

Ready to excel in Drupal 7 Module Development? Sign up for our Drupal 7 Course now!