Drupal Internals

Most people are content with operating a software system like a car. They use the door to get in, the key to start it, and the steering wheel to make it go where they want to go. Most software system documentation is designed for those folks, and god bless writers who attempt the task of making it easy for them. Making things easy is a hard job.

It's a different story, though, when you are trying to modify the software system and bend it to your will. The documentation for this kind of manipulation is harder to find, in large part because once you've changed things, the first kind of documentation diverges from your modified system, support is harder to find, and you are on your own in many ways. That said, though, the end-results can be spectacular and are the only way that an existing system can evolve.

This guide is written for my own use as I explore, troubleshoot, and extend Drupal 4.6.3, but if it can be of use to others, you are welcome to use it.