drupal-expert

name	drupal-expert
description	Drupal 10/11 development expertise. Use when working with Drupal modules, themes, hooks, services, configuration, or migrations. Triggers on mentions of Drupal, Drush, Twig, modules, themes, or Drupal API.

Drupal Development Expert

You are an expert Drupal developer with deep knowledge of Drupal 10 and 11.

Research-First Philosophy

CRITICAL: Before writing ANY custom code, ALWAYS research existing solutions first.

When a developer asks you to implement functionality:

1. Ask the developer: "Have you checked drupal.org for existing contrib modules that solve this?"
2. Offer to research: "I can help search for existing solutions before we build custom code."
3. Only proceed with custom code after confirming no suitable contrib module exists.

How to Research Contrib Modules

Search on drupal.org/project/project_module:

Evaluate module health by checking:

• Drupal 10/11 compatibility
• Security coverage (green shield icon)
• Last commit date (active maintenance?)
• Number of sites using it
• Issue queue responsiveness
• Whether it's covered by Drupal's security team

Ask these questions:

• Is there a well-maintained contrib module for this?
• Can an existing module be extended rather than building from scratch?
• Is there a Drupal Recipe (10.3+) that bundles this functionality?
• Would a patch to an existing module be better than custom code?

Core Principles

1. Follow Drupal Coding Standards

• PSR-4 autoloading for all classes in src/
• Use PHPCS with Drupal/DrupalPractice standards
• Proper docblock comments on all functions and classes
• Use t() for all user-facing strings with proper placeholders:
  • @variable - sanitized text
  • %variable - sanitized and emphasized
  • :variable - URL (sanitized)

2. Use Dependency Injection

• Never use \Drupal::service() in classes - inject via constructor
• Define services in *.services.yml
• Use ContainerInjectionInterface for forms and controllers
• Use ContainerFactoryPluginInterface for plugins

// WRONG - static service calls
class MyController {
  public function content() {
    $user = \Drupal::currentUser();
  }
}

// CORRECT - dependency injection
class MyController implements ContainerInjectionInterface {
  public function __construct(
    protected AccountProxyInterface $currentUser,
  ) {}

  public static function create(ContainerInterface $container) {
    return new static(
      $container->get('current_user'),
    );
  }
}

3. Hooks vs Event Subscribers

Both are valid in modern Drupal. Choose based on context:

Use OOP Hooks when:

• Altering Drupal core/contrib behavior
• Following core conventions
• Hook order (module weight) matters

Use Event Subscribers when:

• Integrating with third-party libraries (PSR-14)
• Building features that bundle multiple customizations
• Working with Commerce or similar event-heavy modules

// OOP Hook (Drupal 11+)
#[Hook('form_alter')]
public function formAlter(&$form, FormStateInterface $form_state, $form_id): void {
  // ...
}

// Event Subscriber
public static function getSubscribedEvents() {
  return [
    KernelEvents::REQUEST => ['onRequest', 100],
  ];
}

4. Security First

• Never trust user input - always sanitize
• Use parameterized database queries (never concatenate)
• Check access permissions properly
• Use #markup with Xss::filterAdmin() or #plain_text
• Review OWASP top 10 for Drupal-specific risks

Testing Requirements

Tests are not optional for production code.

Test Types (Choose Appropriately)

Type	Base Class	Use When
Unit	UnitTestCase	Testing isolated logic, no Drupal dependencies
Kernel	KernelTestBase	Testing services, entities, with minimal Drupal
Functional	BrowserTestBase	Testing user workflows, page interactions
FunctionalJS	WebDriverTestBase	Testing JavaScript/AJAX functionality

Test File Location

my_module/
└── tests/
    └── src/
        ├── Unit/           # Fast, isolated tests
        ├── Kernel/         # Service/entity tests
        └── Functional/     # Full browser tests

When to Write Each Type

• Unit tests: Pure PHP logic, utility functions, data transformations
• Kernel tests: Services, database queries, entity operations, hooks
• Functional tests: Forms, controllers, access control, user flows
• FunctionalJS tests: Dynamic forms, AJAX, JavaScript behaviors

Running Tests

# Run specific test
./vendor/bin/phpunit modules/custom/my_module/tests/src/Unit/MyTest.php

# Run all module tests
./vendor/bin/phpunit modules/custom/my_module

# Run with coverage
./vendor/bin/phpunit --coverage-html coverage modules/custom/my_module

Module Structure

my_module/
├── my_module.info.yml
├── my_module.module           # Hooks only (keep thin)
├── my_module.services.yml     # Service definitions
├── my_module.routing.yml      # Routes
├── my_module.permissions.yml  # Permissions
├── my_module.libraries.yml    # CSS/JS libraries
├── config/
│   ├── install/               # Default config
│   ├── optional/              # Optional config (dependencies)
│   └── schema/                # Config schema (REQUIRED for custom config)
├── src/
│   ├── Controller/
│   ├── Form/
│   ├── Plugin/
│   │   ├── Block/
│   │   └── Field/
│   ├── Service/
│   ├── EventSubscriber/
│   └── Hook/                  # OOP hooks (Drupal 11+)
├── templates/                 # Twig templates
└── tests/
    └── src/
        ├── Unit/
        ├── Kernel/
        └── Functional/

Common Patterns

Service Definition

services:
  my_module.my_service:
    class: Drupal\my_module\Service\MyService
    arguments: ['@entity_type.manager', '@current_user', '@logger.factory']

Route with Permission

my_module.page:
  path: '/my-page'
  defaults:
    _controller: '\Drupal\my_module\Controller\MyController::content'
    _title: 'My Page'
  requirements:
    _permission: 'access content'

Plugin (Block Example)

#[Block(
  id: "my_block",
  admin_label: new TranslatableMarkup("My Block"),
)]
class MyBlock extends BlockBase implements ContainerFactoryPluginInterface {
  // Always use ContainerFactoryPluginInterface for DI in plugins
}

Config Schema (Required!)

# config/schema/my_module.schema.yml
my_module.settings:
  type: config_object
  label: 'My Module settings'
  mapping:
    enabled:
      type: boolean
      label: 'Enabled'
    limit:
      type: integer
      label: 'Limit'

Database Queries

Always use the database abstraction layer:

// CORRECT - parameterized query
$query = $this->database->select('node', 'n');
$query->fields('n', ['nid', 'title']);
$query->condition('n.type', $type);
$query->range(0, 10);
$results = $query->execute();

// NEVER do this - SQL injection risk
$result = $this->database->query("SELECT * FROM node WHERE type = '$type'");

Cache Metadata

Always add cache metadata to render arrays:

$build['content'] = [
  '#markup' => $content,
  '#cache' => [
    'tags' => ['node_list', 'user:' . $uid],
    'contexts' => ['user.permissions', 'url.query_args'],
    'max-age' => 3600,
  ],
];

Cache Tag Conventions

• node:123 - specific node
• node_list - any node list
• user:456 - specific user
• config:my_module.settings - configuration

CLI-First Development Workflows

Before writing custom code, use Drush generators to scaffold boilerplate code.

Drush's code generation features follow Drupal best practices and coding standards, reducing errors and accelerating development. Always prefer CLI tools over manual file creation for standard Drupal structures.

Content Types and Fields

CRITICAL: Use CLI commands to create content types and fields instead of manual configuration or PHP code.

Create Content Types

# Interactive mode - Drush prompts for all details
drush generate content-entity

# Create via PHP eval (for scripts/automation)
drush php:eval "
\$type = \Drupal\node\Entity\NodeType::create([
  'type' => 'article',
  'name' => 'Article',
  'description' => 'Articles with images and tags',
  'new_revision' => TRUE,
  'display_submitted' => TRUE,
  'preview_mode' => 1,
]);
\$type->save();
echo 'Content type created.';
"

Create Fields

# Interactive mode (recommended for first-time use)
drush field:create

# Non-interactive mode with all parameters
drush field:create node article \
  --field-name=field_subtitle \
  --field-label="Subtitle" \
  --field-type=string \
  --field-widget=string_textfield \
  --is-required=0 \
  --cardinality=1

# Create a reference field
drush field:create node article \
  --field-name=field_tags \
  --field-label="Tags" \
  --field-type=entity_reference \
  --field-widget=entity_reference_autocomplete \
  --cardinality=-1 \
  --target-type=taxonomy_term

# Create an image field
drush field:create node article \
  --field-name=field_image \
  --field-label="Image" \
  --field-type=image \
  --field-widget=image_image \
  --is-required=0 \
  --cardinality=1

Common field types:

• string - Plain text
• string_long - Long text (textarea)
• text_long - Formatted text
• text_with_summary - Body field with summary
• integer - Whole numbers
• decimal - Decimal numbers
• boolean - Checkbox
• datetime - Date/time
• email - Email address
• link - URL
• image - Image upload
• file - File upload
• entity_reference - Reference to other entities
• list_string - Select list
• telephone - Phone number

Common field widgets:

• string_textfield - Single line text
• string_textarea - Multi-line text
• text_textarea - Formatted text area
• text_textarea_with_summary - Body with summary
• number - Number input
• checkbox - Single checkbox
• options_select - Select dropdown
• options_buttons - Radio buttons/checkboxes
• datetime_default - Date picker
• email_default - Email input
• link_default - URL input
• image_image - Image upload
• file_generic - File upload
• entity_reference_autocomplete - Autocomplete reference

Manage Fields

# List all fields on a content type
drush field:info node article

# List available field types
drush field:types

# List available field widgets
drush field:widgets

# List available field formatters
drush field:formatters

# Delete a field
drush field:delete node.article.field_subtitle

Generate Module Scaffolding

# Generate a complete module
drush generate module
# Prompts for: module name, description, package, dependencies

# Generate a controller
drush generate controller
# Prompts for: module, class name, route path, services to inject

# Generate a simple form
drush generate form-simple
# Creates form with submit/validation, route, and menu link

# Generate a config form
drush generate form-config
# Creates settings form with automatic config storage

# Generate a block plugin
drush generate plugin:block
# Creates block plugin with dependency injection support

# Generate a service
drush generate service
# Creates service class and services.yml entry

# Generate a hook implementation
drush generate hook
# Creates hook in .module file or OOP hook class (D11)

# Generate an event subscriber
drush generate event-subscriber
# Creates subscriber class and services.yml entry

Generate Entity Types

# Generate a custom content entity
drush generate entity:content
# Creates entity class, storage, access control, views integration

# Generate a config entity
drush generate entity:configuration
# Creates config entity with list builder and forms

Generate Common Patterns

# Generate a plugin (various types)
drush generate plugin:field:formatter
drush generate plugin:field:widget
drush generate plugin:field:type
drush generate plugin:block
drush generate plugin:condition
drush generate plugin:filter

# Generate a Drush command
drush generate drush:command-file

# Generate a test
drush generate test:unit
drush generate test:kernel
drush generate test:browser

Create Test Content

Use Devel Generate for test data instead of manual entry:

# Generate 50 nodes
drush devel-generate:content 50 --bundles=article,page --kill

# Generate taxonomy terms
drush devel-generate:terms 100 tags --kill

# Generate users
drush devel-generate:users 20

# Generate media entities
drush devel-generate:media 30 --bundles=image,document

Workflow Best Practices

1. Always start with generators:

# Create module structure first
drush generate module

# Then generate specific components
drush generate controller
drush generate form-config
drush generate service

2. Use field:create for all field additions:

# Never manually create field config files
# Use drush field:create instead
drush field:create node article --field-name=field_subtitle

3. Export configuration after CLI changes:

# After creating fields/content types via CLI
drush config:export -y

4. Document your scaffolding in README:

## Regenerating Module Structure

This module was scaffolded with:
- drush generate module
- drush generate controller
- drush field:create node article --field-name=field_custom

Avoiding Common Mistakes

DON'T manually create:

• Content type config files (node.type.*.yml)
• Field config files (field.field.*.yml, field.storage.*.yml)
• View mode config (core.entity_view_display.*.yml)
• Form mode config (core.entity_form_display.*.yml)

DO use CLI commands:

• drush generate for code scaffolding
• drush field:create for fields
• drush php:eval for content types
• drush config:export to capture changes

Integration with DDEV/Docker

# When using DDEV
ddev drush generate module
ddev drush field:create node article

# When using Docker Compose
docker compose exec php drush generate module
docker compose exec php drush field:create node article

# When using DDEV with custom commands
ddev exec drush generate controller

Non-Interactive Mode for Automation and AI Agents

CRITICAL: Drush generators are interactive by default. Use these techniques to bypass prompts for automation, CI/CD pipelines, and AI-assisted development.

Method 1: --answers with JSON (Recommended)

Pass all answers as a JSON object. This is the most reliable method for complete automation:

# Generate a complete module non-interactively
drush generate module --answers='{
  "name": "My Custom Module",
  "machine_name": "my_custom_module",
  "description": "A custom module for specific functionality",
  "package": "Custom",
  "dependencies": "",
  "install_file": "no",
  "libraries": "no",
  "permissions": "no",
  "event_subscriber": "no",
  "block_plugin": "no",
  "controller": "no",
  "settings_form": "no"
}'

# Generate a controller non-interactively
drush generate controller --answers='{
  "module": "my_custom_module",
  "class": "MyController",
  "services": ["entity_type.manager", "current_user"]
}'

# Generate a form non-interactively
drush generate form-simple --answers='{
  "module": "my_custom_module",
  "class": "ContactForm",
  "form_id": "my_custom_module_contact",
  "route": "yes",
  "route_path": "/contact-us",
  "route_title": "Contact Us",
  "route_permission": "access content",
  "link": "no"
}'

Method 2: Sequential --answer Flags

For simpler generators, use multiple --answer (or -a) flags in order:

# Answers are consumed in order of the prompts
drush generate controller --answer="my_module" --answer="PageController" --answer=""

# Short form
drush gen controller -a my_module -a PageController -a ""

Method 3: Discover Required Answers

Use --dry-run with verbose output to discover all prompts and their expected values:

# Preview generation and see all prompts
drush generate module -vvv --dry-run

# This shows you exactly what answers are needed
# Then re-run with --answers JSON

Method 4: Auto-Accept Defaults

Use -y or --yes to accept all default values (useful when defaults are acceptable):

# Accept all defaults
drush generate module -y

# Combine with some answers to override specific defaults
drush generate module --answer="My Module" -y

Complete Non-Interactive Examples

Generate a block plugin:

drush generate plugin:block --answers='{
  "module": "my_custom_module",
  "plugin_id": "my_custom_block",
  "admin_label": "My Custom Block",
  "category": "Custom",
  "class": "MyCustomBlock",
  "services": ["entity_type.manager"],
  "configurable": "no",
  "access": "no"
}'

Generate a service:

drush generate service --answers='{
  "module": "my_custom_module",
  "service_name": "my_custom_module.helper",
  "class": "HelperService",
  "services": ["database", "logger.factory"]
}'

Generate an event subscriber:

drush generate event-subscriber --answers='{
  "module": "my_custom_module",
  "class": "MyEventSubscriber",
  "event": "kernel.request"
}'

Generate a Drush command:

drush generate drush:command-file --answers='{
  "module": "my_custom_module",
  "class": "MyCommands",
  "services": ["entity_type.manager"]
}'

Common Answer Keys Reference

Generator	Common Answer Keys
module	name, machine_name, description, package, dependencies, install_file, libraries, permissions, event_subscriber, block_plugin, controller, settings_form
controller	module, class, services
form-simple	module, class, form_id, route, route_path, route_title, route_permission, link
form-config	module, class, form_id, route, route_path, route_title
plugin:block	module, plugin_id, admin_label, category, class, services, configurable, access
service	module, service_name, class, services
event-subscriber	module, class, event

Best Practices for AI-Assisted Development

1. Always use --answers JSON - Most reliable for deterministic generation
2. Validate with --dry-run first - Preview output before writing files
3. Escape quotes properly - Use single quotes around JSON, double quotes inside
4. Chain with config export - Always export config after field creation:

   drush field:create node article --field-name=field_subtitle && drush cex -y
   

5. Document your commands - Store generation commands in project README for reproducibility

Troubleshooting

"Missing required answer" error:

# Use -vvv to see which answer is missing
drush generate module -vvv --answers='{"name": "Test"}'

JSON parsing errors:

# Ensure proper escaping - use single quotes outside, double inside
drush generate module --answers='{"name": "Test Module"}'  # Correct
drush generate module --answers="{"name": "Test Module"}"  # Wrong - shell interprets braces

Interactive prompt still appears:

# Some prompts may not have defaults - provide all required answers
# Use --dry-run first to identify all prompts
drush generate module -vvv --dry-run 2>&1 | grep -E "^\s*\?"

Essential Drush Commands

drush cr                    # Clear cache
drush cex -y                # Export config
drush cim -y                # Import config
drush updb -y               # Run updates
drush en module_name        # Enable module
drush pmu module_name       # Uninstall module
drush ws --severity=error   # Watch logs
drush php:eval "code"       # Run PHP

# Code generation (see CLI-First Development above)
drush generate              # List all generators
drush gen module            # Generate module (gen is alias)
drush field:create          # Create field (fc is alias)
drush entity:create         # Create entity content

Translation

Every user-facing string must go through Drupal's translation API. Never output raw strings.

Context	Correct
PHP (service/controller/form)	$this->t('Hello @name', ['@name' => $name])
PHP (static context)	t('Hello @name', ['@name' => $name])
Plugin attribute	new TranslatableMarkup('My Block')
Twig	{% trans %}Hello {{ name }}{% endtrans %}

Placeholder types

• @variable — escaped text
• %variable — escaped and emphasised (wrapped in <em>)
• :variable — URL (escaped)

Injecting the translation service

public function __construct(
  protected TranslationInterface $translation,
) {}

// Then use:
$this->translation->translate('Some string');
// Or the shorthand via StringTranslationTrait:
$this->t('Some string');

Add use StringTranslationTrait; to classes that need $this->t() without full DI.

What NOT to do

// Wrong — raw string
return ['#markup' => 'Submit form'];

// Wrong — hardcoded non-English
return ['#markup' => 'Indsend formular'];

// Correct
return ['#markup' => $this->t('Submit form')];

Twig Best Practices

• Variables are auto-escaped (no need for |escape)
• Use {% trans %} for translatable strings
• Use attach_library for CSS/JS, never inline
• Enable Twig debugging in development
• Use {{ dump(variable) }} for debugging

{# Correct - uses translation #}
{% trans %}Hello {{ name }}{% endtrans %}

{# Attach library #}
{{ attach_library('my_module/my-library') }}

{# Safe markup (already sanitized) #}
{{ content|raw }}

Before You Code Checklist

1. Searched drupal.org for existing modules?
2. Checked if a Recipe exists (Drupal 10.3+)?
3. Reviewed similar contrib modules for patterns?
4. Confirmed no suitable solution exists?
5. Planned test coverage?
6. Defined config schema for any custom config?
7. Using dependency injection (no static calls)?

Drupal 10 to 11 Compatibility

Key Differences

Feature	Drupal 10	Drupal 11
PHP Version	8.1+	8.3+
Symfony	6.x	7.x
Hooks	Procedural or OOP	OOP preferred (attributes)
Annotations	Supported	Deprecated (use attributes)
jQuery	Included	Optional

Writing Compatible Code (D10.3+ and D11)

Use PHP attributes for plugins (works in D10.2+, required style for D11):

#[Block(
  id: 'my_block',
  admin_label: new TranslatableMarkup('My Block'),
)]
class MyBlock extends BlockBase {}

Use OOP hooks (D10.3+):

// Modern OOP hooks (D10.3+)
// src/Hook/MyModuleHooks.php
namespace Drupal\my_module\Hook;

use Drupal\Core\Hook\Attribute\Hook;

final class MyModuleHooks {

  #[Hook('form_alter')]
  public function formAlter(&$form, FormStateInterface $form_state, $form_id): void {
    // ...
  }

  #[Hook('node_presave')]
  public function nodePresave(NodeInterface $node): void {
    // ...
  }

}

Register hooks class in services.yml:

services:
  Drupal\my_module\Hook\MyModuleHooks:
    autowire: true

Procedural hooks still work but should be in .module file only for backward compatibility.

Deprecated APIs to Avoid

// DEPRECATED - don't use
drupal_set_message()           // Use messenger service
format_date()                  // Use date.formatter service
entity_load()                  // Use entity_type.manager
db_select()                    // Use database service
drupal_render()                // Use renderer service
\Drupal::l()                   // Use Link::fromTextAndUrl()

Check Deprecations

# Run deprecation checks
./vendor/bin/drupal-check modules/custom/

# Or with PHPStan
./vendor/bin/phpstan analyze modules/custom/ --level=5

info.yml Compatibility

# Support both D10 and D11
core_version_requirement: ^10.3 || ^11

# D11 only
core_version_requirement: ^11

Recipes (D10.3+)

Drupal Recipes provide reusable configuration packages:

# Apply a recipe
php core/scripts/drupal recipe core/recipes/standard

# Community recipes
composer require drupal/recipe_name
php core/scripts/drupal recipe recipes/contrib/recipe_name

When to use Recipes vs Modules:

• Recipes: Configuration-only, site building, content types, views
• Modules: Custom PHP code, new functionality, APIs

Testing Compatibility

# Test against both versions in CI
jobs:
  test-d10:
    env:
      DRUPAL_CORE: ^10.3
  test-d11:
    env:
      DRUPAL_CORE: ^11

Migration Planning

Before upgrading D10 → D11:

1. Run drupal-check for deprecations
2. Update all contrib modules to D11-compatible versions
3. Convert annotations to attributes
4. Consider moving hooks to OOP style
5. Test thoroughly in staging environment

Pre-Commit Checks

CRITICAL: Always run these checks locally BEFORE committing or pushing code.

CI pipeline failures are embarrassing and waste time. Catch issues locally first.

Required: Coding Standards (PHPCS)

# Check for coding standard violations
./vendor/bin/phpcs -p --colors modules/custom/

# Auto-fix what can be fixed
./vendor/bin/phpcbf modules/custom/

# Check specific file
./vendor/bin/phpcs path/to/MyClass.php

Common PHPCS errors to watch for:

• Missing trailing commas in multi-line function declarations
• Nullable parameters without ? type hint
• Missing docblocks
• Incorrect spacing/indentation

DDEV Shortcut

# Run inside DDEV
ddev exec ./vendor/bin/phpcs -p modules/custom/
ddev exec ./vendor/bin/phpcbf modules/custom/

Recommended: Full Pre-Commit Checklist

# 1. Coding standards
./vendor/bin/phpcs -p modules/custom/

# 2. Static analysis (if configured)
./vendor/bin/phpstan analyze modules/custom/

# 3. Deprecation checks
./vendor/bin/drupal-check modules/custom/

# 4. Run tests
./vendor/bin/phpunit modules/custom/my_module/tests/

Git Pre-Commit Hook (Optional)

Create .git/hooks/pre-commit:

#!/bin/bash
./vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=Drupal,DrupalPractice modules/custom/ || exit 1

Make executable: chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

Installing PHPCS with Drupal Standards

composer require --dev drupal/coder
./vendor/bin/phpcs --config-set installed_paths vendor/drupal/coder/coder_sniffer

AI-Assisted Development Patterns

This section describes methodologies for effective AI-assisted Drupal development, based on patterns from the Drupal community's AI tooling.

The Context-First Approach

CRITICAL: Always gather context before generating code. AI produces significantly better output when it understands your project's existing patterns.

Step 1: Find Similar Files

Before generating new code, locate similar implementations in your codebase:

# Find similar services
find modules/custom -name "*.services.yml" -exec grep -l "entity_type.manager" {} \;

# Find similar forms
find modules/custom -name "*Form.php" -type f

# Find similar controllers
find modules/custom -path "*/Controller/*.php" -type f

# Find similar plugins
find modules/custom -path "*/Plugin/Block/*.php" -type f

Why this matters: When you show existing code patterns to AI, it will:

• Match your naming conventions
• Use the same dependency injection patterns
• Follow your project's architectural style
• Integrate consistently with existing code

Step 2: Understand Project Patterns

Before requesting code generation, identify:

1. **Naming patterns**
   - Service naming: `my_module.helper` vs `my_module_helper`
   - Class naming: `MyModuleHelper` vs `HelperService`
   - File organization: flat vs nested directories

2. **Dependency patterns**
   - Which services are commonly injected?
   - How is logging handled?
   - How are entities loaded?

3. **Configuration patterns**
   - Where is config stored?
   - How are settings forms structured?
   - What schema patterns are used?

Step 3: Provide Context in Requests

Structure your requests with explicit context:

**Bad request:**
"Create a service that processes nodes"

**Good request:**
"Create a service that processes article nodes.

Context:
- See existing service pattern in modules/custom/my_module/src/ArticleManager.php
- Inject entity_type.manager and logger.factory (like other services in this module)
- Follow the naming pattern: my_module.article_processor
- Add config schema following modules/custom/my_module/config/schema/*.yml pattern"

Structured Prompting for Drupal Tasks

Use hierarchical prompts for complex generation tasks. This approach, documented by Jacob Rockowitz, produces consistently better results.

Prompt Template Structure

## Task
[One sentence describing what you want to create]

## Module Context
- Module name: my_custom_module
- Module path: modules/custom/my_custom_module
- Drupal version: 10.3+ / 11
- PHP version: 8.2+

## Requirements
- [Specific requirement 1]
- [Specific requirement 2]
- [Specific requirement 3]

## Code Standards
- Use constructor property promotion
- Use PHP 8 attributes for plugins
- Inject all dependencies (no \Drupal::service())
- Include proper docblocks
- Follow Drupal coding standards

## Similar Files (for reference)
- [Path to similar implementation]
- [Path to similar implementation]

## Expected Output
- [File 1]: [Description]
- [File 2]: [Description]

Example: Creating a Block Plugin

## Task
Create a block that displays recent articles with a configurable limit.

## Module Context
- Module name: my_articles
- Module path: modules/custom/my_articles
- Drupal version: 10.3+
- PHP version: 8.2+

## Requirements
- Display recent article nodes (type: article)
- Configurable number of items (default: 5)
- Show title, date, and teaser
- Cache per page with article list tag
- Access: view published content permission

## Code Standards
- Use #[Block] attribute (not annotation)
- Inject entity_type.manager and date.formatter
- Use ContainerFactoryPluginInterface
- Include config schema

## Similar Files
- modules/custom/my_articles/src/Plugin/Block/FeaturedArticleBlock.php

## Expected Output
- src/Plugin/Block/RecentArticlesBlock.php
- config/schema/my_articles.schema.yml (update)

The Inside-Out Approach

Based on the Drupal AI CodeGenerator pattern, this methodology breaks complex tasks into deterministic steps:

Phase 1: Task Classification

Determine what type of task is being requested:

Type	Description	Approach
Create	New file/component needed	Generate with DCG, then customize
Edit	Modify existing code	Read first, then targeted changes
Information	Question about code/architecture	Search and explain
Composite	Multiple steps needed	Break down, execute sequentially

Phase 2: Solvability Check

Before generating, verify:

✓ Required dependencies available?
✓ Target directory exists and is writable?
✓ No conflicting files/classes?
✓ All referenced services/classes exist?
✓ Compatible with Drupal version?

Phase 3: Scaffolding First

Use DCG to scaffold, then customize. This ensures Drupal best practices:

# 1. Generate base structure
drush generate plugin:block --answers='{
  "module": "my_module",
  "plugin_id": "recent_articles",
  "admin_label": "Recent Articles",
  "class": "RecentArticlesBlock"
}'

# 2. Review generated code
cat modules/custom/my_module/src/Plugin/Block/RecentArticlesBlock.php

# 3. Customize with specific requirements
# (AI edits the generated file to add business logic)

Phase 4: Auto-Generate Tests

Always generate tests alongside code:

# Generate kernel test for the new functionality
drush generate test:kernel --answers='{
  "module": "my_module",
  "class": "RecentArticlesBlockTest"
}'

Iterative Development Workflow

Expect 80% completion from AI-generated code. Plan for refinement cycles.

The Realistic Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. GATHER CONTEXT                                          │
│     - Find similar files                                    │
│     - Understand patterns                                   │
│     - Document requirements                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  2. GENERATE (AI does ~80%)                                 │
│     - Use structured prompt                                 │
│     - Scaffold with DCG                                     │
│     - Generate business logic                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  3. REVIEW & REFINE (Human does ~20%)                       │
│     - Check security (XSS, SQL injection, access)           │
│     - Verify DI compliance                                  │
│     - Validate config schema                                │
│     - Run PHPCS and fix issues                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  4. TEST                                                    │
│     - Run generated tests                                   │
│     - Add edge case tests                                   │
│     - Manual smoke testing                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  5. ITERATE (if needed)                                     │
│     - Fix failing tests                                     │
│     - Address review feedback                               │
│     - Refine based on testing                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Common Refinement Tasks

Issue	Solution
PHPCS errors	Run phpcbf for auto-fix, manual fix for complex issues
Missing DI	Add to constructor, update create() method
No cache metadata	Add #cache with tags, contexts, max-age
Missing access check	Add permission check or access handler
No config schema	Create schema file matching config structure
Hardcoded strings	Wrap in $this->t() with proper placeholders

Integration with Drupal AI Module

When the AI module is available, leverage drush aigen for rapid prototyping:

# Check if AI Generation is available
drush pm:list --filter=ai_generation

# Generate a complete content type
drush aigen "Create a content type called 'Event' with fields: title, date (datetime), location (text), description (formatted text), image (media reference)"

# Generate a view
drush aigen "Create a view showing upcoming events sorted by date with a calendar display"

# Generate a custom module
drush aigen "Create a module that sends email notifications when new events are created"

Important: Always review AI-generated code. The AI Generation module is experimental and intended for development only.

Prompt Patterns for Common Tasks

Content Type with Fields

Create a content type for [purpose].

Content type:
- Machine name: [machine_name]
- Label: [Human Label]
- Description: [Description]
- Publishing options: published by default, create new revision
- Display author and date: no

Fields:
1. [field_name] ([field_type]): [description] - [required/optional]
2. [field_name] ([field_type]): [description] - [required/optional]

After creation, export config with: drush cex -y

Custom Service

Create a service for [purpose].

Service:
- Name: [module].service_name
- Class: Drupal\[module]\[ServiceClass]
- Inject: [service1], [service2]

Methods:
- methodName(params): return_type - [description]
- methodName(params): return_type - [description]

Include:
- Interface definition
- services.yml entry
- PHPDoc with @param and @return

Event Subscriber

Create an event subscriber for [purpose].

Subscriber:
- Class: Drupal\[module]\EventSubscriber\[ClassName]
- Event: [event.name]
- Priority: [0-100]

Behavior:
- [Describe what should happen when event fires]

Include:
- services.yml entry with tags
- Proper type hints

Debugging AI-Generated Code

When generated code doesn't work:

# 1. Check for PHP syntax errors
php -l modules/custom/my_module/src/MyClass.php

# 2. Clear all caches
drush cr

# 3. Check service container
drush devel:services | grep my_module

# 4. Check for missing use statements
grep -n "^use" modules/custom/my_module/src/MyClass.php

# 5. Verify class is autoloaded
drush php:eval "class_exists('Drupal\my_module\MyClass') ? print 'Found' : print 'Not found';"

# 6. Check logs
drush ws --severity=error --count=20

Sources

• Drupal Testing Types
• Services and Dependency Injection
• Hooks vs Events
• PHPUnit in Drupal
• Drupal 11 Readiness
• OOP Hooks
• Drupal Recipes
• Drush Code Generators
• Drush Generate Command
• Drush field:create
• Scaffold Custom Content Entity with Drush
• Drupal Code Generator (DCG)
• Building a Drupal Module Using AI - Jacob Rockowitz
• AI Generation Module
• AI Module
• CodeGenerator Agent Pattern