Drupal releases a major update to the open-source CMS software. Version 9.0 is the first significant update of the software in five years.
The newest version includes a new layout builder that allows users to design pages without requiring any technical assistance. An API-first architecture uses the JSON:API to build decoupled and headless applications. Drupal also introduces a new media library that simplifies the management of images, video and other assets. In addition, Drupal 9 is also backwards compatible with the previous version of the software.
Version 9.0
According to the company, upgrading to the new version is relatively straightforward as long as you have kept version 8.0 up to date. Drupal admits that the transition from version 7.0 to version 9.0 can be quite complex. Users should consider this update to be a migration to a similar platform.
“Though there are major differences under the hood, the fundamental approach to managing structured data is quite similar. Significant work was also put into the Migration APIs over the course of the Drupal 8 life cycle, so the upgrade to Drupal 9 is easier than upgrading to 8 was a few years ago.”
Support for earlier versions of the software, including Drupal 7 and 8, will stop in November of next year. After that, users who are unable to switch to Drupal 9 can extend the support until 2024 for an additional fee.
Market share
Drupal has been around for 20 years, but the market value of the company has dropped significantly. In June of this year, Drupal had a market share of 1.6 percent. However, Drupal remains relevant because many government agencies around the world are using the service. For example, the American federal government is one of its customers.