The Ultimate Guide to Faster Drupal Development (Using DDEV)

This article provides a step-by-step guide to setting up a local Drupal development environment using DDEV, a handy tool that makes the process super smooth. Whether you're just starting with Drupal or you're a coding pro, this guide has got you covered. You'll learn everything you need to get your projects up and running in no time!
Key Takeaways:
- Seamless DDEV Installation and Configuration: Fine-tune DDEV to perfectly accommodate your Drupal development needs.
- Effortless Drupal and Drush Acquisition: Leverage DDEV's built-in tools to obtain these essential components without any hassle.
- Install Drupal within DDEV: Set up your Drupal site and prepare for productive development.
Prerequisites:
- Command-line comfort: Ensure you are familiar with navigating and executing commands within a terminal environment.
- Docker setup: Install Docker Desktop (or an alternative) to harness the power of containerization.
- DDEV preparation: Install DDEV and ensure a smooth operation by running
ddev debug dockercheck
.
Let's Begin:
Project Creation and DDEV Configuration:
Open your terminal, create a directory for your Drupal project, and configure DDEV:
mkdir my-new-project
cd my-new-project
ddev config --project-type drupal10 --create-docroot --docroot web
Terminal Output:
Create new project using DDEV Activate DDEV:
Start the DDEV containers to power your development environment ready:
ddev start
Terminal Output:
Start DDEV - Acquire Drupal with Composer:
Utilize DDEV's integrated Composer for simplified Drupal installation:
Change the php version to 8.3 to support the Drupal 11 configuration.
ddev config --php-version 8.3
Below Command to install the Drupal 11 version.
ddev composer create drupal/recommended-project -y
Terminal Output:
Create drupal setup using composer
- Drupal Installation:
Install Drush and set up your Drupal site using Drush:
ddev composer require --dev drush/drush
ddev drush site:install --account-name=admin --account-pass=admin -y
(Optional, recommended for developers) Install development tools to facilitate code analysis and testing:
ddev composer require --dev drupal/core-dev
- Explore Your Drupal Site:
Launch your Drupal site and commence your development journey:
ddev launch
Or obtain a one-time login link for the admin account:
ddev drush user:login
Discover your site's URL by executing:
ddev describe
- Stop the DDEV instance:
When finished, gracefully stop DDEV:
ddev stop
- Now quit Docker.
Why Choose DDEV:
- Open-source and free: Enjoy the freedom and flexibility of open-source software without any licensing constraints.
- Active maintenance and support: Benefit from ongoing updates, bug fixes, and a vibrant community of users and contributors.
- Drupal-centric best practices: Leverage a development environment specifically tailored for Drupal development, ensuring adherence to industry standards.
- Cross-platform compatibility: Develop seamlessly on macOS, Windows, or Linux, promoting collaboration across diverse environments.
- Simplicity redefined: Streamline your workflow with an intuitive and user-friendly tool that minimizes complexity and empowers developers.
Further Exploration:
- Deeper dive into DDEV: Explore the full range of DDEV's capabilities through comprehensive documentation and tutorials.
- Master Drupal development: Continue your learning journey with tutorials and resources on Drupal development techniques, module creation, theming, and more.
- Embrace the Docker ecosystem: Gain a deeper understanding of Docker's underlying technology, which powers DDEV's containerized environment.
- Join the community: Connect with other Drupal developers and DDEV users to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and collaborate on exciting projects.
Important Note: DDEV not only simplifies the initial setup but also provides a robust and flexible platform for ongoing Drupal development. Embrace its features and empower yourself to build exceptional Drupal projects.