Headless CMS Transition with Drupal For HelloWorld Devs

The primary goal of the project was to migrate from a traditional CMS to a headless architecture. Using Drupal for backend and Angular for frontend development, we aimed to improve:
Scalability: Enabling the client to handle increased traffic and content growth seamlessly.
Performance: Reducing load times by decoupling the frontend from backend dependencies.
Flexibility: Simplifying future updates and integrations with new technologies.
Maintainability: Providing an easier, modular approach to manage both frontend and backend systems.

One of the main challenges was the integration of Angular with Drupal in a headless configuration. The lack of direct access to the frontend from a backend perspective created communication barriers and delays, complicating the overall development process. Coordination between teams was essential to overcome this.

Our technical approach focused on:

Backend Development 

• Migrating from an outdated monolithic CMS to a modular structure using Drupal 9.
• Utilizing Drupal’s JSON:API to expose content to the Angular frontend.
• Developing tailored Drupal modules to handle specific business logic, like advanced user permissions and dynamic content generation.

Frontend Development

• Designing a single-page application (SPA) in Angular for a seamless and dynamic user experience.
• Using NgRx for efficient state management, enabling smooth navigation between components and minimizing API calls.
• Integrating Material Design principles for an adaptive, user-friendly interface.

Opigno LMS Customization

• Designed role-based learning paths for tailored experiences.
• Enhanced analytics and reporting for progress tracking.
• Added gamification features to improve engagement.

Middleware

• Deploying Laravel for handling specific API integrations and ensuring secure communication between the frontend and backend systems.
• Implementing Redis for faster API responses, reducing latency during data fetches.

Testing & QA

• Using Cypress and PHPUnit for frontend and backend testing.
• Conducting load testing using JMeter to ensure the system could handle traffic spikes.
• Using Jira for sprint-based bug tracking and resolution.

The implementation of a dedicated QA team improved testing efficiency across both the frontend and backend, making the development process smoother. We successfully upgraded custom-built Drupal websites, overcoming numerous challenges.