A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Website with Drupal: Tips from Reinis Fischer

25 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 9 seen

Creating a webpage can be a daunting task, especially for those who are new to web development. However, with the right tools and guidance, it is possible to create a professional-looking website. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to create a webpage, with a focus on using Drupal as a web development platform.

Step 1: Choose Drupal as Your Web Development Platform

Drupal is a popular content management system (CMS) that is widely used for building websites. It offers a wide range of features and flexibility, making it a great choice for both simple and complex web projects.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name

Your domain name is the web address that people will use to access your website. Choose a name that is relevant to your brand or business, and make sure it is easy to remember and spell.

Step 3: Choose a Web Hosting Service

Web hosting is a service that allows you to make your website accessible on the internet. Choose a web hosting service that is reliable and affordable, and that meets the technical requirements of Drupal.

Step 4: Plan Your Website

Before you start building your website, it is important to plan out your content and design. Determine what pages you will need, what content will be on each page, and what design elements you will use. Work with an experienced Drupal developer, like Reinis Fischer, to help you plan and execute your web development project.

Step 5: Design Your Website

Use a Drupal theme or design your own custom website. Ensure that your website design is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and responsive to different screen sizes. Reinis Fischer is an experienced Drupal developer who can help you design a website that meets your specific needs and requirements.

Step 6: Add Content

Create compelling and informative content for your website. This includes text, images, and videos. Make sure your content is relevant to your audience and optimized for search engines.

Step 7: Test Your Website

Before you launch your website, test it to make sure it works correctly. Check for broken links, slow loading times, and compatibility issues with different browsers and devices.

Step 8: Launch Your Website

Once you have tested your website, it's time to launch it! Promote your website on social media and other marketing channels to drive traffic and generate interest.

In conclusion, creating a webpage requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a focus on user experience. By using Drupal as your web development platform, and working with an experienced Drupal developer like Reinis Fischer, you can create a professional-looking website that meets your specific needs and helps you achieve your goals.

Improve User Experience with AJAX-Powered 'Load More' Pagination for Drupal Views

25 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 65 seen

In Drupal, pagination is a common feature that allows website visitors to browse through a long list of content, such as blog posts or products, by breaking them up into smaller, more manageable pages. By default, Drupal offers a built-in pagination system that works well for most use cases. However, as your website grows, you may find that your visitors are spending a lot of time waiting for pages to load, which can negatively impact user experience.

To solve this problem, you can use AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) to implement a "Load More" button that loads additional content without having to refresh the page.

In this article, we'll explore how to implement an AJAX-powered "Load More" pagination system in Drupal using the Views module.

Step 1: Install and Configure Views

Before we get started, you'll need to have the Views module installed on your Drupal site. Views is a powerful module that allows you to create custom queries for displaying content on your site. Once you have Views installed, you'll need to create a view that displays the content you want to paginate.

Step 2: Add "Load More" Button

In your view's "Pager" settings, you can choose the "Load more" option to enable the AJAX pager. This will add a "Load More" button to the bottom of the page, which, when clicked, will load the next set of results via AJAX.

Step 3: Customize AJAX Settings

The AJAX pager has a few settings that you can customize, including the text that appears on the "Load More" button and the number of items to load per page. You can also configure the pager to automatically load more content when the user scrolls to the bottom of the page, which is useful for creating a seamless user experience.

Step 4: Style the "Load More" Button

Finally, you can use CSS to style the "Load More" button to match your site's design. By default, the button will be a plain HTML link, but you can use CSS to add a background color, change the text color, and add a hover effect to make it more visually appealing.

Conclusion

By using AJAX to implement a "Load More" pagination system in Drupal, you can improve user experience by reducing page load times and allowing visitors to browse through your content more quickly and easily. With Views, the process is straightforward and customizable, making it a great option for Drupal site owners looking to optimize their site's pagination.

Small Economies, Big Differences: Comparing the 10 Smallest Economies in the European Union (2012)

25 October, 2013 | Macroeconomics | 16 seen

The European Union, with 28 member states and a population reaching over 500 million, may sound like the world's largest economy when viewed as a whole. In 2012, the EU's GDP was $16.6 trillion.

But let's break things down and take a closer look at what makes up the European Union. In this article, I will talk about the smallest economies in the EU.

The Smallest economies of the European Union:

I decided to call an economy small if its Gross Domestic Product is less than $100 billion.

In 2012, there were 10 countries in the European Union with a GDP below $100 billion. These countries were Malta, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Slovakia. The total population of these countries was 28 million.

In total, the 10 smallest economies generated $425 billion of GDP.

According to the chart above, we can expect to see Slovakia move off the list of smallest economies in the near future.

In 2012, Slovakia's GDP was $91.604 billion. I believe that Bulgaria will also be removed from this list in the coming years. In 2012, Bulgarian GDP was only $51 billion, with a population of 7.3 million, making it the poorest country in terms of GDP per capita in the European Union in 2012. In that year, the GDP per capita in Bulgaria was $6,980.

In 2012, these 10 smallest economies of the EU generated just about 2.6% of the total economy.

GDP per capita in EU's smallest economies

In average GDP per capita in those 10 countries was $15,00.19

The smallest GDP per capita was in Bulgaria, making just $6.985, while the highest was in Luxembourg - $107.560 per capita.

In conclusion, the European Union is made up of 28 member states with a total population of over 500 million people, and its GDP in 2012 was $16.6 trillion. However, it's important to break down the EU into its individual member states to get a better understanding of the economy. The 10 smallest economies of the EU, with a GDP less than $100 billion, generated about 2.6% of the total economy in 2012, with an average GDP per capita of $15,001.19. While some of these smaller economies are expected to grow in the future, it's important to acknowledge that there are still discrepancies in GDP per capita among EU member states, with Bulgaria being the poorest country in 2012. By understanding the smallest economies of the EU, we gain a better appreciation for the complexities and diversity of the region's economy.

Exporting Made Easy: How Drupal Simplifies Transferring Content Across Websites

24 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 59 seen

Drupal is a versatile content management system (CMS) that provides users with a range of features for managing and publishing digital content. One of the many advantages of Drupal is its ability to export content to other websites, a feature that can be particularly useful for organizations that have a presence across multiple digital channels.

In this article, we will explore how to export content to other websites using Drupal and why this feature is important.

Content export is the process of exporting content from one website or CMS and importing it into another website or CMS. This process can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as transferring content from an old website to a new one, merging content from multiple websites, or sharing content with partner organizations.

Why Export Content with Drupal?

Drupal provides several benefits for exporting content to other websites. First and foremost, it offers a flexible and easy-to-use content export module that allows you to export content in a variety of formats, including XML, CSV, and JSON. This means you can easily transfer content to other websites, regardless of the platform or CMS they are using.

Another advantage of using Drupal for content export is that it allows you to specify which content types, fields, and taxonomies you want to export. This means you can export only the content that is relevant to your needs, without including unnecessary information.

Finally, Drupal's content export feature is highly customizable, which means you can create custom export templates to suit your specific needs. This allows you to include or exclude specific fields, modify the format of the exported content, and create custom filters to refine the exported data.

How to Export Content with Drupal?

Exporting content with Drupal is a simple process that involves the following steps:

Drupal's content export feature is a powerful tool that can help you transfer, merge, and share content across multiple websites and digital channels. By using Drupal's content export module, you can export content in a variety of formats, specify which content types and fields to include, and create custom export templates to suit your specific needs. With Drupal's flexible and easy-to-use content export feature, you can ensure that your content is shared consistently and efficiently across all your digital platforms.

Consider hiring me for your Drupal website development!

China's Belt and Road Initiative: How Georgia Fits In

24 October, 2013 | Emerging Markets | 8 seen

China's investment in Georgia has been a topic of increasing interest in recent years. Georgia, strategically located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has become a key player in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and an important partner for China's economic and political ambitions in the region.

China has invested heavily in Georgia's infrastructure, energy, and transportation sectors. One of the most significant Chinese investments in Georgia is the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, which is being developed by a Chinese consortium led by the China Harbour Engineering Company. The port is expected to become a major hub for trade between Asia and Europe, providing a new route for Chinese goods to reach European markets.

In addition to the port, China has invested in the construction of highways and rail links in Georgia, connecting the country to its neighbors and facilitating the movement of goods and people. China has also been involved in the construction of several hydroelectric power plants in Georgia, which have helped to improve the country's energy security.

China's investment in Georgia has not been without controversy, however. Some have raised concerns about the environmental impact of the hydroelectric power plants, and there have been questions about the economic viability of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project. Moreover, critics have pointed to China's expanding presence in Georgia as evidence of its growing geopolitical influence in the region.

Despite these concerns, China's investment in Georgia has been welcomed by many as an opportunity for the country to develop its economy and infrastructure. Georgia has a long history of trade and cultural exchange with China, and many see China's investment as a continuation of this relationship. The Georgian government has also been supportive of China's investment in the country, viewing it as a way to attract foreign investment and boost economic growth.

In conclusion, China's investment in Georgia has been a significant development in the region. While it has been met with some criticism, it has also been seen as an opportunity for Georgia to strengthen its economy and infrastructure. As China continues to expand its presence in the region, it is likely that its investment in Georgia will continue to play an important role in its Belt and Road Initiative and its broader economic and political ambitions.

Democratic Republic of Congo - The World's Poorest Country by GDP Per Capita (2013)

23 October, 2013 | Macroeconomics | 9 seen

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has long been recognized as one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of just $394 in 2013, according to the World Bank. The country faces a range of challenges, including political instability, conflict, and economic underdevelopment, which have contributed to its position as one of the world's least developed nations.

In 2013, the DRC was still recovering from a long period of conflict that had led to the displacement of millions of people and the loss of countless lives. Despite efforts to establish peace and stability in the country, violence and human rights abuses continued to be a major concern, particularly in the eastern regions of the country.

In addition to political instability and conflict, the DRC also faced significant economic challenges in 2013. The country's economy was heavily dependent on natural resources, particularly minerals such as cobalt, copper, and diamonds. However, much of the revenue generated by the mining sector was siphoned off by corrupt officials, leaving little to no resources for investment in infrastructure or social services.

Access to basic services such as health care and education was also limited in the DRC in 2013. The country had some of the highest rates of infant and maternal mortality in the world, and many children did not have access to primary education. The lack of infrastructure, including roads, electricity, and telecommunications, further compounded these challenges, making it difficult for the government and aid organizations to provide assistance to those in need.

Despite these challenges, there were signs of progress in the DRC in 2013. The government had taken steps to address corruption and promote economic growth, and international aid organizations were working to provide support to the most vulnerable populations. In addition, the DRC had recently signed a peace agreement with neighboring Rwanda, raising hopes that stability and security would improve in the region.

Looking back on 2013, it is clear that the DRC had a long way to go in terms of achieving economic development and improving the lives of its citizens. However, with continued efforts to address political instability and promote economic growth, there is hope that the DRC can one day break free from its status as one of the world's poorest nations.

China vs USA - empires at war

23 October, 2013 | Documentaries | 24 seen

<p>Find this documentary from 2007 in Youtube. In France 5 produced documentary authors speak of first confrontation of Chinese and American army in 1996 close to Taiwan.</p><p>In 2007 year produced documentary it's told that China has advanced and modernized it's war technology, by learning USA technics in First Gulf war, Kosowo, Afghanistan, Iraq and other.&nbsp;</p><p>China has deployed system that can shut down USA satelites over Asia..</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I would say,pretty interesting topic, with more interest about nowadays:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Watch it on Youtube:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGzymvvL1EI">http://www.youtube.com/watc… src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kGzymvvL1EI&quot; frameborder="0" width="560" height="315"></iframe></p>

How to upgrade Drupal 6 to Drupal 7

23 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 5 seen

Drupal 6 was released in 2008 and Drupal 7 was released in 2011. While Drupal 6 is still used by some websites, it is important to upgrade to Drupal 7 as it provides improved performance, security updates, and new features.

This article will guide you through the preparation process for upgrading Drupal 6 to Drupal 7.

Before making any changes, it is important to create a backup of your website. This will ensure that you can restore your website if something goes wrong during the upgrade process. You can create a backup by using a backup module or by manually copying your website files and database.

Drupal 7 has higher system requirements than Drupal 6. Before upgrading, check if your server meets the Drupal 7 system requirements. Make sure your server has the correct version of PHP, MySQL, and other required software.

Before upgrading to Drupal 7, it is important to update all of your modules and themes to their latest versions. This will ensure that your website is compatible with Drupal 7 and that you will not lose any functionality during the upgrade process. You can update your modules and themes by going to the Update Manager in Drupal 6.

If you have made customizations to your Drupal 6 website, you will need to check if they are compatible with Drupal 7. Customizations include custom modules, themes, and code changes. You may need to modify your customizations to work with Drupal 7 or find alternatives in Drupal 7.

Before upgrading your live website, it is important to test the upgrade process on a development or staging environment. This will ensure that the upgrade process works correctly and that your website is compatible with Drupal 7. You can create a test environment by creating a copy of your website files and database and installing Drupal 7.

In conclusion, upgrading from Drupal 6 to Drupal 7 requires proper preparation to ensure a smooth upgrade process. Backup your website, check the system requirements, update your modules and themes, check for customizations, and test the upgrade on a development or staging environment. Following these steps will help you to successfully upgrade to Drupal 7 and take advantage of its improved performance, security, and features.

If you are looking to upgrade your Drupal website, I highly recommend considering DrupalTbilisi.com as your go-to resource. With our combination of technical expertise, community engagement, and commitment to excellence, we are well-positioned to help you take your Drupal website to the next level.

Make Me a German

22 October, 2013 | Documentaries | 4 seen

<p>Entertaining documentary from BBC, where Brit journalist with his wife and kids moves to Germany, to see what is the averege life of German people. Journalist gets a job in German pencil factory, and needs to get up exactly at 06:23 AM. Meanwhile his wife needs to be a real housewife and do house works 4 hours and 10 minutes each day. They send their kids to children garden in Woods.</p><p>Fun, entertaining and positive:</p>

Putin, Russia and the West: "New Start"

21 October, 2013 | Documentaries | 6 seen

<p>Found this documentary on YouTube, and watched in Saturday evening.&nbsp;</p><p>In this documentary is showed time when Dmitry Medvedev was president of Russia, and how Barack Obama decided to deal exactly with him, and not with Vladimir Putin.&nbsp;</p><p>In this documentary Dmitry Medvedev is portrayed as wise and independent leader, how he started reforms in Russia. As well it's showed how USA negotiated with Russia concerning Iran Nuclear program.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you are interested in Russia's politics, I could suggest this documentary for you.</p>

Few shots from Tbilisi Cheese Festival

20 October, 2013 | Living in Georgia | 11 seen

In these days the second Cheese Festival was held in Tbilisi Open Air Museum. My mom was visiting me in Georgia, and today her plane back home was. We decided to spend last hours together. The weather was not so great. We didn't found much cheese, but we spent a lovely time.

Here are few shots I captured with my old Sony DSC camera and three years later post-processed using Adobe Lightroom. 

European and Georgian cow

I find a lot of symbolism in picture above.

The Fall has come

Cheese promoters and girl with a basket

Second Tbilisi Cheese Festival

Tbilisi Open Air Museum

How to Create a Contact Form in Drupal: A Beginner's Guide

20 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 6 seen

If you have a Drupal website, adding a contact form can be a great way to improve communication with your visitors and potential customers.

In this article, we will discuss how to add a contact form to your Drupal website, step by step.

• Download Webform
• Extract it to sites/all/modules
• Enable from the modules page

How to Showcase Popular Content on Your Drupal Website

19 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 8 seen

Drupal is a popular content management system used by many businesses and organizations to create and manage their websites. One of the key features of Drupal is the ability to display popular content on your website. By displaying popular content, you can increase engagement and drive more traffic to your website.

In this article, we will discuss how to display popular content in Drupal.

On the picture above, you can see the most popular blog posts on my blog 15:05:01 2013-10-16.

Step 1: Enable the Statistics Module The first step is to enable the Statistics module in Drupal. This module allows you to track page views and other metrics on your website. To enable the Statistics module, go to Administration > Extend and check the box next to the Statistics module. Then click the "Install" button.

Step 2: Configure the Statistics Module Once you have enabled the Statistics module, you need to configure it to track page views. To do this, go to Administration > Configuration > System > Statistics. Under "Logging," check the box next to "Count content views." Then click the "Save configuration" button.

Step 3: Create a View The next step is to create a view to display the popular content. A view is a Drupal feature that allows you to create customized lists of content. To create a view, go to Administration > Structure > Views and click the "Add new view" button.

In the "Add view" page, give your view a name and select the "Content" option for the "Show" field. Then click the "Continue & edit" button.

Step 4: Add a Sort Criteria In the view editor, click the "Add" button under the "Sort criteria" section. In the pop-up window, select "Content statistics: Total views" and click the "Add" button. This will sort your content by the total number of views.

Step 5: Add a Filter To ensure that only popular content is displayed, you need to add a filter to your view. Click the "Add" button under the "Filter criteria" section. In the pop-up window, select "Content: Published (Yes)" and click the "Add and configure filter criteria" button. Then select "Content statistics: Total views" for the "Field" and "Is greater than or equal to" for the "Operator." Enter a number in the "Value" field to set the minimum number of views required for content to be considered popular.

Step 6: Choose Display Format Once you have added the sort criteria and filter, you can choose how to display the popular content. Click the "Add" button under the "Format" section and select the format you want to use. For example, you can choose "Unformatted list" to display a simple list of links to the popular content.

Step 7: Save and Preview Finally, save your view and preview it to see how the popular content is displayed on your website. If you are happy with the results, you can add the view to a block or page on your website.

Conclusion Displaying popular content on your website is a great way to increase engagement and drive more traffic. With Drupal's built-in Statistics module and Views feature, it is easy to create a customized list of popular content that meets your needs. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly and easily display popular content on your Drupal website.

If you're looking to create or improve your website using Drupal, hiring a professional Drupal development company like DrupalTbilisi.com can be a great choice.

Optimizing Your Drupal Website for Search Engines: How to Create a Sitemap for Google Webmasters

18 October, 2013 | Drupal Development | 12 seen

A sitemap is a critical aspect of any website, including Drupal websites. It helps search engines like Google to discover and index all of the pages on your website, making it easier for users to find your content.

In this article, we'll guide you through the steps to create a Drupal sitemap for Google Webmasters.

Step-by-step guide:

• Download the XML Sitemap module for Drupal
• Extract it to sites/all/modules
• Enable it from the Modules page

While creating a Drupal sitemap for Google Webmasters is a relatively simple process, you may still encounter issues or require further customization. In these cases, it can be beneficial to hire a professional Drupal development company like DrupalTbilisi.com to assist you with your needs.

DrupalTbilisi.com has a team of experienced Drupal developers who can help you create a customized solution that fits your unique needs and requirements. They can assist with everything from module installation and configuration to complex website development and customization, ensuring that your website is fully optimized and ready to meet your goals.

Creating a Drupal sitemap for Google Webmasters is an essential aspect of optimizing your website for search engines. With the help of the XML sitemap module, you can easily generate a sitemap that can be submitted to Google for indexing.

However, if you encounter any issues or require further customization, it can be beneficial to hire a professional Drupal development company like DrupalTbilisi.com to assist you with your needs. With their expertise, you can ensure that your Drupal website is fully optimized and ready to be discovered by users searching for your content.

Estonia to catch up Scandinavia in next 10-15 years

17 October, 2013 | Emerging Markets | 24 seen

I have red some interesting article on Estonian Public Broadcasting (news.err.ee) in which  professor of economics, at Tartu University, Raul Eamets predicts that it will take 10-15 years for Estonian incomes to catch up with those of Nordic countries. 

Income level is not the same as GDP, but knowing GDP we can tell something about income level, isn't that right?  I decided to make some quick GDP comparison levels of Nordic countries and Estonia.I don't know which countries Estonian economics professor counted as Nordic countries,  but for the ease of continuing mathematical theories (my lame Google Spreadsheet graphs), I'll assume = Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland are counted as Nordic countries,

Current (2012) GDP nominal in Estonia vs Nordic Countries

Here are the raw GDP nominal 2012 data from World Bank:

• Estonia 21.854 bln USD
• Iceland 13.656 bln USD
• Finland 250.024 bln USD
• Denmark 314.242 bln USD
• Norway 499.667 bln USD
• Sweden 525.742 bln USD

• Estonia 16.316 thousands USD
• Iceland 42.658 thousands USD
• Finland 46.178 thousands USD
• Denmark 56.210 thousands USD
• Norway 99.557 thousands USD
• Sweden 55.244 thousands USD

• Estonia 26.19 thousands USD
• Iceland 59.45 thousands USD
• Finland 62.06 thousands USD
• Denmark 70.61 thousands USD
• Sweden 76.23 thousands USD
• Norway 121.56 thousands USD