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- Source: sources/engineering-cms-developer.md - Entities: WordPress, Drupal - Concepts: ContentModel-first, CodeOverConfiguration - Updated: index.md (Sources/Entities/Concepts), overview.md, log.md
49 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
49 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "ContentModel-first"
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type: concept
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tags: [cms, development, methodology]
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last_updated: 2026-05-01
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---
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## Definition
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ContentModel-first is a CMS development principle that mandates: **before writing any theme or template code, the fields, content types, and editorial workflow must be fully defined and locked**. This applies to both WordPress and Drupal development.
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## Core Principle
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> "Content model first. Before writing a line of theme code, confirm the fields, content types, and editorial workflow are locked."
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## Application
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### WordPress
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- Define custom post types, taxonomies, and ACF field groups before building templates
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- Lock down field names, types, validation rules
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- Plan display variants (teaser, full, card, hero)
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### Drupal
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- Define content types, paragraph types, vocabulary terms, and entity references first
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- Use Paragraphs or Layout Builder for flexible editorial content
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- Export all configuration to YAML before writing custom modules
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## Why It Matters
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- **Prevents rework**: Template code rarely needs to change when the data model is stable
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- **Reduces editor confusion**: When fields are well-named and organized, editorial UX improves
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- **Enables parallel work**: Front-end developers and content strategists can work simultaneously once the model is agreed
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- **Improves maintainability**: Adding a new field is a data modeling decision, not a template hotfix
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## Anti-patterns
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- ❌ Building templates for undefined fields
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- ❌ Creating post types through the admin UI without documenting the schema
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- ❌ Changing field names after templates reference them
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## Related Concepts
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- [[CodeOverConfiguration]] — the companion principle: register everything in code
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- [[LayoutBuilder]] — Drupal's tool for implementing flexible content models
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- [[GutenbergBlockEditor]] — WordPress's tool for flexible content editing
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## Sources
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- [[engineering-cms-developer]]
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