Fubhy talking about Panels vs Context Module

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmTuvzbPduI

(about 2hrs 5)

The context module is conceptually problematic – biggest use was to place blocks using hook_page_alter – but this is not the right hook (should be block_list_alter); very slow (blindly executes context rules on every page = overhead), conceptually wrong.

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irc #drupal-omega


[21:45] <b0x> fubhy: so you _always_ use panels?
[21:45] <fubhy> yes
[21:45] <fubhy> always
[21:45] <b0x> doesnt it have a fairly large overhead
[21:45] <fubhy> panels, panels everywhere
[21:45] <b0x> compared to standard layouts
[21:45] <fubhy> no
[21:45] <fubhy> context has a crazy overhead
 [21:45] <fubhy> context module is slow as f**k
[21:45] <b0x> yah
[21:45] <Guest77213> lol
[21:45] <fubhy> panels has pretty good caching
[21:46] <fubhy> if you configure it, even better so
[21:46] <fubhy> and, let's be honest, the fact that context module is named context moduile can only be a bad joke
[21:46] <fubhy> because... it has no clue about contexts
[21:46] <b0x> hehe
[21:47] <fubhy> while with panels you can manage contexts in quite complex ways
[21:47] <fubhy> and forward them to other stuff
[21:47] <fubhy> like views contextual filters
[21:47] <fubhy> or the token system
[21:47] <b0x> so you dont actually need context
[21:47] <b0x> but can make context based changes, using panels alone
[21:48] <b0x> or..?
[21:48] <fubhy> i don't use context
[21:48] <fubhy> i dont' use the block module
[21:48] <fubhy> block module == one of the first things i uninstall on a new site
[21:48] <b0x> thats interesting
[21:48] <b0x> though panels would take over that functionality
[21:48] <b0x> so makes sense
[21:49] <fubhy> yes
[21:49] <fubhy> panels takes over that functionality
[21:49] <fubhy> and more


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<fubhy> if you want to have different regions than what's defined in the .info file of the base theme you have to add them in your own theme's .info file
<fubhy> otherwise they are inherited
<apacheQTJ> fubhy: ok thanks - but I think if you are using panels / panels everywhere then the theme's regions can be irrelevant?
<fubhy> yes
<fubhy> definitely
<fubhy> and that's what i do too
<apacheQTJ> ok thanks

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<monk_> I think fubhy has it setup where he does EVERYTHING in code except for contexts, content etc
<monk_> correct me if not accurate
<fubhy> yes thats correct
<apacheQTJ> monk_: you mean that panels layout can be in code or in database and code is better?
<monk_> yea, you can have code/ files that define panels layout
<apacheQTJ> fubhy: I think you don't use panels layout designer = http://i.imgur.com/07zYpIz.png because it goes in the database?
<monk_> custom layouts actually defined in tpl and scss
<fubhy> yes
<fubhy> flexibuilder layouts are crap
<fubhy> avoid at all cost

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[15:51:00] <fubhy> create your own panels layouts
[15:51:04] <fubhy> no need to hack existing ones
[15:51:08] <fubhy> it's fairly simple to create custom layouts
[15:51:12] <fubhy> and if you want clean markup
[15:51:17] <fubhy> stay far far away from the panels provided ones