fidzu : web

Build beautiful Drupal page layouts without writing a line of TWIG and CSSIf you've ever wished Drupal's block-based layout system came with a more visual, component-driven experience, the new Display Builder module is exactly what you've been waiting for.In this first video of the Display Builder series, Pierre walks through the Page Layouts feature, showing how fast you can build a fully styled, published page layout - no custom code required.

04 Mar 2026 1:19pm GMT

A Small Fix That Wasn't So Simple

My first contribution to the Drupal Metatag module started with what looked like a simple issue: fixing broken external documentation links. The task was logged as Issue #3559765 Fix broken links in the Meta tags section , and at first, it seemed like a quick cleanup job. But the deeper I looked, the more it revealed about the fragility of open source documentation, and how AI can speed up the repetitive parts of technical contribution work while still requiring careful human judgment.

Broken links may not sound exciting, but they highlight a widespread challenge in open source maintenance. Documentation links age fast. Websites vanish. URL structures change without warning. And because the Metatag module contains dozens of plugin files pointing to different sources, even a small fix meant a lot of detail work.

How AI Accelerated the Research Phase

To begin, I scanned the src/Plugin/metatag/Tag/ directory, which contains over 30 plugin files. This was where AI added real value, not by writing code, but by making the background research faster and more structured. I found six that had broken or unreliable links:

• SetCookie.php: Link to metatags.org was returning 404
• Rating.php: Link to metatags.org was broken, though the RTA link worked
• Google.php: Google webmasters link returned 404
• Expires.php: Link to csgnetwork.com calculator had connection errors
• Standout.php: Google News documentation was broken (404)
• NewsKeywords.php: Google News documentation was broken (404)

For each broken link, I needed to verify the issue, find a reliable replacement from an authoritative source, confirm it worked and was stable, then update it in the code without disrupting formatting or introducing linting errors.

Finding Every Link

Checking each file manually would have been tedious. Using AI, I generated efficient grep patterns for discovering URLs across the whole directory, like this suggestion that matched multiple URL styles: https?://|www\. That one line let me identify every external link across 30+ plugin files in minutes.

Verifying What Was Broken

The next challenge was figuring out which links actually worked. Instead of opening them one by one, AI recommended using a simple curl command to automatically test HTTP status codes:

curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "https://example.com"

This approach let me quickly categorize links as 200 (working), 404 (broken), or 301 (redirects), giving me a precise list of which needed attention.

Finding Better Sources

When replacing links, AI helped search for credible alternatives, suggesting sources like MDN, W3C, IETF, or Google Search Central. It also helped compare multiple options and recommend the best one.

When AI Needed a Human Touch

Despite its efficiency, AI couldn't make every decision. Some choices depended on contextual understanding, deciding whether a replacement even made sense.

Google News Documentation

Two plugin files, Standout.php and NewsKeywords.php, both referenced Google News documentation that no longer existed. AI surfaced generic help pages, but none were relevant. Since the tags were already marked @deprecated, I chose to remove the links entirely. This was a judgment call informed by understanding the code's context and the importance of avoiding misleading or obsolete references.

Content Rating (RTA) Documentation

In Rating.php, the existing RTA link technically worked but wasn't reader-friendly. The AI proposed a few options, but ultimately, I picked Wikipedia's page on content rating systems. It included the RTA standard, offered better context, and felt more accessible, a human decision about user experience, not just URL accuracy.

What This Taught Me

Several clear themes came out of this contribution:

• Third-party documentation is fragile. Even long-established sources like metatags.org and csgnetwork.com can disappear or restructure, breaking countless references.
• Redirects can cause silent problems. A 301 redirect still "works," but introduces slower load times and unnecessary chains. Direct links are cleaner.
• AI excels at repetitive verification. Checking and verifying dozens of URLs took minutes instead of hours.
• Context remains human. AI found replacements but couldn't know when removing links made more sense or why accessibility might matter more than originality.
• Authoritative sources reduce maintenance. Linking to MDN, IETF, or W3C means fewer headaches for future maintainers and reviewers.

The Outcome

The final patch replaced or removed all broken documentation links:

Fixed with authoritative replacements:

• SetCookie: MDN documentation
• Google: Google Search Central
• Expires: IETF RFC 1123
• Rating: Wikipedia

Removed (no suitable or relevant replacements):

• Standout : Google News documentation removed
• NewsKeywords: Google News documentation removed

The workflow became smoother, faster, and easier to reproduce. Using AI to handle repetitive validation tasks allowed me to focus my attention on decisions that actually required human reasoning.

A Better Way Forward

This contribution showed how AI can accelerate contribution workflows without replacing the thoughtful judgment that open source development depends on. By blending AI-assisted discovery with context-aware decision-making, contributors can move faster and still produce work that's accurate, accessible, and maintainable.

Maintaining external documentation links might never be glamorous, but it's a perfect example of how AI can make quality improvements faster and more sustainable, one verified link at a time.

Bring practical, proven AI adoption strategies to your organization, let's start a conversation! We'd love to hear from you.

04 Mar 2026 12:00am GMT

There is a big party happening at DrupalCon Chicago, and I can't wait.

On March 24th, we're celebrating Drupal's 25th Anniversary with a gala from 7-10 pm CT. It's a separate ticketed event, not included in your DrupalCon registration.

Some of Drupal's earliest contributors are coming back for this, including a few who haven't attended DrupalCon in years. That alone makes it special.

If you've been part of Drupal's story, whether for decades or just a few months, I'd love for you to be there. It's shaping up to be a memorable night.

The dress code is "Drupal Fancy". That means anything from gowns and black tie, to your favorite Drupal t-shirt. If you've ever wanted an excuse to dress up for a Drupal event, this is it!

Tickets are $125, with a limited number of $25 tickets underwritten by sponsors so cost isn't a barrier. All tickets must be purchased in advance. They won't be available at the door. Registration closes March 18th, so grab your tickets soon.

Organizations can reserve a table for their team. Even better, invite a few contributors to join you. It's a great way to give back to the people who helped build what your business runs on.

For questions or sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to Tiffany Farriss, who is serving as Gala Chair and part of the team coordinating the celebration.

Know someone who should be there? Share this with them.

What matters most is that you're there. I can't wait to celebrate together in Chicago.

03 Mar 2026 3:55pm GMT

This post gives a summary of the results of the 2025 World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Membership Survey.

29 Jan 2026 9:38am GMT

Sylvia Cadena, W3C Chief Development Officer, reports on coordinating the TPAC 2025 inclusion fund and W3C Invited Expert fund, aimed to reduce barriers for participants who are contributing to W3C's work, and that are part of W3C's effort to strengthen our Community Engagement program.

20 Jan 2026 3:06pm GMT

On January 14, 2006, John Resig introduced a JavaScript library called jQuery at BarCamp in New York City. Now, 20 years later, the jQuery team is happy to announce the final release of jQuery 4.0.0. After a long development cycle and several pre-releases, jQuery 4.0.0 brings many improvements and modernizations. It is the first major … Continue reading →

18 Jan 2026 12:29am GMT

Mid-2025, the Publishing Maintenance Working Group (PMWG) ran a survey in the publishing community to ask: should we allow HTML in EPUB? The survey results and their discussions were invaluable in helping decide to not add HTML to EPUB 3.4, and to take a new approach on HTML and digital publications.

14 Jan 2026 12:38pm GMT

It's here! Almost. jQuery 4.0.0-rc.1 is now available. It's our way of saying, "we think this is ready; now poke it with many sticks". If nothing is found that requires a second release candidate, jQuery 4.0.0 final will follow. Please try out this release and let us know if you encounter any issues. A 4.0 … Continue reading →

11 Aug 2025 5:35pm GMT

Last February, we released the first beta of jQuery 4.0.0. We're now ready to release a second, and we expect a release candidate to come soon™. This release comes with a major rewrite to jQuery's testing infrastructure, which removed all deprecated or under-supported dependencies. But the main change that warranted a second beta was a … Continue reading →

17 Jul 2024 2:03pm GMT

When it comes to crafting an article, the headline is crucial for grabbing the reader's attention and enticing them to read further. In this post, I'll explore the 7 types of article headlines and provide examples for each using the subjects of product management, user experience design, and search engine optimization. 1. The Know-it-All The […]

The post 7 Types of Article Headlines: Craft the Perfect Title Every Time first appeared on Smiley Cat.

29 May 2023 10:20pm GMT

Product management is one of the most exciting and rewarding careers in the tech world. But it's also one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented. There are many myths and misconceptions that cloud the reality of what product managers do, how they do it, and what skills they need to succeed. In this blog post, […]

The post 5 Product Management Myths You Need to Stop Believing first appeared on Smiley Cat.

09 Apr 2023 5:28pm GMT

The role of a product manager is crucial to the success of any product. They are responsible for managing the entire product life cycle, from conceptualization to launch and beyond. A product manager must possess a unique blend of skills and qualities to be effective in their role. Strong strategic thinking A product manager must […]

The post The Key Strengths of the Best Product Managers first appeared on Smiley Cat.

11 Dec 2022 4:43pm GMT