Setting up the Drupal Module for the Editorial Calendar Software Desk-Net

Short feature description

The module connects Desk-Net with a Drupal site and syncs data between the two systems.

There are two main use cases for syncing data:

1. A story is planned and coordinated in Desk-Net. The meta-data of that story is sent to Drupal, where an article is created. Updates made to the story in Drupal are synced back to Desk-Net.
2. Breaking news and other stories are created or published in Drupal. The module automatically creates a story list entry in Desk-Net.

Learn more about the Desk-Net and Drupal integration.

Before you start

The following conditions must be met before you can integrate Desk-Net and Drupal:

• You must be a Desk-Net customer or have a trial account (learn more about Desk-Net and get your free trial)
• You must have received the API credentials for your Desk-Net account. If you have a Desk-Net account, please create your API-credentials here.
• You must have admin access to a Drupal site (version 7.54 or higher). This site must not be placed behind a firewall, i.e. it must be accessible via the internet.

Installing the module

Install the module in your Drupal backend via the Downloads section.

Once installed you will see a line entry called "Desk-Net" on the Modules page in the Administration section.

Connecting Desk-Net and Drupal

You need to "inform" both systems about the other's login credentials. You do this in two steps.

1. Desk-Net to Drupal
   

   In the Drupal backend, go to the tab "Drupal Credentials" in the Desk-Net module. Keep this page open and access your Desk-Net account.

   In Desk-Net go to the list of platforms in the admin area and select the platform you want to connect for editing. Access the tab "Advance Settings".

   At "Data export / API" select "Drupal". At least for now, don’t alter the setting "All statuses".

   Now enter the URL, API User, and API Secret data that is displayed in Drupal into the corresponding fields in Desk-Net. Don't forget to click Save.

   You may want to test the connection by clicking Test connection.
   
   
2. Drupal to Desk-Net
   

   In the Drupal backend go to the page "Desk-Net Credentials" in the Desk-Net module.

   Enter the API credentials that you have received from Desk-Net and click Save.

That’s it! Now your Desk-Net account and your Drupal site are connected.

Configuring the module

Once you have connected Drupal and Desk-Net, the two systems start exchanging data.

Now you can define in more detail how and when data should be synced. This is done on the following pages in the Desk-Net module:

• Match status levels
• Match categories
• Define content import settings

Matching status levels

In Desk-Net, stories have several status levels. In Drupal, the only status levels are Unpublished and Published.

You can map these status levels between the two systems so that a status change in Drupal is immediately and appropriately reflected in Desk-Net (and vice versa).

To do so, access the tab “Status Matching” in the Desk-Net module in Drupal. It displays two sections:

1. "Desk-Net to Drupal": On the left you find the status levels of your Desk-Net account. (They can be customized in the Desk-Net admin area.)
   
   The menus on the right list the Drupal status levels.

   Using these menus, you can define what status should be set in Drupal depending on what status is set in Desk-Net.

   The module also displays the "status" Deleted/Removed, allowing you to define what status should be set in Drupal if a story is removed in Desk-Net.

2. "Drupal to Desk-Net": Use this section to define what status level in Desk-Net should be set depending on the status level set in Drupal.

Matching categories

The categories in Desk-Net and Drupal can be matched on the tab “Category Matching” in the same way the status levels are matched (see above).

Content Settings

Users can upload content in Desk-Net. This content is then exported to Drupal.

The module allows you to define where this content should be exported to:

• Media files can be inserted into the article's body AND get stored in the Media Library.
• Alternatively, you can tell the module to move the files to the Media Library only (media files are NOT inserted into the article’s body).
• Text will always be added directly to the article's body.

Note: To import pictures into the article's body, you need to have the WYSIWYG editor installed.
Note: Content matching is only possible in the Desk-Net module for Drupal 7.

Uploaded content is never inserted into articles with the Published status in Drupal.

User Matching

The module automatically matches user profiles in Desk-Net and Drupal based on email address.

If an email address exists in both systems, the corresponding user is matched.

If a story with multiple assignees is created in Desk-Net, the module tries to match the email address of the assignee of the first text assignment.